Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates North East Scotland College (NESCol) on being recognised at the Top Employer Awards, which took place in October at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel, organised by The Herald and s1jobs; notes that NESCol received the award for excellence in the Onboarding and Integration Programme of the Year category; commends NESCol's People Services team for the innovation and dedication that impressed the judging panel; recognises the importance of effective onboarding and staff development in supporting a positive workplace culture and high-quality education provision; congratulates all winners and finalists recognised at the awards ceremony, which celebrate excellence in workplace culture and employee support across Scotland, and wishes NESCol and all those recognised continued success in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Mackie's of Scotland, which is based at Westertown Farm in Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, on winning both Scottish Top Employer of the Year and Employer Brand of the Year at The Herald & s1jobs Top Employer Awards 2026; recognises the company's commitment to its workforce and workplace culture; notes that this success follows its recent Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Award for its Full Cream Ahead campaign; acknowledges Mackie's continued contribution to the north-east economy through its innovative and sustainable farming and food production practices, and wishes Managing Director Stuart Common and all staff continued success.

That the Parliament congratulates Murdoch Allan & Sons, the family-run bakery headquartered in Hatton near Peterhead, on the continued success of its online business, which enables customers across the UK and around the world to enjoy traditional north-east Scottish baking; recognises the company's role in showcasing regional produce, including the iconic pastry known variously across Aberdeen and the Shire as a buttery, rowie, cookie or morning roll, to customers around the world; notes the contribution that the business has made to the economy and heritage of the north east of Scotland over more than three decades; further notes that Murdoch Allan & Sons was shortlisted among Scotland's award-winning bakeries at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2026, which celebrated excellence, innovation and craftsmanship across the baking industry; commends the dedication and expertise of its staff, and wishes everyone at Murdoch Allan & Sons continued success in bringing the flavours of Scotland to customers at home and overseas.

That the Parliament congratulates Marie Cheyne, from Cairnbulg, on winning the Inspirational Volunteer Award at Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2026; recognises that Marie has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages learn to swim, both through her work with Aberdeenshire Council and her own not-for-profit swim school, which she has run for more than 30 years; acknowledges that over that time, she has encouraged many others to train as swimming teachers and coaches, helping to ensure that swimming skills can continue to be taught across the north east; understands that Marie’s greatest passion has been supporting people with physical disabilities and mental health conditions to enjoy the water and benefit from swimming; notes that Marie also runs competitive galas for disabled swimmers, has secured funding for future events and has supported swimmers to compete at the Special Olympics; congratulates the other finalists, Helen Feeney from Maud and Rose Logan from Turriff, and thanks FES OCS for sponsoring the Inspirational Volunteer Award and helping to celebrate the people who give their time and energy to support others.

That the Parliament congratulates Inverurie Environmental Group on winning the Civic Pride Award at Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2026; understands that under the long-standing leadership of John Glover, the Inverurie Environmental Group has transformed public spaces across Inverurie and strengthened community pride in the town, achieving repeated national recognition through the Beautiful Scotland programme, including Gold awards and discretionary awards for Community Involvement and Keep Scotland Beautiful; acknowledges that the group brings together volunteers, local businesses, community organisations, supported services and public sector partners to care for shared spaces; commends the other finalists, Friends of the Haughs, based in Turriff, and Invercairn Community Council, based in Inverallochy, for their contributions to their communities, and thanks Instock for sponsoring the Civic Pride Award and supporting the celebration of community achievement across Aberdeenshire.

That the Parliament congratulates Kelly O’Brien, from Peterhead, on winning the Heart of Aberdeenshire Caring Award at Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2026; recognises Kelly's outstanding compassion, energy and creativity as a carer at Allandale House, where she provides daily care to service users with complex mental health needs; acknowledges her reputation as Allandale’s “Engagement Champion”, continually turning ideas into action through celebrations, sponsored walks, raffles, visiting animals, personalised birthday outings and creative events that bring connection, confidence and joy to service users; recognises her achievement in taking over and transforming the free, dementia-friendly social afternoon, Boogie in the Bar, preventing its closure and developing it into a free, inclusive monthly community event that attracts more than 150 people; applauds Kelly's wider fundraising and volunteering, including her involvement with Peterhead FC and the local pantomime group, as examples of the generosity and selflessness that underpin community caring; congratulates the other finalists, Rachel Clark, who is from Men in Mind, which is based in the Ellon/Inverurie/Haddo/Fraserburgh area, and Yogi & Cindy Bears of Newtonhill, and thanks Mark Murphy Dole for sponsoring the Heart of Aberdeenshire Caring Award and helping to celebrate those who make a difference to others.

