Congratulations to Edinburgh & Lothian Racial Equality Council (ELREC), who won the Third Sector Organisation of the Year award at last night’s first Scottish Diversity Awards. Edinburgh Mela also picked up the Event of the Year award.

 Diversity has been at the heart of ELREC’s work since its inception. ELREC has extensively worked with diverse communities and after becoming a pan-equality organisation in 2010, the charity extended its work to encompass all protected characteristics.

Foysol Choudhury MBE, ELREC Chair (above. left) said: “We are very honoured to have been recognised as the Third Sector Organisation of the Year by the Scottish Diversity Awards 2017. I would like to congratulate ELREC’s Management Board, staff, volunteers and the communities that we work with.

“ELREC has been serving the needs of communities for over four decades and has won three awards for their projects this year, the Scottish Social Services Awards, the Climate Challenge Fund Award and CEMVO Ethnic Minority Impact Award. ”

The inaugural Scottish Diversity Awards welcomed 200 guests at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow and sought to promote the importance of equality in today’s society and recognise Scotland’s cultural diversity.

The Scottish Diversity Awards 2017 acknowledge the determination, dedication and hard work of individuals, organisations, and businesses across Scotland that actively contribute to the spread of diversity, equality, and empowerment in the country.

The event was hosted by  Atta Yaqup and Rupa Mooker.

Irfan Younis, CEO of organizers Creative Oceanic, said: “We are honoured and delighted to have such great finalists and winners. Scotland prides itself as a welcoming country that provides space for everyone and aims to treat all people equally. The awards aim to highlight that.”

“These were the first Scottish Diversity Awards. We will learn from what has started this year and we hope to grow the awards every year and help in changing our society in a positive way.”

“We were very happy to welcome the guests and celebrate with them. Congratulations to all finalists and winners!”

The full list of winners is:

Charity of the Year: The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice (Glasgow)

University of the Year : University of the West of Scotland (Paisley)

Further Education College of the Year: Glasgow Clyde College (Glasgow)

Body of the Year: Sportscotland (Glasgow)

Third Sector Organisation of the Year: ELREC (Edinburgh)

Diversity Initiative in Law Award: Pinsent Masons (Glasgow)

Employer of the Year: First Group (Glasgow)

SME Business of the Year : Motorvate Therapies (Perth)

Empowerment Champion Award 2017: Forestry Commission Scotland (Hamilton)

Inclusion Business Champion of the Year :Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce (Edinburgh)

Community Group of the Year:  The Women’s Centre (Glasgow)

Diversity Event of the Year : Edinburgh Mela (Edinburgh)

Organisation of the Year: Cricket Scotland (Edinburgh)

Council of the Year : Renfrewshire Council (Paisley)

Inclusion & Diversity Leader of the Year: Marjorie Strachan – RBS (Glasgow)

Work Life Balance Organisation of the Year: Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel (Clydebank)

Investing in Tomorrow’s Workforce Award: Law Society Scotland (Edinburgh)

Positive Action in Equality Award: Police Scotland (Glasgow)

Equality Skills Creator of the Year: Scottish Prison Service (Edinburgh)

Start of the Equality Journey Award: House of Fraser (Glasgow)

Equality Advocate of the Year: Scott Pennock – Wallace High School (Stirling)

Diversity Champion of the Year: David Massingham- Carillion Plc.- Sky Blue (Glasgow)

Equality Champion of the Year: Kirstein Rummery – Women’s Equality Party (Stirling)

Disability Champion of the Year: Colin Duthie-Disability Motorsport Scotland (Kilmarnock)

Role Model of the Year: Drew McCusker – Jackson Boyd Lawyers (Glasgow)

Disability Group of the Year: AILN (Ardrossan)

LGBT Group of the Year: Pride Edinburgh (Edinburgh)

Third Sector CEO of the Year: Evelyn McDonald – Scottish Edge (Glasgow)

Congratulations to them all!