Nominations for the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2012, in association with The Co-operative Foundation, are open at www.youngscotawards.co.uk until February 26.
Thousands of young people across Scotland regularly contribute to their communities through a variety of ways. The Young Scot Awards are all about celebrating their achievements and challenging some of the negative perceptions of young people we too often hear about.
Has a young person you know been involved in improving their local community? Have they made a positive contribution by giving up their free time? Nominations are accepted from groups as well as individuals, so maybe you know of a youth group or project whose achievements deserve to be heard about on a national level?
categories
z Sport (sponsored by sportscotland)
z Volunteering (sponsored by SCVO)
z The Arts Community (sponsored by The Scottish Government)
z Truth About Youth (sponsored by The Co-operative Foundation)
z Heritage (sponsored by Historic Scotland)
z Health
z Unsung Hero (sponsored by SOLACE)
z Enterprise (sponsored by Scottish Gas)
z Entertainment
z Diversity and Citizenship (sponsored by Young Scot)
z Environment (sponsored by Scottish Gas)
z Sunday Mail Readers Award (sponsored by Sunday Mail)
Three finalists in each category will be invited to the awards ceremony in Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on April 26 where they will mix with celebrities, politicians and other guests.
Winners from last year included:
Environment – Megan MacDonald ran a crofting campaign to show her island community how to adapt to new ways of making a living and to help preserve a Scottish way of life in her local community of South Uist. Megan also went on to win the overall Young Scot 2011 Award for her vital work.
Heritage – Jamie O’Rourke from Grangemouth spent two years developing history tour Ghostly Guides in Falkirk town centre, working with 10 to 16-year-olds.
Health – Ryan McLaughlin, 15, started the Shine on Scotland campaign to highlight the links between multiple sclerosis and vitamin D deficiency.
Unsung Hero – A young carer for her mum who has severe arthritis, Rachel Henderson was herself diagnosed with the painful condition and supports others by volunteering for the confidence-building Shine project for young people.
Diversity and Citizenship – Voice Against Violence, a group of 16 to 22-year-olds who raise awareness of domestic abuse to try and support other young people by sharing their own personal experiences.