Martin Williams

The Herald

They are the people Gordon Brown describes as the true celebrities of Britain; unsung heroes whose pioneering work in communities could and should become a benchmark for others to follow.

Yet, in a Britain obsessed with celebrity culture, their work rarely hits the national radar. The Prime Minister believes they should not just be recognised but their ideas should be developed to benefit all.

His new book, Britain's Everyday Heroes, comprises the stories of 33 ordinary people, three of them Scots, whose commitment to a cause or a community has informed and inspired him. They are the kind of people the honours system should celebrate, according to Mr Brown.

"They, for me, are the true celebrities and those most worthy of celebration in 2007," he said.

His comments came as he announced plans for a major recasting of the honours system, under which he said the "significant majority" of awards should in future go to "the local everyday heroes who make a difference".

The changes will be accompanied by a £515m boost in state funding for community groups, voluntary organisations and charities over the next three years.

Mr Brown also announced plans for a national day for celebrating volunteering and "social change" on July 24 - a date chosen to reflect the 24/7 nature of the work of those it recognises.

During his research he came to understand what writer John Buchan, from his home town of Kirkcaldy, meant when he once said: "Our task is not to put the greatness back into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness that is there already."

All royalties from the book will go to the charity Community Links, which runs projects in east London.

Among the heroes' stories is that of Stevie Siegerson.

The son of a single parent who had seven children to look after, Mr Siegerson is fronting the innovative Columba 1400, the Skye-based charity dedicated to bringing out leadership qualities in young people whose early life has been tough. Its philosophy is that there is enormous potential to be tapped into among people who have weathered tough times.

The 36-year-old, who himself is a graduate of Columba 1400, believes his experience has helped him develop the project. At 26, when returning to full-time education as an adult learner, he obtained both an HNC and HND in Leisure Management. This fuelled an enormous appetite for learning that led him into studies in sociology and psychology.

Gordon Brown says he is part of a "remarkable project that is rooted in a belief that people have it in them to be the best that they can be".

The PM added: "Their success lies in seeing young people not as the collection of problems with which they have been labelled, but as individuals with unique abilities and unique potential."

The project was founded seven years ago by Norman Drummond, the former BBC governor for Scotland. He wanted to help children from "tough realities" find "inner greatness" and began fundraising for a centre to host the programme in Staffin, Skye, on June 9, 1997, the 1400th anniversary of the death of St Columba - hence the name.

Mr Siegerson said: "We hope it will expand. We get lots of interest from lots of different places and it would be great if we could get more folks from south of the border involved in what we do.

"It is true to say that lots of the folks that are called heroes in Gordon Brown's book are invisible. They are in the communities with their sleeves rolled up.

"It is good that they are getting recognised."