​Almost half of the awards given out at the 2016 Scottish Public Service Awards were won by those linked to the third sector

Voluntary organisations and people linked to the sector dominated this year’s Scottish Public Service Awards.

Out of 12 categories there were five winners familiar to the sector including Alison Elliot OBE who was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elliot, the first female moderator of the Church of Scotland and a former convenor of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, received her award at a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament on Monday.

It’s an honour to be recognised alongside so many incredible people who are dedicated to public services across Scotland

Also scooping awards were Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, who was named Leadership Award winner and environmental charity Changeworks won the Third Sector Partnership Award.

The Scottish Parliament and Who Cares? Scotland shared the Communications Award and the Independent Living Fund Scotland won the Community Engagement category.

Created in 2014 through a partnership of the parliament, the Scottish Government and Holyrood magazine, the awards recognise excellence in our public life.

Accepting her award, Elliot said it is one she will be most proud of because it is for public service.

“That is really the heart of what I’ve been trying to do for the last 30 years and I feel hugely privileged to have found myself in positions where I can exercise that,” she added.

“And I’ve been very lucky with the family and with my husband who has been fantastic all these years.”

The leadership award granted to Macdonald marks what has been an outstanding year for the head of the national youth organisation.

In October she was named the top third sector director of the year at the Institute of Directors awards and last month she was named as one of the top 30 charity chief executives for her use of social media.

Of her latest award she said: “It’s an honour to be recognised alongside so many incredible people who are dedicated to public services across Scotland.

“The award is really for the team at Young Scot, all of our partners and the inspiring young people I work with every day. It’s only through partnership working that we can realise our ambition to make Scotland the best country in the world for young people – and public services are key to that.”

Elsewhere, Transport Scotland; Renfrewshire, Aberdeen, Dundee and Midlothian councils; The Scottish Government and Amber Gray of the Scottish Parliament all won awards on the night.