Inspiring citizens honoured by Lord Provost

Johnny Beattie receives Glasgow's Loving Cup for the honour and recognition he has brought to the city.

Actor, funny man and stage presence for 60 years, Johnny Beattie was given Glasgow’s Loving Cup at a civic dinner on Thursday 5 April. ‘I was totally surprised,’ said Johnny who has starred in River City TV soap for ten years.

The fresh looking 85-year-old recollects with total clarity his first day treading the boards. ‘It was May 19^th 1952 at the Tivoli in Aberdeen.  I was with Robert Wilson who was the biggest name around in Scotland at that time. I was the comic – you could tell that by the pillerbox red suit I was wearing!’ Johnny who was honoured by the Queen some years ago with an MBE, added: ‘I’ll keep on working till I’m found out.’

The Loving Cup is Glasgow’s highest honour and is presented to a person who has brought distinction and honour to the Dear Green Place.

Lord Provost Bob Winter presided over the annual awards ceremony  when a roll of honour of key people is thanked publicly by the city for their contribution to its wellbeing.

In what was almost his last public event as Lord Provost, Councillor Winter said: ‘This event is truly one of the most rewarding for me as the city’s Lord Provost. It is such a great occasion when we can honour people from diverse walks of life who all have one thing in common – a commitment to Glasgow and its people. I can think of no better way to express our gratitude to these outstanding men and women by celebrating their achievements this way and presenting them with the Lord Provost’s award and one of them with the Loving Cup.’

The gold awards are in the form of a medal and were given to:

Prominent Accident & Emergency consultant Mr Ian Anderson for improving the health of the people of Glasgow and in keeping the city at the forefront of postgraduate medical education. Based at the Victoria Infirmary, his views are frequently sought at national and international level. He is one of the founding Fellows of the Faculty of Accident and Emergency Surgeons and one of its longest serving Council Members. He was elected President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 2009. He has also played a key role in establishing collaborations with Medical Schools and hospitals in the South of India.

BAE Systems Maritime received the Lord Provost’s award for business. It was accepted by Mr Angus Holt on behalf of the company which is on track to deliver six Type 45 Destroyers for the Royal Navy by the end of 2013. Four have already been handed over. It also produces Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship among other complex engineering programmes and services. The yards at Scotstoun and Govan employ 3000 people which includes 140 apprentices and 30 graduates in training.

Professor Jane Duckett receives her Lord Provost's Award from Lord Provost Bob Winter.

Professor Jane Duckett was presented with the Lord Provost’s Award for founding the Scottish Centre for China Research at the University of Glasgow. Since its establishment in 2008 it has developed distinctive new MSc programmes in Chinese Studies. A leading international scholar in contemporary Chinese politics, Professor Duckett was instrumental in setting up the Confucius Institute at the University in 2011. It is testament to her dedication to enhancing the understanding and knowledge of China in the communities of Glasgow and the West of Scotland, and her pledge to support the business communities as they reach out to work with Chinese industry.

Dame Elish Angiolini received the Lord Provost’s Award for her services to Law and Justice. Like Johnny Beattie, Dame Elish was born in Govan. She was Solicitor General from 2001 to 2006 and Lord Advocate of Scotland, and was the first woman, the first Procurator Fiscal and the first solicitor to hold either post. Appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to the administration of justice, Dame Elish holds honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws from Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian and Aberdeen universities. In September she will replace Andrew Dilnot as Principal of St Hugh’s College in Oxford.

Donald Shaw, founder of Capercaillie was presented with the Lord Provost’s Award for the Performing and Visual Arts. Through his work with the band he built up an international network of contacts and musical partnerships which he has grown in his work with Celtic Connections. A performer, composer, arranger and musical entrepreneur, Donald was acknowledged for his unique contribution to music in Scotland, and Glasgow in particular. His direction of the Celtic Connections festival makes it the city’s largest, most nationally and internationally significant festival.

Robert Booth, who retired in 2011 after 33 years’ service – latterly as Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services at Glasgow City Council – received the Lord Provost’s award for his public service. He joined Glasgow District Council in 1978 and fulfilled senior management roles in both Housing and Building Services before being appointed Director of Land Services in March 2003. In 2007 he became Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services, with responsibility for managing the city’s road network; parks and open spaces; parking; refuse services; enforcement; trading standards; and the design and project management resources of the council. He received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2011 for services to local government.

The Lord Provost’s Sport Award went to Walter Smith, one of the most successful Scottish football managers in history. He managed Rangers (twice) and the Scottish national team as well as Everton, and was awarded the OBE for services to football in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1997. Previous winners from the world of football in this category include Sir Alex Ferguson (1993) and Ally McCoist (1996).

