The Courier’s Impact 100 list for 2014 starts with positions 100-76. See Wednesday’s paper as the countdown continues.
100. Elise Christie (Last year 93)Her Year: The short track speed skater who competed for Forth Valley Club in Stirling and was previously based in Dundee won the hearts and sympathies of the nation when she endured a tear-filled Winter Olympics – and Twitter abuse – after three disqualifications in Sochi. She came back strongly in March to take silver in the 500m event at the World Championships and won her fifth consecutive points victory at the Invitation Cup in Heerenveen in October. She declared herself “overwhelmed” by public support after her Sochi experience and determined to do well in this year’s World Cup events, where she made the finals of the 1,000 and 1,500m events in Salt Lake City.
Panel View: A lot was expected of Elise Christie in Sochi but after personal disappointment and public humiliation, she has picked herself up, worked hard, showing real character and the will to do herself and Scotland justice.99. Professor Michael Ferguson (44)His Year: Professor Ferguson is the first Regius Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Dundee and this year oversaw the opening of the £26 million Discovery Centre, home to researchers supported by over £31 million in research grants. 180 new jobs were created in the process. Professor Ferguson is particularly interested in transitional research and with his colleagues, established the Discovery Centre for Transitional and Interdisciplinary Research, which was opened by Nobel Laureate and president of the Royal Society of London, Sir Paul Nurse.
Panel View: This is a major new facility that will significantly boost Scotland’s biomedical sector and according to Professor Ferguson: “…make an impact on people’s lives around the globe.”98. BRAVO Brechin (NEW)Their Year: The community group (BRAVO stands for Business, Retailers And Volunteers) was brought together to create a better atmosphere and put the heart back into the local Angus community, according to chairman Bill Sturrock, also of the City of Brechin and Area partnership. This year, a huge Harley Davidson rally to celebrate the Angus roots of the great motorcycle maker attracted 17,000 enquiries, with 9,000 people and 500 bikes taking part. A 200m waterslide was created along City Road during one weekend in July.
Panel View: This is a real local partnership of enthusiasts and determined volunteers dedicated to doing the best they can to bring a real sense of community and activity to the place they live with imagination and commitment.97. Philip Long (72)His Year: At the helm of the V&A Dundee project since 2011, high profile director Philip Long was a member of the team that brought the UNESCO City of Design title to Dundee. This year he oversaw the appointment of Edinburgh-based BAM as the preferred contractor for the ambitious and iconic centrepiece of the city’s wide-ranging waterfront redevelopment. It was a move that wasn’t without controversy, with challenges to the choice voiced because of a row over allegations about the company’s role in the blacklisting of workers. With construction now underway in the run up to the proposed opening in 2017, V&A Dundee is said to be “on time and on target” with work proceeding at “a furious pace.”
Panel View: The physical and cultural landscape of the city is changing out of all recognition and this is a project whose scope and ambition shows that Dundee is thinking big in moving forward from its industrial past and looking to making an impact through a commitment to the very best in design.96. Leah Dunn (new)Her Year: The 12-year-old Morgan Academy pupil and black belt, who trains at the Kanzen Karate Club in Dundee, carried off the world title in her age group at the World Union of Karate Federations Children’s Championships in Poland this year. Over 2,000 youngsters from across the globe took part in the varied competitive programme. Dundee’s own karate kid is now looking forward to events in Malta and Romania and to next year’s European Children’s Championship.
Panel View: Getting young people involved in sport is a major goal across Scotland and in the aftermath of a hugely successful Commonwealth Games, seeing a new generation coming through and reaching the top shows a lot of hope for the future in sporting excellence.95. Graham Gano (new)His Year: At 27, Arbroath-born American footballer Graham Gano is the only Scot in the US’s National Football League (NFL), This year, he signed a four-year contract with the Carolina Panthers worth $12.4 million, making him one of the country’s richest sports stars. The son of a US Navy master chief petty officer, kicker Gano started out playing football as his father’s military career took the family from Scotland to Germany, Canada and Florida, joining the Baltimore Ravens and playing for the Las Vegas Locomotives and the Washington Redskins, for whom he hit their longest field goal in 2011. He and two team-mates have also created a signature sub sandwich featuring roasted turkey, BBQ chicken, American cheese and ranch dressing on a kaiser roll!