That the Parliament congratulates Colin Allanach, from Ellon, on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2026; recognises his longstanding dedication to Ythan Cycle Club, which he joined in 1990 and has chaired for several years, and commends his tireless efforts to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of people across Ellon, Aberdeenshire and beyond through cycling; acknowledges his leadership of a dedicated team of volunteers and his contribution to organising initiatives, including Ellon Bike Week, bike repair sessions, e-bike opportunities, Cycling Without Age activities and the popular Ellon Pedal Car Race; recognises his central role in developing Ellon Wheel Park following years of fundraising, asset transfer work, grant negotiations and community engagement, creating a free, accessible facility that supports families, disabled cyclists, young people and community events; commends his commitment to making cycling more inclusive and accessible, helping people of different ages and abilities to enjoy its social, physical and mental health benefits; celebrates the achievement of Ythan Cycle Club on being named Scottish Cycling Club of the Year in November 2025, recognising the contribution of Colin’s leadership to the club’s success; congratulates finalists David Urquhart from Portsoy and Lorna Keith from Ellon on their recognition, and thanks BP for sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award and supporting the celebration of outstanding contributions to communities across Aberdeenshire.

That the Parliament congratulates Avril Bruce, from Banff, on winning the Local Hero Courage Award at Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2026; recognises her six years of dedicated work supporting, empowering and enabling vulnerable people affected by substance use across Banff and Aberdeenshire; commends her courage in drawing on her own recovery journey to become a trusted source of encouragement, helping others find hope and a way forward; acknowledges her founding of Talking Point Recovery and Wellbeing Group in Banff, which provides a welcoming, non-judgemental space for support both in person and online; recognises her voluntary contribution to establishing other support groups, including Cubs Collective, Blooming Woman and a men’s group, extending support to people across Aberdeenshire; applauds her work organising overdose awareness events, festive recovery support and mental health first aid training, alongside service improvement initiatives and advocacy for individuals experiencing difficulties; notes the importance of her work in helping to reduce stigma, strengthen recovery networks and ensure that people affected by substance use feel supported and understood; congratulates the other finalists Karen Stewart from Aboyne and Katie Innes from Fetterangus, and thanks Hosie Electrical for sponsoring the Local Hero Courage Award and supporting the celebration of courage, resilience and community spirit in Aberdeenshire.

That the Parliament congratulates Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie on reaching the top 20 of the National Fish and Chip Awards’ Takeaway of the Year category; acknowledges that the awards are organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers to celebrate the best fish and chip businesses across the UK; recognises the hard work, dedication and expertise of the team at Garioch Fish Bar in maintaining high standards and delivering quality food and customer service; acknowledges what it sees as the important contribution that independent businesses such as Garioch Fish Bar make to the local economy, employment and community life in Inverurie and the wider Garioch area; notes the national recognition of Inverurie as Scotland’s Town of the Year 2026, reflecting the strength of its independent businesses and thriving town centre, and wishes Garioch Fish Bar continued success and recognition as one of Scotland’s leading fish and chip shops.

That the Parliament congratulates Inverurie on being named Scotland’s Town of the Year at the Scotland Loves Local Awards; recognises the town’s strong sense of community, thriving local businesses and continued investment in its town centre; notes that Inverurie’s population grew by almost a fifth between 2011 and 2022, reaching more than 15,000 people; commends local initiatives, including the Garioch Pipe Band Championships at Kellands Park, which attracted an estimated 9,000 visitors, and the expanding monthly farmers’ market, which has doubled in size since 2024; welcomes the town’s reported retail vacancy rate of approximately 4% as evidence of its commercial strength; celebrates the contribution of generations of family-run businesses, including Wm Bruce Shoe Shop, which has traded for 103 years, and Strachan’s, which has served the community since 1938; acknowledges the dedication of residents, traders, community organisations and Aberdeenshire Council in preserving Inverurie’s distinctive character as a historic market town while supporting its modern growth; recognises the town’s longstanding friendship with Bagnères-de-Bigorre in France; commends everyone whose collective efforts have helped make Inverurie a vibrant, welcoming and successful place to live, work and visit, and wishes the town continued success as it proudly wears its crown as Scotland’s Town of the Year.