Angus Ambassador Awards 2006 Winners

The 2006 Angus Ambassador of the Year is chair of Angus College Board of Management and former chief executive of Angus Council Sandy Watson OBE.

For this year Sandy was appointed by the First Minister to the Scottish Funding Council - the national body controlling the £1.3billion further and higher education budget for Scotland.

The judges acknowledged that his deep commitment for his adopted county, his ongoing passion, and his continuing desire to exploit every opportunity both locally and nationally, for the benefit of Angus made him a worthy winner.

Sandy received this ultimate accolade, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, at the glittering awards dinner on Friday 24 November presided over by Andrea Brymer of STV's North Tonight news programme.

Over 220 stars of the Angus' business, arts and tourism sectors joined the county's artists, community representatives and aspiring youth talent at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel to applaud those who are acting as outstanding ambassadors for the county.

These Angus Ambassador Awards, now in their seventh year, have been created by the Angus Ahead Campaign to showcase the best of Angus people, Angus community and Angus business.

"The Angus Ambassador Awards celebrate the accomplishment and success of Angus people. Through their achievements the county is at the forefront of Scottish and international business, the global golf scene, and ever higher on the lists of Scottish tourism and heritage destinations."

"There is a palpable sense of growing confidence in Angus. Our ambitions seem to know no bounds - who for example could have imagined that our 2005 Ambassadors of the Year, Glamis Castle would one year later be twinned with the Great Wall of China - ambition doesn't get much bigger than that!

"Next year Angus will once again host one of the greatest sporting events in the world - the Open Championship. And Angus is ready - ready to showcase one of the best golf courses in the world and ready to give people a welcome they will never forget." said Provost Bill Middleton, chair of the Angus Ahead Champions.

The winner of the Ambassador of the Year, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, is selected by the Angus Ahead Champions themselves - and this year's recipient has certainly flown the flag for Angus in a big way.

Sandy Watson has worked for many years shaping the future and economy of the county as Chief Executive of Angus Council, a post he retired from in 2005. This lifetime passion to encourage and enable social and economic prosperity is exemplified by his unwavering determination that the Angus young people have a voice in the Scotland of tomorrow through his work with Dialogue Youth, No 1 for Youth and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

His public service was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen with an OBE. Alongside numerous other commitments, such as being a board member of NHS Tayside and a member of the Scottish Physical Activity and Health Council, Sandy is also the Chair of the Board of Management at Angus College.