Outstanding young Scots recognised
in ICS awards

Ten outstanding young Scots were recognised in ICS's annual Young Scot of the Year awards in memory of Arnold Kemp, one of Scotland's greatest journalists.
     Inventor Matt McGrath, 30, won the main award. Matt established his medical devices company Aircraft Medical Limited with the support of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust in 2001. It was the trust which recommended him for the prestigious 2007 award.
     Starting with the prototype in 2001, Matt has concentrated on the development of the world's first self-contained fully portable video laryngoscope.
     Mark Strudwick, Chief Executive of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust, said: "Matt is a true inspiration to all young people of what can be achieved if you believe in your dream and have the focus and determination to carry it through. He is also a great role model for other PSYBT-supported businesses – always on hand to advise and counsel. He is a modest individual who has achieved an incredible amount – he took the courageous decision to produce this innovative product himself, raising the considerable funding through public and private sources rather than taking the easier route of licensing. With more young people like Matt, Scotland's international reputation for innovation and invention continues to grow."
     Born in Benbecula, Matt studied industrial design at the University of Northumbria.
     The runner-up ICS Young Scot of the Year is 19 year-old Nick Henderson whose commitment to anti-poverty campaigning earned him the nomination of Oxfam and the Scottish Youth Parliament. The Dundee University student is involved in a project called Roars not Whispers, which encourages young people to improve their community. He went on to establish YEP Dundee (Youth End Poverty), which works with schools to raise awareness of poverty.
     Highly commended in the Arnold Kemp awards for 2007 is Roshni Hafeez, who was nominated by BTCV Scotland. Roshni, who converted to Islam at the age of 14, has worked to break down many of the negative perceptions people have of young disabled Muslims. She has been blind since birth, but this has not stopped her helping others less fortunate. BTCV say in their nomination that, in participating in their healthy hillwalks programme, she has encouraged others to access the countryside and enjoy what is on their doorstep.
     A special group award was given to the Hope for Peru group in Ayrshire – seven young people who travelled to Peru in July 2007 to build homes for street boys. Each member had to raise £1500 to go on the trip. The members of the group are Lisa Bertellotti, Stuart Dalgleish, Ian Edmond, Jonathan Gemmell, Donald Gray, Alistair Mair and Christopher Parker.
     The main award of ICS Young Scot of the Year was presented by Harry Reid – a former editor of the Herald and a close personal friend of Arnold Kemp.

[CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS]
[CLICK HERE FOR HARRY REID'S SPEECH ON ARNOLD KEMP]