Norman Elder joins an exceptional roll of honour which has grown in size and stature since 1991 when the first Tweeddale Citizen of the Year award was presented to Janette Blackwood to acknowledge her sterling efforts in creating a meeting place for the young people of West Linton.
Subsequent recipients have been as follows:
1992 – Florence Nisbet (fundraising for the BGH Chaplaincy Centre and her work for sufferers from multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers and their carers).
1993 – Isabelle Paterson (community leadership and dedicated service over many years to the people of West Linton).
1994 – Thomas Docherty (service to the young people of Innerleithen and leadership of the town’s Crusader Group).
1995 – Stuart Rose (delivering humanitarian aid, often in dangerous circumstances, to beleaguered villages and hospitals in Bosnia and Croatia).
1996 – Peter Norris (service to the community through the promotion of the arts and crafts in general and Peebles Arts Festival in particular).
1997 – Brenda Pope (contribution to the community in Tweeddale through Friends of the Peebles and District Citizens Advice Bureau).
1998 – James Harris (contribution to community life over many years, encompassing a broad variety of activities and all age groups).
1999 – No award.
2000 – David Geddes BDS (outstanding initiative and energy devoted towards delivering much needed dental services in Nepal).
2001 – Keith Belleville (outstanding service through his involvement with St Ronan’s Silver Band, St Ronan’s Border Games and the encouragement and development of the youth of Innerleithen).
2002 – Peebles Rugby Football Club (winning promotion to Division One and the attendant honour this has brought to Peebles and Tweeddale).
2003 – James Munro (service to the community through involvement with Home Basics Tweeddale, the Eastgate Theatre and Tweeddale Association of Voluntary Organisations).
2004 – James Noble (contribution to the wellbeing of the community through involvement with the Tweeddale Sports Council and Peebles Tennis Club).
2005 – Charlotte Hunter (contribution to the communities of West Linton, Carlops, Newlands and Kirkurd towards the success of the Newlands Flower Show and fundraising efforts for the benefit of cancer charities).
2006 – Thomas Shearer MBE (sustained efforts in make an attraction of the Beechgrove Garden, Broughton, and charitable fundraising).
2007 – Donald Swanson (contribution over a period of 60 years to the community side of Scottish rugby and, in particular, to Peebles RFC).
2008 – Mollie McIntosh (more than 60 years of outstanding service to Tweeddale and, in particular, to the community of Walkerburn).
2009 – Allan Beveridge and David Turnbull (outstanding joint contribution to Peebles March Riding and Beltane Queen Festival Committee over 33 years).
2010 – Douglas Wright (contribution to community life in Peebles over many years and the organisation of the Scottish Borders Walking Festival).