Panel View: Graham Gano is a major figure in the NFL and deserves to be recognised in his home country. His Scottish roots are important to him and he reckons it’s an honour to be one of the few Scots ever to play in the highly competitive league.94. Clare Brennan (new)Her Year: Curator of the Hannah McClure Centre at the University of Abertay, Clare Brennan was also a major member of the Dundee City of Culture team and is a teaching fellow at the university. She is also one of the founders of Optimistic Sound, the community campaign to bring the Sistema music programme to Dundee to encourage young people from deprived backgrounds to become involved in music and its creation. It’s a move that was inspired by the legacy of the late Michael Marra whose dream this was and whose family remains central to the project.
Panel View: Dundee has a rich heritage of culture that sit alongside serious levels of deprivation – around one in four children is reckoned to be living in poverty. People like Clare Brennan and her colleagues have a vision that is working to bring people and music together in a practical way to change lives, improve quality of life and offer greater opportunities to youngsters for a better future.93. Ian Rankin (new)His Year: Formerly Scotland’s longest-serving club coach, Ian Rankin took over as president of the Scottish Rugby Union in the 2013/14 season after a landslide election victory, with the firm intention of promoting the club game in Scotland. Having started his rugby playing at Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, he played at senior level for Edinburgh Wanderers and Howe of Fife where he also coached before earning a professional contract as head coach of Caledonia Reds and Edinburgh Reivers, manager of Edinburgh and assistant coach of Scotland Under 20s and Scotland A for four seasons.
He is particularly closely associated with Howe of Fife and Dundee HSFP.
Panel View: Ian Rankin is hugely experienced and respected and brings a determination to help the domestic game to thrive, particularly through promoting links to schools. He believes in nurturing talent and encouraging clubs and the Union to work together to bring the game on both at home and in the international sphere.92. Jane Gowans (new)Her Year: The Duncan of Jordanstone graduate’s career in jewellery design has gone from strength to strength with the launch of her new Chimera collection in 2014 and individual pieces being worn and showcased by people like Emeli Sande, Emma Thompson and Lara Pulver. She had an individual show at prestige store Harvey Nichols, was nominated as Accessory Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards and was named Independent Woman of the Year at the RBS Women Ahead Awards. She is also highlighted as one of Professional Jewellery Magazine’s Hot 100.
Panel View: Dundee’s reputation in all areas of design is growing all the time and the creativity and continuing success of young people like Jane Gowans, who established her own brand after she graduated in 2009, shows that the city is taking its talent out to the world and making a name for itself far beyond Scotland.91. Alex Rowley/Cara Hilton (new)Their Year: It was a triumphant start to the year for former Fife Council leader Alex Rowley who was elected to Holyrood after winning the Cowdenbeath by-election in January, succeeding the late Helen Eadie. He joined Labour colleague Cara Hilton, the MSP for Dunfermline who took over from the disgraced Bill Walker last year, and who also maintained her seat on Fife Council. She was at the forefront of campaigns to save Pitcorthie and Crombie primary schools.
Panel View: A mix of local and national politics has put these two prominent Fife politicians in the limelight at a time when their party is very publicly struggling to maintain its hold over and credibility with Scottish voters. Commitment to local issues may prove a deciding factor in success or failure over the next two years.90. Steven Milne (new)His Year: The Perth City swimming club member took silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and went on to smash the Scottish record at the European Long Course Swimming Championships in Berlin, narrowly missing out on a medal.
Panel View: Scottish success in the pool at the 2014 Games has boosted confidence and determination for many of the nation’s talented swimmers. Breaking national records in an international context shows the sport going from strength to strength this year through competitors like Steven Milne.89. Elizabeth Ferris (new)Her Year: Elizabeth Ferris was a baton bearer in the Queen’s Baton Relay for the 20th Commonwealth Games this year, three years after suffering a spinal cord injury that resulted in her becoming a full-time wheelchair user. Always keen on sport, she founded the Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Rugby Club which now has 20 registered members across age and ability groups and also offers basketball and tennis. Elizabeth was selected to play wheelchair rugby league for Scotland at the World Cup last year and seven Dundee Dragons members represented Scotland in wheelchair rugby this year. Elizabeth is Scotland manager of this year’s Wheelchair Rugby World Cup. She also takes part in wheelchair curling. The Dundee University medical student plans a professional career in rehabilitation medicine.
