Optical Express sponsors Great Scot Business Award

For the third consecutive year, Optical Express has sponsored the Business Award at the 19th annual Great Scot Awards.

Touted the people’s Oscars, the awards are designed to highlight the unsung heroes and community champions of Scotland. Past winners of the Business Award include distinguished figures such as Sir Tom Hunter and Duncan Bannatyne.

This year marked a record number of entries, reviewed by a judging panel chaired by Lord Smith of Kelvin. The panel also included David Nelson of Morrisons, entrepreneur Michelle Mone and Minister for Schools and Skills Keith Brown. A new award was also introduced this year – The Great Scot Abroad Award – launched to mark Scotland’s Year of Homecoming.

"Great Scots are at the very root of everything we have to be proud of and this is a fantastic opportunity to highlight our continuing tradition of global improvement," First Minister Alex Salmond said, in an interview with the Sunday Mail. "These awards send a strong message that Scotland has a lot to be proud of and a lot more to offer."

A number of charities benefit from the monies raised at the awards, including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Kidney Research UK, Glasgow Taxi Outing, Nordoff Robbins, and the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation.

The awards take place on September 19th, at the Glasgow City Centre Hilton.