THE countdown is well and truly on for this year’s inaugural East Lothian Courier Community Champion Awards.
Nominations for all 11 categories close today (Thursday).
READ MORE: Nominate your East Lothian Courier Community Champions now!
We’re now looking forward to giving the local heroes you nominated their moment at our awards night, which will take place in Haddington Corn Exchange on Thursday, May 30.
To help us with this, we’re delighted to have the support of generous sponsors East Coast Buses, SSE Renewables Berwick Bank Wind Farm, and Sustainable Facilities Management.
East Coast Buses, which is sponsoring the Community Champion of the Year award, is proud to serve the local community of East Lothian – the business began operating out of its Musselburgh depot in 2016 and is part of the Lothian Group.
Gaynor Marshall, communications director at Lothian, said: “East Coast Buses is delighted to be supporting the Community Champion of the Year award this year.
“We are committed to being a part of the communities that we serve and these awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions made by individuals who have gone above and beyond across the county.”
SSE Renewables – which is sponsoring the Youth Community Champion Award – is part of SSE plc, the UK-listed integrated energy group which is investing £20.5bn over the next five years to deliver a Net Zero Acceleration Programme Plus to address climate change.
In helping to achieve this, SSE Renewables is a world-leading developer, operator and owner of offshore wind energy and last year celebrated 20 years of offshore wind delivery.
The company’s Berwick Bank Wind Farm, currently in planning, will be located in the North Sea in the outer Firth of Forth. When operational, this development will be capable of generating enough clean renewable energy to power more than six million homes, the equivalent to all of Scotland’s households twice over.
Berwick Bank represents a potential £8.3 billion boost to the local, regional and national economy, creating 9,300 UK jobs, and could increase Scotland’s overall renewable capacity by nearly 30 per cent, the company says.
A spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with the communities of East Lothian for a number of years.
“It’s been a privilege to see the extraordinary passion, commitment and wealth of brilliant community initiatives under way in the region.
“In particular, we have been proud to be involved in a number of projects which focus on supporting young people in skills and training.
“This year, we’re sponsoring the Youth Community Champion Award, which acknowledges a young person who has made an outstanding contribution to their local area.
“We are delighted to be involved in the awards and to recognise the efforts of young people across East Lothian.”
Meanwhile, Sustainable Facilities Management is sponsoring the Green Champion Award.
David Walker, managing director, said: “At Sustainable Facilities Management, we believe in recognising and celebrating those who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in their communities.
“That’s why we’ve chosen to support the Green Champion Award, as it aligns perfectly with our values and mission.
“Our business finds it crucial to support this category because it embodies the essence of what we stand for: sustainability and community engagement.
“By recognising and celebrating these individuals, we not only honour their achievements but also inspire others to take action and contribute to a more sustainable future.”
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