Spirit producer, International Beverage, has widened its Spirit of Our Community Awards scheme beyond AIrdie and Coatbridge, where they are based, to include the Aberdeenshire and Highland distillery areas. Up for grabs is £25k for local charities.
Launched in 2022, the company created the awards to celebrate and reward the people and organisations working hard to make a difference to others in their local community. Last year year the top award of £10,000 was won by GlenboigLarder@BHS, a sustainable community resource providing subsidised food shopping to anyone in the Coatbridge area experiencing food poverty.
This year, the awards will run over 3 areas. The first is Airdrie and Coatbridge where there is a £10,000 award on offer for one overall winning charity, with two £1,000 runners up awards.
The second zone cover a 25-mile radius of the business’s two more northerly distilleries, Pulteney in Wick and Balblair in Tain, and the third covers a 25 miles radius of Aberdeenshire’s Knockdhu Distillery and Speyside-based distilleries Balmenach and Speyburn.
For both of these there is a £5,000 award for the standout entry in their area, plus there will be five runners up, one for each distillery region, who are set to receive £600 each.
As awards organiser, International Beverage Business Support Manager Eileen Rae says that judges will be looking for ideas that will have a positive impact on local lives. She explains, “We are very proud and excited to be launching year two of the Spirit of Our Community Awards and to be extending them into the communities surrounding our distilleries.
“There are so many wonderful charities and groups out there doing the most inspiring work in the distilleries’ communities, dedicating themselves to helping others at a time when people need this kind of support more than ever.
“Any organisation that has an exciting project that needs funding or just needs a bit of a helping hand to continue the great work they are already doing: please get your entries in!’
Interested groups and charities should submit their entries before Thursday 30th November. Every submission will be reviewed by a panel of judges, made up of members of the distillery teams alongside representatives from long standing local charity partners.
Picture: Glenboig Larder