Scotia Homes has taken over the prestigious partnership from Stewart Milne Group and will be joined at the top by W M Donald which continues as the supporting sponsor.

This partnership is not the first time the two companies have worked together. Scotia Homes and WM Donald have been working together on construction sites for over 25 years and are currently building new homes at Brechin West on the East coast.

The awards, which have been running for eleven years and are organised by local creative marketing agency Mearns & Gill, showcase the outstanding work taking place in the North of Scotland. There are award categories for individuals including ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and ‘Site Manager of the Year’, and company categories that range from ‘Sustainability in Construction’ to ‘Construction Project of the Year’. The Trades Awards are open to businesses of all sizes, and to any business that falls within construction.

Last year’s winners included ‘Let’s Kick This Together’, a football event for the construction industry that raised money and awareness for mental health, George Pirie of Barratt Homes who won ‘Tradesperson of the Year’ for his many years of excellent service, and Mike Macauley of GPH Builders Merchants, who received the special award for ‘Outstanding Contribution’

This year the awards are taking place at Ardoe House Hotel on 27th October, with over 400 industry professionals expected to attend the annual evening of celebrations and networking.

Joe Boyle, projects director at Scotia Homes, and new main sponsor, said: “We’ve been involved in the Trades Awards as a sponsor, judge, and applicant for many years, and know exactly how great a competition it is, so we jumped at the chance when Isla approached us to see if we’d be interested in being the main sponsor.

“We’ve big shoes to fill after everything Neil Thomson of Stewart Milne Homes has done as the main sponsor for the past 8 years, growing the popularity and success of the awards year on year. But we are up for the challenge, and with the support of Mearns & Gill, W M Donald, and the other sponsors, we are sure this year’s Trades Awards will be an even bigger success!”

Elaine Donald, director, W M Donald, added: “We think that the Trades Awards is a great event for the North East of Scotland. We’ve been a supporting sponsor for many years now, and would encourage other businesses to consider getting behind the event, to help showcase the incredible talent in the industry. We’re very proud of the relationship we have with Scotia Homes, and are looking forward to partnering with them on the Trades Awards too.

“Last year the ‘Best New Business’ category highlighted some wonderful people, and we’re hoping to speak with more inspirational start-ups this year, as well as some of the incredible sole traders and small businesses in the region.”

Each year the event organisers choose a local charity to benefit from fundraising and awareness before and during the event, and this year the team have chosen UCAN, a local charity dedicated to raising awareness of urological cancers, and improving support and quality of life for people and families who are affected.

Justine Royle, chair of UCAN and Consultant Urological Surgeon, said “We are extremely grateful for this support which has come at the best possible time for us. Not only do we welcome the chance to talk about the work we currently do, but we can talk about our newest project.

“UCAN’s goal is to set up a Rapid Diagnostic Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Our aims are to enable more patients with symptoms of a suspected urological cancer to be seen quicker and to have multiple scans or diagnostic procedures during a single hospital visit. UCAN plans to significantly reduce the time to diagnosis, which will reduce anxiety and improve cancer treatment outcomes for patients in the North of Scotland.”

The deadline for entering The Trades Awards 2023 is Monday 5th June, with finalists being announced on 31st July. More information on how to enter can be found on www.tradesawards.com.