PROJECTS from around Perth & Kinross were awarded the highest accolades this weekend at the Big Tree Country Awards ceremony held at the luxurious Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder.
Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust which runs the Perthshire Big Tree Country Awards, said the quality of entrants to the awards this year has been particularly strong and that selecting the winners was a great challenge for the judging panel.
Councillor Bob Ellis, chair of Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust, which oversees Perthshire Big Tree Country, said: “Entries this year have been excellent and we are delighted to see so many organisations, businesses and schools developing projects that make the best use of our natural environment for the families and children that live in Perth & Kinross.
“With such a range of entrants, all of a very high quality, it is clear that a lot of good work is going on in Perthshire Big Tree Country. We’d like to congratulate all the entrants to this year’s awards for their hard work.”
The winners were revealed by former ITN Newscaster, Fiona Armstrong, who commented:
“I’m very pleased to be involved in this year’s Perthshire Big Tree Country Awards. They are very important in encouraging people to do more for their local environment and I’m delighted to see how committed businesses, schools and community groups are in Perth & Kinross to taking action and really making a difference.”
Strathbraan Tourist Group, Pitlochry in Bloom, and Nae Limits all scooped the top awards in the categories of Families & Children in Business, Families & Children in the Community and Families & Children in Education respectively.
Strathbraan Tourist Group, winner in the Business category, has developed a narrated journey on CD, soon to be available also as a podcast, covering 16 miles of the A822 from Dunkeld to Amulree using the rich local talents of script writers, musicians and recording experts.
Their efforts have earned them the top accolade. Judges were impressed with their refreshing concept which was suitable for both adults and children.
Pitlochry in Bloom scooped the top Community Award for their Silver Branch Project, a series of storytelling events aimed at children which has so far involved over 2,500 children, not to mention their parents and grandparents, involving them in the rich woodland history that is Perthshire Big Tree Country.
Nae Limits got top marks for their development of the Adventure Academy to provide skills courses for those wanting to enter the adventure tourism industry in Highland Perthshire as well as their Friday Night Club, a 12-week outdoor activities programme for young people to educate them about water safety.
Highly Commended awards were presented to Grandtully Primary School Parent Council Garden Project (Community), Galvelmore House (Business) and Inchture Primary School’s ‘Save the Redwoods’ project (Education).
For further information on the winners of this year’s Big Tree Country Awards, log on to http://www.pkct.org
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