Panel View: Elizabeth is an outstanding example of someone who has turned personal difficulty into something positive and who is a wonderful role model and mentor for anyone with physical problems who still wishes to play a full and active role in sport. She shows it can be done.88. Petra McMillan (new)Her Year: As a patron of Marie Curie Cancer Care since 2010, Petra McMillan has worked tirelessly, in memory of her mother Renate, to raise funds and awareness for the charity that provides end-of-life care. This year, she and three friends travelled 7,000 miles from home to cycle 250 miles from Vietnam to Cambodia, in 30 degree heat, to raise £12,000 for the cause. She was also named Carnoustie’s Citizen of the year.
Panel View: Petra is an example of someone who has given their time, energy and spirit to supporting a cause close to her own family and to the families of many others. Her work has raised the profile of Marie Curie in her home area and she has also become directly involved in the work of fund-raising as well as encouraging a huge range of projects and events to support this worthwhile charity.87. Dundee United (new)Their Year: While St Johnstone won the Scottish Cup, Dundee United’s achievement in getting to the final shouldn’t be forgotten. They also have another semi-final in the League Cup to look forward to at the start of 2015 and are well placed in the Premiership. Off the pitch, they are also doing an excellent job with the sales of Andy Robertson and Ryan Gauld bringing in millions this summer.
Panel View: Under Jackie McNamara, United are making their mark on and off the field and the healthy outlook on both sides is giving fans and football enthusiasts across the country something to enjoy in what is still currently a very new look for top flight Scottish football.86. Tom Barker (new)His Year: The 19-year-old Angus-based Royal Marine from RM Condor at Arbroath was part of the core team which took part in the 1664 Challenge to mark the 350th anniversary of the Royal Marines. Marine Barker was one of six men who completed every leg of the challenge ski-ing 1,664km from north to south Norway, sailing the same distance from Norway to Cadiz, cycling from Cadiz to Calais, canoeing across the English Channel and running through England, Wales and Scotland, a total of over 4,000 miles.
Panel View: With such a momentous anniversary in the history of this great fighting force, Marine Barker showed the grit and determination associated with being a marine and kept up an honourable tradition of achievement on and off the field of battle for the men who have joined the Marines over hundreds of years of service.85. Graeme Tarbet (new)His Year: This year marks over 35 years of Dundee’s free tape newspaper for the blind, recorded and produced by volunteers. It aims to keep blind and partially-sighted people up to date about what’s happening in their communities and provide an hour-long mix of news, features and entertainment. Organiser Graeme Tarbet has been in the driving seat for close on 30 years and he and his colleagues provide a much-appreciated service for more than 150 people in the area. His celebrity interviewees have included Ray Mears, Lesley Joseph, Terry Waite and Kate Adie.
Panel View: This is a great service, provided by people on a voluntary basis but that involves time, energy and commitment from Graeme and his team. They give all of this freely and it’s a terrific example of a small-scale operation that really does make a difference to the quality of life of many people across the area.84. Lucinda Russell (75)Her Year: With her partner, former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, Lucinda Russell runs Scotland’s leading National Hunt yard. She is a leading jump trainer who started with a yard of fewer than a dozen horses 20 years ago. Her Arlary House stables near Milnathort has now set a new Scottish record of 66 wins in the National Hunt season 2013/14, including Cheltenham Festival winner Brindisi Breeze and she and Scudamore recently hosted a day at their yard to encourage support for and investment in the Scottish scene.
Panel View: Northern racing is exemplified by Lucinda Russell’s operation. Its continued success makes it the ideal springboard for further development of National Hunt racing north of the border that can also extend its reach far beyond the confines of Scotland.83. Derek Allan (new)His Year: Already highly regarded within Fife education circles, the rector of Kirkcaldy High School has helped to pioneer a controversial initiative in sexual education, involving handing out hundreds of condoms to pupils. The initiative won a top award from COSLA (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) for its effect in dramatically reducing unwanted teenage pregnancies. Such was the scale of its success, it could be applied in other parts of Fife and elsewhere in Scotland.
Panel View: Derek Allan’s leadership and ability to take difficult decisions has resulted in a great success in a controversial area of education and social issues for young people. His pioneering spirit and firm belief in the action being taken has got results and could go on to influence policy decisions for the future.82. Fife Primary Schools campaigners (new)Their Year: The closure of six Fife primary schools – Rathillet, New Gilston, Dunino, Tanshall, Wellwood and Crombie – thrust local parents’ groups into the limelight. Usually quiet council meetings were packed to the rafters with concerned campaigners, fighting on behalf of their children’s education in their communities.
