Young Quality Scot Awards 2007
Talented and public spirited youngsters from around the country attended the Quality Scotland’s annual Young Quality Scot Awards which The Highland Council hosted at the Craigmonie Centre in Drumnadrochit on Friday 9 March.
A total of 120 Young Quality Scots were recognised at the national award ceremony for their service to their community. They had all been nominated by local authorities, youth agencies, schools, colleges and voluntary groups. The young people ranged in age from 15 to 19 and have been helping out in various ways including supporting others, who have health/special needs, arranging activities for other young people and representing young people on Youth Forums, Councils and the Scottish Youth Parliament.
The chosen young people from each of the nine participating areas, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, North, and East Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, Dundee, West Lothian and the Highlands, attended training events in their areas with fellow nominees from their region. At their training events they worked on leadership skills, team work and presentation skills and worked together to produce a group presentation about issues which affect young people, which they performed at the Craigmonie Centre.
Provost Bill Smith officially welcomed the Young Quality Scots a civic reception held in Drumnadrochit on Thursday evening. The following morning they were welcomed by Gillian Lithgow of YouthLink Scotland. The groups from each area then made presentations, connected with the voluntary work they have done to improve the quality of life in their local communities or on issues affecting young people.
After a motivational speech by explorer and adventurer Pauline Sanderson, the winners will be presented with their Young Quality Scot Awards.
The programme is run as a partnership between the Quality Scotland, YouthLink and the Local Authorities. In the fourteen years since its inception over 1,000 young Scots have taken part in the programme. Previous winners have, amongst other initiatives, set up a youth café, undertaken paired reading with pupils with learning difficulties, ran a club for young people with physical difficulties and assisted in drug and health promotion for young people.
Bob Ford, Director of Quality Scotland Educational Trust thanked The Highland Council for hosting the event. He said “These young people have taken the initiative to help people around them. It is important that young people are recognised in a positive light for what they have achieved. Quality Scotland is built around the idea that encouraging quality in the Scottish society is of utmost importance; it’s great that these young people have taken on this philosophy. These young people should be an inspiration to us all. They all deserve this national recognition for the good work they have done for their communities.”
Young people from the Highlands who received awards were:
Rachel Andrew Charleston Academy, Inverness
Lauren Fisher Charleston Academy, Inverness
Kirsten MacDonald Charleston Academy, Inverness
Aileen Macrae Inverness (Unemployed)
Ewan McCreath Culloden Academy, Inverness
Jessica Pargeter Kilchuimen Academy, Fort Augustus
Sean Sandward Kilchuimen Academy, Fort Augustus
Ursula Canton Nairn Academy
Charlotte Dawson Farr Academy, Sutherland
Eilidh Munro Farr Academy, Sutherland
Holly Greggan Invergordon Academy
Catriona MacLennan Invergordon Academy
Dana Sutherland Invergordon Academy
Mark Webster Invergordon Academy
Daniel Williamson Invergordon Academy
Pauline McIntyre Invergordon Academy
Sunny Moodie Dingwall (Gap Year)
Gillian Slider Ullapool High School
Background -
In 1991, a few highly respected companies who were keen to develop a quality culture in Scotland established an independent, not-for-profit, non-political organisation called Quality Scotland. The board comprises senior executives from the governing members, understood that an action plan was required to respond to the competitive threat – particularly from abroad, in short, business excellence at all levels.
The need for consistent and outstanding business performance is even more important in today’s global market place. Quality Scotland continues to call on all organisations and individuals to work individually and collectively to strive for excellence in everything they do. In addition, through its “Centre for Business Excellence”, which has the benefit of extensive European links, it promotes and delivers innovative techniques for developing people, best management practices and maximising competitiveness at home and abroad.
From an original base of 14 members Quality Scotland now has a membership in excess of 200 organisations, the majority of whom feature among the top companies in Scotland. A small central team, with senior management experience in both the private, voluntary and public sectors, manages development and day-to-day administration. In addition, secondees from member companies contribute their experience and derive real value in assisting in the delivery of Quality Scotland’s aim – a world where Scotland is recognised for the competitive and innovative nature of its economy achieved through the quality of its people.