World Cup stars are not real heroes
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
THE boss of a Highland security firm won't be looking to Russia with love during the World Cup – for his heroes lie much closer to home.
Castle Security's managing director Jim Ferguson, whose company is getting involved in the Highland Heroes awards for the second year, said: "Last year there was a member of the coastguard who had saved a life – that's what I call a real hero.
"No disrespect to footballers but they are not my heroes!
"There are police officers that I consider to be heroes, there are members of the military that are most definitely heroes, there are people in the intelligence services who you never get to hear about who are heroes – but there are also people in the community who do the kind of thing we're talking about; they are heroes.
"One of the biggest things anybody could do is to lay down their life for somebody but there are other people who go through a lot of self-sacrifice for others.
"It could even be a child who has looked after an ill parent and those children sacrifice their childhood to look after mum or dad.
"They're the real heroes to my mind."
The Highland Heroes awards, now in their second year, are inviting readers of five Scottish Provincial Press newspapers across the region to nominate their local heroes across 12 categories.
Castle Security is sponsoring the primary pupil of the year category and Mr Ferguson urged readers to put forward people in their area who are making a real difference to others.
He said: "We all have a duty of care to look after each other and watch over our community.
"Think about people you know, people who've maybe sacrificed a lot. It could be a family member or somebody who has come through very difficult circumstances and overcome them, met challenges head on and come through them having worked hard to do that.
"Or other people who have maybe gone out of their way for people less fortunate.
"Sometimes people are quite shy at putting themselves forward for things – and that's natural – so it's nice for other people to say, you know what, that person over there did an awful lot for so and so or those people."
To nominate somebody you feel deserves recognition, 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 Ferguson said he was keen to be involved again after the excellent feedback from last year's inaugural awards.
He added: "An organisation like SPP helping to pull in other businesses and organisations to recognise Highland Heroes – the drive, the commitment, the overcoming of difficult circumstances in a wide range of things – helps to showcase the fact that we really do appreciate what people do.
"We're recognising courage, bravery, overcoming difficult sets of circumstances across a very diverse range of ages, backgrounds and people – and I think that's what appealed to me."
