Call for Ayrshire passengers to get fair rail deals.

Dec 30 2011 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A TOP trio of international aid workers have made the shortlist for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award.

The prestigious prize recognises a group or individual who has saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through personal self-sacrifice, selfless service or 'hands on' charitable work.

And this year’s shortlist includes a midwife who saved the lives of thousands of babies and their mothers in the Congo, a group who have worked to transform the lives of deaf people across the world, and a Scots nurse who worked through gunfire and shells to treat patients from both sides of the Libyan civil war.

Sam Perkins, a midwife working with MSF – Doctors without Borders; the Deaf History Review Editorial Team; and nurse Karen Graham, who is currently working in Tripoli, have been selected from 26 nominations from around the world.

Winners receive the equivalent of 1759 guineas – a sum which signifies the year of the Bard’s birth and the coinage then in circulation – as well as a specially commissioned award handcrafted in Scotland.

South Ayrshire Council chief executive David Anderson heads a judging panel which includes broadcaster Kaye Adams, actor, writer and painter John Cairney, and Nat Edwards, director of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

David said: “We had a fantastic response with a record number of nominations for the 2012 award and I would like to thank all those who took the time to submit a nomination.

“It was a real challenge for the judging panel to whittle the nominees down from such high calibre entries to a shortlist of just three, but we got there, and all our finalists are very worthy candidates indeed.

“We now have the challenge of picking a winner from this final three and, regardless of who it is, they will certainly deserve to be selected as our humanitarian of the year.”

Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer, for EventScotland said: “The Burns Humanitarian Award is a wonderful celebration of individuals who do a tremendous amount of work in the community, and you can’t help but feel inspired by the final shortlist.

“The work of the nominees often goes unrecognised, which is why EventScotland are delighted to be part of this award, as we pay tribute to their selflessness, dedication and success.”

The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award will be presented at the awards ceremony in the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum on Saturday, January 28.