Plans are underway to celebrate the pride of our nation at this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards.

20 Feb Plans are underway to celebrate the pride of our nation at this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards.

I am thrilled to be part of the Delivery Panel tasked with ensuring the 2018 shindig has braw scran, craic and jiggin’ on November 30.

At our first panel meeting in Edinburgh, we discussed names of possible high-profile hosts, VIPs and performers to grace the stage at the SEC in Glasgow. We are currently penning a letter and filming a video invitation to the proposed host. Other topics covered were the look and feel of the night to make it the best ever!

As well as attracting a star-studded line-up, we hope to showcase on television the achievements, talents and ambitions of remarkable young Scots.

As part of its Themed Years programme, the Scottish Government has made 2018 the Year of Young People, which has been given the royal seal of approval by Prince Harry, and we anticipate an avalanche of nominations from across Scotland.

A significant amount of hard work, preparation and brain-storming will go into organising this red carpet event which will be the hottest ticket in town on St Andrew’s Day.

I and my fellow young panel members are up for the challenge and have been given a valuable opportunity to enhance our skill sets. Collaborating with me on the task are:

22- year-old Syrian refugee Dured Alhalabe, who won last year’s Young Scot Community Award. Now living in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Dured received the accolade in recognition of his local volunteering efforts.

18- year-old Cara Leigh Brown who lives in Ladybank, Fife, who won the UK’s 2017 Sir Winfried Bischoff Student of the Year Award. She works as a Secretary at Standard Life in Edinburgh.

15- year-old Josh Hampson, a pupil at Rothesay Academy on the Isle of Bute who is undertaking an Engineering Apprenticeship in conjunction with his school studies and hopes to secure a Marine Engineering Modern Apprenticeship in the future.

Lastly, there is me, Abby Lang, 17, Head Girl at Harris Academy in Dundee. I live on the outskirts of the city in Longforgan and work as an Office Junior in a doctor’s surgery.

As part of my Scottish Baccalaureate in Science, I have been raising awareness of young sudden cardiac death in Scotland. This independent SQA qualification has developed my leadership and event-management which I hope to transfer into this new team project. The Scottish Government has acknowledged my efforts with an invitation to deliver the Time for Reflection speech at parliament.

I am passionate about deserving young people having their moment in the spotlight and this is what led me to apply for a seat on the Delivery Panel. In the lead-up to the awards, I look forward to unleashing my creativity and refining my methods of communication which will stand me in good stead for university. The Health and Wellbeing category is of particular interest to me as I hope to pursue a career in medicine.