Little details can make an entry for the Herald's annual Society Awards really stand out.

The community group that got their Fife fishing village featured on the BBC weather map, or the 70 million honey bees restored to Scotland by a social enterprise.

But the real difference made by winning entries from the public and charity sectors across the country was what impressed the judges. Those achievements were celebrated at a gala dinner in Glasgow last night.

Few campaigns, in any, of the seven years of the awards have had as significant an impact as this year's campaigners of the year winners.

Who Cares, Aberlour Childcare Trust and Barnardo's Scotland teamed up to demand changes in the support for young people in care. But it was the young care-leavers who spoke up in front of politicians, ministers and council chiefs who helped deliver a dramatic shift in law, resulting in young people gaining the right to stay in care until they are 21.

Turning around the lives of vulnerable pre-school children was the goal of the Education Initiative of the Year. Four years ago Glasgow City Council won the category for its nurture classes, which help prepare children who arrive at school unready for education, often due to deprivation or crises in their home lives. This year, the council took the prize again for work to extend the idea into the city's nurseries.

East Haven Residents' Association was a near perfect candidate for Community Project of the Year. Residents of the down-at-heel Fife fishing village used every method possible to transform perceptions of it, including installing a whole fishing boat as in a community garden and getting the village onto the weather map. Judges were unanimous in awarding it the trophy and Gordon Sloan, chair of category sponsors GHA, said: "We want to create communities people are proud to call home. This award is a fitting reward for the people and organisations who show pride and a real community spirit to make a difference in their local area."

North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire won the Health and Social Care Integration Award. Their project helped tackle rising pressure on services for older people by deploying psychologists to focus on people's beliefs about health and quality of life - giving them more confidence to manage on their own. A spokeswoman for sponsors Social Work Scotland said "It's a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic work that people are doing all over the country to make the integration of health and social care deliver the best possible services for people who need them."

Top spot in the highly competitive Young People's Project of the Year category went to the charity Includem for work in Glasgow to prevent the breakdown of foster placements. Jim Sweeney, CEO of sponsor YouthLink Scotland, said: "All the finalists are fantastic examples of the literally life-changing work being done by thousands of youth workers and volunteers."

The Older People's Project of the Year was awarded to the East Ayrshire-based Zone Initiative, whose Home Buddies Project works to help older people, disabled and vulnerable adults in the Doon Valley area live at home for longer.

Professor Valerie Webster, pro vice-chancellor of external relations at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), said: "We are proud to celebrate the success of individuals and teams who are working to change the lives or lifestyles of older people."

Another spectacular entry united the judges in choosing Scotland's Environmental Initiative of the Year. Kilsyth Community Market Garden and Kelvin Valley Honey was only established in 2011, but by training local people in beekeeping it has helped the environment and supported disadvantaged communities, and last year the community-owned social enterprise increased income from the sale of honey and beeswax products to more than £620,000.

Glasgow City Council and the Wheatley Group was named the best partnership of the year, for the Glasgow Housing Options programme, which improves outcomes for homeless people.

Action for Children Scotland's Barbara Wright was Individual Worker of the Year for her dedicated work in Edinburgh. Due to retire next year, she has supported hundreds of children with learning disabilities in the 16 years since the service opened.

Herald Society Team of the Year was Enable Scotland's Enable Works, which has helped hundreds of people with learning disabilities into college and employment.

Sadie Gordon was named Unsung Hero of 2014 in recognition of 36 years of dedicated service to a dizzying tally of community projects in North Glasgow.

Finally, in our newest award, the Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Fiona MacNeil of Glasgow-based Gilded Lily was chosen for work to help marginalised women to become more enterprising, funded by selling a range of ethical hand-made beauty products. Karen McGregor, chief executive of Firstport, said: "We are very proud of all the finalists. They are highlighting the vital contribution social enterprise makes to our society and economy."

A final special Judges Award was given to Glasgow 2014, for a range of work with schools and young people that aimed to contribute to a lasting legacy for this year's Commonwealth Games.

Gordon Mason, Chairman of EVH, said:  "Well now we know and it's time to call out the name of the "Unsung Hero" following another wonderful Herald Society Awards night. EVH - Supporting Social Employers always queues up to be involved with this affair, especially as, like this year, winners are so often the inspirational yet unassuming wonderful people who make real differences to the lives of those around them. A real set of role models for us all - professional footballers take note! There are no runners up in our book - but a specially big pat on the back to Sadie Gordon, this year's Unsung Hero."

Harry Stevenson, President of Social Work Scotland, said:  "We were delighted to support these awards. It's a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic work that people are doing all over the country to make the integration of health and social care deliver the best possible services for people who need them. Our congratulations to a worthy winner."

GHA Chair Gordon Sloan said: "We were delighted to support The Herald Society Community Project of the Year award and to recognise the projects which have transformed neighbourhoods and the lives of people living within them.  At GHA we want to create communities people are proud to call home. This award is a fitting reward for the people and organisations who show pride and a real community spirit to make a difference in their local area."