Finalists Selected For Angus Ambassador Awards 2008

Issued: 20 October 2008

Following considerable deliberation and discussion, the judges have chosen the finalists for the six categories in this year's Angus Ambassador Awards.

"The standard of entries was excellent so selecting the finalists for each category was incredibly difficult," said Provost Ruth Leslie Melville, one of the judges.

"With such a high calibre of entries, there was so much to consider when deciding who should go through to the final – but we finally agreed on a short list which we felt truly exemplifies the achievements, skills and ambitions of the people, the businesses and the communities of our county."

In the Entrepreneurial Angus Award, which recognises innovation and sustainability in business, the finalists are:

• Denfind Stone Ltd, set up by a Carnoustie farming family to utilise the stones dumped in the disused quarry on their land and now single-handedly reviving the Angus sandstone industry
• Soilessentials Ltd, the Brechin agricultural technology company which provides farmers all over the world with the very latest hi-tech services and equipment
• Tayside Contracts, which has developed a new, environmentally-friendly, cost-effective method of resurfacing roads and pavements across Angus.

The three finalists in the Pride of Angus Award, which celebrates the people, businesses or organisations who support local communities, are:

• Angus Care and Repair, a project which is helping older and disabled people across Angus to remain safe and secure in their own homes by assisting with repairs, improvements and adaptations
• Montrose Music Festival, which has placed Montrose firmly on the map as one of the best towns in Scotland for good, live music
• Starter Packs Angus, based in Arbroath but providing support all over Angus, this team of volunteers provides people in need with household essentials to help them settle into their new home.

The Creative Angus Award celebrates the culture and creativity of Angus. This year's finalists are:

• Gordon School of Dancing, the internationally-acclaimed Montrose dancing school which is keeping traditional Scottish Dancing alive thanks to the school's troupe of young dancers, who perform all over the world
• Heritage Arts Auchmithie Residents (HAAR), the committee set up by the residents of Auchmithie to celebrate and promote the heritage of the village, while also enhancing village life today
• Michael Visocchi, the world-renowned Kirriemuir sculptor whose latest work, which commemorates the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, takes centre stage in the City of London.

The GoAhead Angus Award is a chance to highlight the people, companies and organisationsthat are raising the profile of Angus internationally. This year's finalists are:

• Andrew Mitchell, the Forfar farmer who was crowned World Ploughing Champion in 2008
• Montrose Heritage Trust, which is successfully bringing Montrose to the world's attention, courtesy of Bamse, the legendary Norwegian sea dog who was stationed in Montrose during World War II
• Nutscene Ltd, the Kingsmuir-based company which develops, manufactures and distributes quality garden and household products, which are snapped up by customers all over the world

The Welcome Angus Award commemorates the contribution tourism makes to Angus. The 2008 finalists are:

• Glen Clova Hotel, providing a luxurious yet affordable destination in the heart of the beautiful Angus Glens
• Kirriemuir District Agricultural Association, which has been successfully holding the ever-popular Kirrie Show for the past 130 years and has now formed links with Canada
• The TGO Challenge, which, over the last thirty years, has encouraged over 6,000 people to walk from one of 12 starting points on Scotland's west coast to the east coast, where the official finishing line is in Montrose.

The finalists in the Aspiring Youth Award, which highlights the ever-inspiring young people of Angus, are:

• Olivia Hood, from Ruthven, near Kirriemuir, who has just completed a very successful two years at the Dance School of Scotland, where she won various awards and received the highest mark ever in a Trinity College examination
• Jonny O'Mara, who lives near Arbroath and is ranked Great Britain's number one under-12 tennis player
• David Pullar from Usan, near Montrose, who is preserving and celebrating the heritage and the culture of Angus through highly successful exhibitions and a popular music festival
• Claire Smith from Monifieth who, only two years ago and at the age of 18, set up her own top-quality gift hamper company, distributing luxury local goods all over the UK

The winners of the Awards, including the highly prestigious Angus Ambassador Award 2008 and the Angus Ambassador of the Decade Award, will be revealed at the glittering awards dinner on November 28 at Carnoustie Golf Hotel.