ONE half of Edinburgh’s football divide will be pleased, and perhaps the other half will also recognise her achievements, after Hearts FC’s owner Ann Budge was named as the 2019 winner of the Edinburgh Award.
The owner, chief executive and chair of the Tynecastle club was named as the winner in recognition of her business success and community work, and for services to sport in Edinburgh. She will be presented with an engraved Loving Cup from the Lord Provost later this year.
Budge will become the 13th person to receive the Edinburgh Award, following in the footsteps of last year’s recipient Doddie Weir and fellow entrepreneur Sir Tom Farmer, who sold Hibs FC last week.
The West Pilton-born entrepreneur was the first woman appointed to the senior management grade in brewing company Scottish & Newcastle, before co-founding Newell & Budge, a bespoke software and IT company, headquartered in Edinburgh.
The council stated: “Ann famously bought Hearts FC out of administration in 2014 and within five years has successfully transformed Tynecastle into an exemplar family and community friendly stadium, doubling revenue and building a solid and sustainable future for the business in the process.”
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross said: “Not only has Ann Budge saved one of Edinburgh’s main football clubs, giving it a chance to return to the Premiership, but she has drastically transformed Tynecastle into a place where the Gorgie and wider Edinburgh community can unite, learn and spend time together. Hearts was also the first club to pay the Living Wage.
Budge said: “It’s a real honour to be chosen for the Edinburgh Award and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who nominated me. What makes this award so special is that it’s from my city, my hometown, and presented on behalf of the citizens of Edinburgh. As someone from a working class family from West Pilton, who still cherishes everything about this city, the fans and the incredible people and the charities we work with, to be told I’ll soon have my handprints set in stone in the heart of Edinburgh – that’s a special moment indeed.”
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