RECIPIENTS OF FLETCHER OF SALTOUN AWARDS

The Saltire Society announced three recipients of the 2022 Fletcher of Saltoun Awards. 

Dr Adele Patrick	George Parsonage MBE	Professor Sir Ian Boyd
Co-founder of the Glasgow Women’s Library	Chief Officer of the Glasgow Humane Society	Zoologist, environmental and polar scientist

Established in 1988, The Fletcher of Saltoun Awards recognise and celebrate the innovators and entrepreneurs who shape the cultural landscape of Scotland in the fields of Science, Arts & Humanities and Public Life.  Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655-1716) was an accomplished patriotic Scots writer, politician, soldier, Commissioner of the Old Parliament of Scotland and an innovative thinker and intellectual visionary.  

Sarah Mason, Executive Director of the Saltire Society, said “These three worthy recipients of the 2022 Fletcher of Saltoun Awards are all leaders in their fields.  Adele Patrick has been instrumental in growing and supporting the development of innovative arts and cultural projects rooted in equalities, combining academic research with community learning and teaching on gender and culture for over 30 years. George Parsonage’s service to the Glasgow Humane Society, and the safety of the waterways of the city, has been above and beyond the call of duty.  His contribution both directly and as an example of selflessness to Scotland’s Public Life has been and remains exemplary.  Sir Ian Boyd was behind the establishment of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland which has made extraordinary strides in developing productive dialogue and understanding between scientists, marine experts and interested parties in all sectors.” 

Dr Adele Patrick

Public Life

Dr Adele Patrick is an artist, feminist and the co-founder of the Glasgow Women's Library.  She was nominated for the award for her innovative thinking, but also her ability to be an effective achiever.  Starting as a volunteer with the Glasgow Women’s Library, she established a lending library and museum repository of many types of historical and contemporary artefacts.  The only institution of its kind in the UK, the Library is home to more than 20,000 books and 30,000 archival items. Patrick is particularly interested in the creative and imaginative development of the Library as a unique feminist arts provision, (re)defining its physical spaces, digital platforms, learning approaches, programmes and resources.   

Adele Patrick said “My sincere thanks to the Saltire Society for this incredible honour.  I am humbled to join the wonderful past recipients of the Fletcher of Saltoun Award.  I am accepting it as recognition for the wider equalities’ movement. Change-making has been a perennial and influential characteristic of many wonderful people in Scottish Public Life past and present.” 

About the work of artwork behind Adele

The curtain is a detail from a permanent, large scale art installation entitled, Our Bodies Are Not the Problem, the Problem Is Power (2021) by Olivia Plender, inspired by The Boston Women’s Health book collective’s influential book on women’s health, Our bodies, Ourselves. The installation, part of Life Support: Forms of Care in Art and Activism and involved a beautiful redesign of the Community Room at Glasgow Women’s Library.

https://womenslibrary.org.uk/event/olivia-plender-our-bodies-are-not-the-problem/

George Parsonage MBE

Public Life

George Parsonage MBE became Chief Officer of the Glasgow Humane Society in 1979, following in his fathers’ footsteps.  The Glasgow Humane Society was set up in 1790, with the ‘principal objective of preventing accidents in and around the waterways of Glasgow and the surrounding areas’. Parsonage’s service to this objective has been above and beyond the call of duty. His first river rescue was in 1958 when helping his father. He has since then pulled more than 1500 people from the Clyde.  Following law changes in 2005 which transferred responsibility for rescues to the Fire & Rescue service, Parsonage maintained a key advisory and educational role with regard to water safety until his retirement in 2019. 

George Parsonage said “I’m very very proud to receive this award. This is really kind of them to think of my work and acknowledge the work of the family and Glasgow Humane Society.” 

Professor Sir Ian Boyd

Science

Professor Sir Ian Boyd is a Scottish zoologist, environmental and polar scientist, former Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and  a professor of biology at the University of St Andrews. He is Chair of the UK Research Integrity Office and was Director of the NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit.  He established the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) and also the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews which aims to develop scholarship, commercialisation of research and advance level teaching.    He has been a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council and is on the Board of Reviewing Editors of Science. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Zoology from 2006-2008. He is a member of the UK's Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.  

Sir Ian Boyd said “I count myself as having been very fortunate in my career. I spent time following my own interests essentially. Some of which are also very fulfilling. From an early age I wanted to be a scientist and I was fortunate to sit in the first-class education system we have here in Scotland, which would provide me with what I wanted both at school and university. And thanks to the open-minded system we have for science funding in the UK, I was able to pursue the studies that I wanted to pursue.” 

“One of the messages I want to make sure of through the larger part of my career, at least which has included periods of time with government as Chief Scientific Advisor, Food and Environmental, I want to try and make sure that some of those natural laws are understood. And bending those natural laws is not something that is a sensible way to construct government or our politics around. If this award does one thing, it will be to help more people to understand that we can’t go on bending the natural laws and rules… and I will go on talking about that as long as I live.” 

“I’m really grateful to Saltire for honouring me with the Fletcher of Saltoun Award and I shall cherish it forever. Thank you very much indeed.” 

The Fletcher of Saltoun Awards have acknowledged over 65 individuals in their thirty-four year history, advocating the brilliance, significance and impact of Scottish Culture.  Nominations are taken from across the Saltire Society membership to ensure a broad spectrum of individuals.  The Trustees of the Saltire Society, with the help and advice of independent experts in each field, select the recipients.