Can local youth club Fet-Lor win Community Project of the Year? Come to that, can Sid the horse win Hero Animal of the Year? All will be revealed a week tonight …
RBS-Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes: The Awards will air on STV at 8pm next Tuesday (14 October). The star studded event is hosted by Carol Smillie (pictured above)and will recognise local champions from across Scotland.
The hour long programme will see a total of 11 awards handed out by famous faces, including Nicholas McDonald of The X Factor, actor Bill Paterson, actor Clare Grogan and Taggart star Alex Norton, to Scots who have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people in their local area.
The Scottish public were asked to nominate friends, neighbours or groups who they thought deserved to be recognised earlier this year and the judging panel revealed a shortlist of nominees after an overwhelming response. Each week six nominees in ten categories were showcased for the RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes series in which the viewers were invited to vote for the candidate they believed most deserved to collect an award.
A winner from each category will be revealed in STV’s programme on Friday 14th October then one extraordinary hero, selected from the final category winners, will collect the RBS Scotland’s Real Hero of the Year Award.
Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “To stand out from thousands of entries, our nominees are all doing something pretty remarkable. But their commitment, energy and inspiration are typical of the truly inspiring Scots who go the extra mile for their community. This awards ceremony on STV is a great way to celebrate and reward their achievement.”
Chris Wilson, Royal Bank of Scotland’s Managing Director of Branch and Private Banking in Scotland, said:“We’re really pleased at how successful this year’s series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes has been and the way the Scottish public has got behind all of the finalists. It’s important to celebrate the extraordinary lengths people in communities all around Scotland go to make a difference to the lives of those around them. We’re really looking forward to finding out who the Scottish public has voted as their Real Heroes and giving them the recognition they deserve at the awards ceremony.”
The following individuals, groups and organisations have been shortlisted for an RBS Real Hero award:
COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Jim McConkey – Govan, Glasgow
Vicki McCarthy (REACH for Autism) – Greenock, Inverclyde
Ross Cowie (Lucky2BHere) – Portree, Isle of Skye
SPORTING VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Elaine McKenna (Special Olympics Lothian) – Blackburn, West Lothian
Pat Bannan (Bannan Fitness Club) –Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire
Andrew Campbell (Camran Taekwando) – Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire
HERO NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR
Ann Graham – Riverside, Stirling
Mo and Roxy Razzaq – Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
Margaret (Garry) Robertson – Wick, Caithness.
COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Bathgate Street Pastors – Bathgate, West Lothian
Jackie McIntosh (MS Therapy Centre Inverness) – Inverness, Highlands
Margaret Gibb (West of Scotland Play Scheme) – Bellshill, South Lanarkshire.
RBS COMMUNITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Fet Lor – Crewe Toll, Edinburgh
The Driving Force – Bonnybridge, Falkirk
The Serenity Cafe – Edinburgh.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Saltburn Woodland Walk – Invergordon, Highlands
Yooz Reuse & Recycling – Bellshill, North Lanarkshire
Killie Can Cycle – Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire.
SCOTLAND’S REAL HEROES COURAGE AWARD
Dean Reilly (Dean Reilly V’s MS) – Portobello, Edinburgh
Amanda McTaggart (Wigbank Glasgow) – Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire
Jenny Cook (Wee Jenny Cook) – East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.
CARER OF THE YEAR
Nell Graham (Portobello Monday Centre) – Portobello, Edinburgh
Maw’s Mafia (The EK Hangout) – East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Anne Swartz (Scottish Kinship Care Alliance) – Dumbarton, W. Dunbartonshire.
YOUNG REAL HERO OF THE YEAR
Danii McArthur (Young Carer) – Barrhead, Glasgow
Mitchell Kinnen(Bright Lights Theatre Group) – Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
The Volunteers of the Glasgow 77th (Disabled) Scout Group – Glasgow.
HERO ANIMAL OF THE YEAR
Barra the Dog (K9 Search and Recovery Scotland) –Luss, Argyll & Bute
Sid the Horse (Aberdeen RDA) – Milltimber, Aberdeen
Ben the Dog (Therapet) – Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire.
For more information, visit www.stv.tv/realheroes
or get involved on Twitter #scotlandsrealheroes
or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scotrealheroes