Bailie Jean McFadden received her award for services to local government. The city’s longest standing councillor, she was first elected to Glasgow Corporation in 1971.

Bailie Jean McFadden, leaves the council after 41 years' service.

She held key positions in various areas of the council most notably as Leader of the Council (1979-1986) and 1992-94) and also including Opposition Leader (1977-1979), and Vice Lord-Lieutenant City of Glasgow from 1981 to 1992. She was also President of COSLA 1990-92 and City Treasurer 1986-92, and was awarded the CBE in 1992 for services to local government.

The Lord Provost’s Special Award for an Inspiring Individual was presented to Julie McElroy. Despite cerebral palsy, mobility problems and profound deafness, Julie has trekked in the Himalayas, canoed Loch Shiel.

Julie has inspired others to be adventurous despite disabilities.

She has used her expertise in assistive technology to make outdoor sports accessible to disadvantaged disabled young people in India. She is an ambassador for Bobath and has received the prestigious John Muir award after completing four adventure challenges and inspiring other disabled people to enjoy the great outdoors.

Indians lighten up

Diwali – the festival of light celebrated in India – is as big as Christmas here. So the Indian Social Group at Glasgow Caledonian University will mark it this year with an Indian Dinner, music, dance and sparklers. ‘We’ve celebrated it for the past three years,’ said their spokeswoman. ‘This time it will be bigger and the next day will be our New Year.’
Students at the University are invited to the ticketed event on Friday 28 October, along with friends and families of the Indian Social Group. The evening incorporates fund raising with the money collected helping educate children in need in India. ‘We have collected a total of £600 in the past two years and aim to raise £300 this year,’ added the spokeswoman.

Jonathan’s a good speaker

Suicide Prevention Week

By Lynsay Keough
With two people dying by suicide every day in Scotland, Suicide Prevention Week from 6 to 12 September is sadly needed. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) works 365 days a year on the issue of Suicide Prevention. By raising general public awareness it is hoped that mental health issues will lose the stigma that can be attached to them and that people will learn to recognise the signs of someone becoming vulnerable. Such signs can be picked up in personal interaction with friends and colleagues, in the work place and especially by people such as taxi drivers and hairdressers who have close connections to the general public. SAMH in partnership with Choose Life have produced a booklet: After a Suicide, which can be found at http://www.samh.org.uk/downloads/documents/advice/after_a_suicide.pdf
Among events organised for the week is a free course at Glasgow Caledonian University looking at the way that Suicide Prevention is tackled in Scotland, and raise awareness of the issues involved It will being held twice on Tuesday 7 September. Of the 100 places available, Caledonian students have been offered 30 for interested students.
The charity SAMH has organised a fundraising Cycle run on Sunday 12 September. Riders will cycling from Dumfries to Glasgow and hope to be crossing the finishing line in George Square between 2pm and 3pm.
Support for this good cause is invited. Go to the Square and cheer the cyclists on or, if you’re feeling energetic, join them at Gorbals on their way in, and pedal across the finishing line yourself

The Common Weal

by Lynsay Keough, Photos by Stuart Maxwell

Professor Cam Donaldson, Professor Pamela Gillies, Nobel Prize winner Mohammed Yunus

Glasgow Caledonian University’s motto is ‘For the Common Weal’ – meaning for the common good and wellbeing. And that was the ethos behind the launch of the University’s Yunus Centre in Social Business and Health.

Through the Centre, Yunus chair and health economist, Professor Cam Donaldson, will lead a long-term research programme to evaluate the impact of social business and microfinance on the lives of disadvantaged communities.

Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University said: ‘The leading edge research carried out at the Yunus Centre will keep Glasgow Caledonian University at the forefront of health research in the UK and maintain the city’s reputation as the home of groundbreaking economics. Through this strategic partnership, Glasgow Caledonian will play a central role in advancing a new phase in economic and health development thinking.’

The centre carries the name of anti-poverty campaigner and Nobel Prize winner Professor Mohammed Yunus.  While in Glasgow he will hold talks with John Swinney MSP, to discuss the possibility of  setting up Britain’s first Grameen Bank in the city.

The Grameen Bank was started in Bangladesh three decades ago. It delivers small loans on suitable terms to borrowers. There are proportionally more loans to women as they, generally, have the responsibility and ability to create change for themselves and their children.

Over the last two years, three branches of the Bank have opened in New York.

Professor Yunus feels that this meeting in Glasgow has come at a crucial time. ‘By providing small loans on suitable terms, we have shown that even the poorest of the poor can bring about their own social and economic advancement. Scotland is a proud and enterprising country – but there are pockets of shocking poverty. If, using microcredit, we can help the poorest people get off welfare and realise their potential as human beings, then we must take the opportunity and we must take it now.’