IT is that time of year again, when after the sound and fury of the political tumult that was the referendum debate, we seek suggestions for something completely different - nominations for the Public Campaign or Campaigner category of the Scottish Politician of the Year awards, which take place next month.
This public accolade gives Herald readers the chance to nominate those who have engaged with Holyrood in the past year, and have most effectively and innovatively made politicians sit up and take notice of their calls for reform or action.
Last year the winner was the housing campaign group Shelter for making the Scottish Government sit up and take notice of the implications of the bedroom tax.
The previous year it was Lochgilphead schoolgirl Martha Payne whose NeverSeconds blog about school meals won widespread praise before being briefly banned by Argyll & Bute Council.
This added to her fame and resulted in her raising more than £130,000 for the charity Mary's Meals to build a new school kitchen in Malawi.
Other past winners have included the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth, anti-stalking activist Ann Moulds, Clydeside Action on Asbestos and the Farepak Campaign.
Already this year there has been a nomination for those involved in the campaign for reform of the Children and Young People legislation to allow young people to stay in care until age 21 and giving extra support to those who have left care.
Those involved were Barnardo's Scotland, WhoCares? Scotland and the Aberlour Childcare Trust.
Another contender is bound to be the Better Together staffer Gordon Aikman who turned his catastrophic diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease at the age of 29 into a personal fundraising campaign on the issue, with the Bucket Challenge going wild and politicians involved in a fund- raising penalty shoot-out.
"I'm dying. And fast," he blogged as he pleaded for funding to find a cure, even if it comes too late for him.
This category is sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors and partner Patrick McGuire said: "Thompsons is Scotland's leading campaigning law firm and in a year when the public has engaged with politics as never before, we are honoured to sponsor Public Campaigner of the Year.
"We will always support those committed people who work tirelessly to make our country a better and more just place to live."
If you know of a campaign or campaigner who deserves to be recognised or indeed feel your own campaign would be worthy of being put forward then let us know about it.
Entries must be received by October 17. Contact Claire Reid on 0141 302 7319 or email claire.reid@heraldandtimes.co.uk for more information.
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