Highland communities asked to nominate deserving winners for Scotland Loves Local Awards
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Those who have gone "above and beyond" to help make their areas good places to live will get their chance to shine in a national awards scheme.
Nominations are invited for the Scotland Loves Local Awards, which include accolades for creative and innovative communities and will see the title of High Street Hero being bestowed on one deserving organisation.
Organised by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the awards celebrate all that is good about towns and neighbourhoods. They recognise creativity and commitment "towards shaping a sustainable, successful future".
STP chief officer Phil Prentice said: “Day in, day out, people are working tirelessly to make communities across the Highlands better places to live, improving the lives of those around them. The Scotland Loves Local Awards are a chance to say thank you for all that they do.
“We need you to help us highlight the people, places and projects making the region cleaner, greener, stronger and fairer, whether through design, delivery or sheer determination.”
Scotland Loves Local, spearheaded by STP with the support of the Scottish Government, is the campaign encouraging everyone to strengthen their community by supporting the businesses and people around them. It has backed work across the region.
The award categories are:
High Street Hero (a business, organisation, constituted charity or social enterprise, including individuals associated with the organisation, that has gone above and beyond to support those around them)
Place Leader
Climate Town
Creative Town
Innovative Town
Streets and Spaces
Town Centre Living
Scotland’s community wealth minister, Tom Arthur, is backing the call for award nominations.
He said: “Over the past year our communities have come together to support each other through the pandemic, from supporting local businesses to helping vulnerable neighbours.
“The Scotland Loves Local Awards importantly recognise those who have gone above and beyond. If you know of a person or organisation that has made a difference, I would urge you to nominate them to receive well-deserved recognition.
“The Scottish Government has committed to a £10 million Scotland Loves Local programme to help revitalise our town centres. As we recover from the pandemic we are pushing forward with an ambitious agenda of economic transformation by building wealth in local communities and delivering greater, greener and fairer prosperity.”
Nominations can be made at www.lovelocal.scot/awards where full category criteria can also be found. There, you can briefly share the details of your nominee and why you would like to see them recognised.
The closing date for nominations is Friday, September 10. Winners will be announced in a virtual celebration to be broadcast on Thursday, November 25, as the culmination of Scotland’s Towns Conference – this year being staged online with a series of events over three days.
