Awards recognise community spirit
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PUTTING your community before yourself is nothing new to people who work in the public service but a union leader has called on members to shine a light on the real Highland Heroes.
John Gibson, branch secretary of Unison Highland, believes there are plenty of people out there going above and beyond what is expected of them and not seeking any reward.
He said: "It's all about recognising that dedication not just to the job but to the broader sense of achieving something for your community or the service that you're part of.
"Because of their dedication you find people who work in the public service are often doing over and above what their hours are or what their contract says."
Unison Highland, which represents support staff across Highland Council and High Life Highland, is sponsoring the public servant of the year award at this year's Highland Heroes.
"We will be encouraging our members to have a look at the award and asking 'do you know somebody who fits this? Why don't you put them forward?'" said Mr Gibson.
Readers of five Scottish Provincial Press (SPP) newspapers across the region are being encouraged to nominate their local heroes across 12 categories in this year's awards, which are now in their second year.
The fact that these awards celebrate local people in the vast area of the Highlands is what Mr Gibson is most pleased about.
He said: "One of the important things is that it is local to the Highlands. The area we cover as a branch goes east from Inverness to Nairn, north to Wick and Thurso, across the north, all the way down the west coast, over to Skye and all the way down to Mallaig and Fort William, so it's a huge geographical area.
"It's an area that is not very well represented nationally in these type of awards, so to get somebody who is doing it locally is great, particularly for the rural communities where it's those people who go the extra mile that keep those communities thriving.
"It's good when the likes of SPP hold local awards because they understand the area – that's why we think it's important to recognise people in the Highlands by people in the Highlands."
The public servant category is looking for somebody who has gone the extra mile in the delivery of their job, making a real difference to their service users, the organisation they work for or the community they work in.
To nominate somebody you feel deserves recognition in this or any other category, fill in this form and post it to Highland Heroes, Scottish Provincial Press, New Century House, Stadium Road, Inverness, IV1 1FG or email it to heroes@spp-group.com. You can also nominate your Highland Heroes online at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HighlandHeroes2018
The deadline for nominations is midnight on Saturday, September 1.
A judging panel will draw up a shortlist in each category before readers are given the opportunity to vote for their favourites.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on Thursday, November 8.
Mr Gibson added: "The category is broad but it's about people who work in public life or in public service – lots of people do that out of choice because they want to contribute to their community.
"Somebody who is a secretary in a school, for instance, could just as easily be a secretary for a private firm but they want to put something back."
