The Raploch Urban Regeneration Company (URC) was a big winner at the first ever Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards for Scotland.

The URC won the GO Sustainability Award - given to them for the social and economic impact the regeneration has made locally to date. Since its establishment in 2006 the URC has sought to involve the local community in decision-making aspects of the project while committing to create job and training opportunities for local people.

The URC beat off stiff competition from Quality Meat Scotland, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Housing Association and the University of Edinburgh. Grahame Steed, managing editor of GO magazine and member of the judging panel, said that the URC did more than just meet the criteria and "in many areas it significantly exceeded them."

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He added: "Environmental impact was important, but the Raploch project demonstrated sustainability is also about people and highlighted the huge benefit that can be derived from involving a local community in the regeneration of their area."

There was further success when the URC's Head of Social and Economic Regeneration Pamela Brown was shortlisted as a finalist in the GO Individual Excellence Award. Pamela was praised for "delivering significant savings, demonstrating an original approach to procurement and for setting a positive example to others". The award was won by the University of Edinburgh's Andy Kordiak.

Judy Barrow, Sustainability Manager for the Raploch URC, said: "The support of local people has been critical to the success of our work, and we will share our achievement with them."

The awards were held in Glasgow's Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wednesday evening at the end of Procurex 2008, Scotland’s first dedicated private and public sector procurement exhibition.

(GK/JM)