Panel View: Though ultimately a failure, there can be no doubting that the efforts of these groups of parents and local people made sure that their local schools did not close without a fight.81. George Galloway (63)His Year: In referendum year – and his own 60th birthday year – the Respect Party MP and ever controversial Dundee-born politician took his Just Say Naw tour on the road, packing venues all over the country. He appeared in Scotland Decides: The Big, Big Debate alongside Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and opposite the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Greens’ Patrick Harvie. As well as expressing his trenchant views on the Union, he also courted controversy this year by declaring his Bradford East constituency “an Israel-free zone” and hit the headlines after being attacked and injured in a London street.
Panel View: George Galloway always draws a crowd and plays to it shamelessly, stimulating debate, rancour and demonstrating perhaps the strongest survival instinct in the current British political jungle.80. Craig Nicol/Scott Milne (new)Their Year: The joint managing partners of Thorntons oversaw a double takeover of firms Murray Donald and Steel Eldridge Stewart to create the largest law firm in eastern Scotland. The resulting £20 million firm is headed by Nicol and Milne and no jobs are to be lost. Thorntons will now have 11 offices across Angus, Tayside, Perthshire, Fife and Edinburgh, with 40 partners and 400 employees.
Panel View: Thorntons has been seen as one of the stronger Scottish performers recently and this move will consolidate its business, making it a larger and more influential player across the Scottish scene and outside the central belt.79. Kingspark School parents (new)Their Year: Claims of physical abuse, council cover-ups, botched police investigations and councillors being kept in the dark over the allegations at Kingspark School in Dundee have been of huge interest for Courier readers in 2014.
The school, which caters for children with special needs, physical disabilities or medical problems, hit the headlines in April over claims that pupils were arriving home with unexplained bruises.
Seven families took legal advice and launched a campaign for a full, independent investigation, claiming the council-ordered investigation into “procedures and policy” was a whitewash and did not look into their claims. Police Scotland are also currently holding a review into their own investigation over allegations dating back to 2010.
Recently, the parents reacted furiously to council education director Michael Wood’s claim that a poor Education Scotland report had not been “helped” by media attention at the time.
Panel View: This was a major story, showing the determination of families to find out the truth of a series of serious accusations and to make sure that any investigation was absolutely open and covered all the points raised by them and their children.78. Eilish McColgan (73)Her Year: At the start of the Commonwealth Games year, Eilish McColgan was lining up as one of the great medal hopes for Team Scotland, having retained her British 3,000m steeplechase title. Illness and the discovery of a hitherto unsuspected heart defect literally stopped her in her tracks but she dug deep, carried on and took part in her main event in Glasgow. This was an achievement in itself, as was getting to the final and finishing sixth overall in a strong international field. She has recently spoken out about the use of drugs in sport and signed up for her first 10K run.
Panel View: When a lot is expected of you, it can be hard not to hit the mark but Eilish McColgan fought her way through health difficulties and made it to the final of her Commonwealth Games event to finish in the top six. With her heart arrhythmia now known and being monitored, she should be in a good position to go further in Rio in 2016.77. Mike Galloway (40)His Year: Dundee City Council’s director of city development and the man at the helm of the £1 billion waterfront regeneration is looking at the long term and the big picture but 2014 has seen several major steps forward in the process including the appointment of the V&A Dundee’s main contractor and the assertion that the waterfront is now “beyond the half way stage” in achieving its ultimate vision. It’s claimed that “residents can expect full use of new green space linking the Caird Hall and the Tay within the next two years.” Plans continue to incorporate elements like an urban beech, cultural district and and outdoor concert venue.
Panel View: This is the biggest change in Dundee’s city centre ever undertaken, both for those who live here and for the image that the City of Discovery presents to the world. Mike Galloway is credited with the ambition, drive and determination to get the job done.76. Dougie MacLean (new)His Year: The Perthshire troubadour’s own festival Perthshire Amber, one of the world’s most acclaimed showcases for acoustic music, celebrated 10 years this year, alongside Dougle’s own personal 40th anniversary as a touring performer. He appeared at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games at Hampden Park, bringing the event to a storming finish with a performance of the anthemic Caledonia and Auld Lang Syne before a global audience of one billion people in 71 countries.
This year, he also took part in a flashmob performance in Perth High Street in support of the Yes campaign.
Panel View: Dougie MacLean is the voice of Caledonia and what could be more apt than that in this year of all years? He stands up for the music, culture and beauty of Scotland – and of his native Perthshire – and has brought his music to the attention of audiences worldwide, as well as to those closer to home who identify with his sound and his love of the land he grew up in and chooses to live and work in.