Tag: award

Leith bar wins national PubAid award

The Dreadnought, Leith, has won an influential award at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2024. 

Owner Roisin Therese was at the ceremony in the Houses of Commons to accept the award for being the best Community Regular Hero pub in Scotland. The award celebrates the work that the pub does to fundraise or support the community. 

The pub saw competition from over 1,000 entries nationwide for the prestigious pub industry awards, now in their fifth year. 

On winning the award, Roisin Therese said: “I am very pleased to accept this award in recognition of the work we have done through the Dreadnought and the Save The Pride Bridge campaign to promote queer visibility and representation.

“Despite the many challenges of running a pub during the last few years, we hope to continue to provide a community hub and to support local causes through our fundraising, food bank and winter clothes collection drives, and engagement with other local organisations. We will continue to provide a safe and inclusive space that celebrates the queer community.”

The pub won because it led the Save the Pride Bridge campaign to help protect a local landmark from being demolished.  The Pride Bridge is a community art project in a public space that is important to local residents. It is painted by a diverse group of locals and has become a renowned LGBTQ landmark, and the first of its kind in Edinburgh.

Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, added: “The annual event is always very special for us and all the pubs who made it through to the finals.

“It is wonderful to hear so many stories of Publicans who do so much for their local communities and it’s heart-warming that pubs raise so much money for local and national charities and their regular customers are so generous when the cost of living makes things tough for many people.

“All 1,000 nominations we received are worthy of a congratulations but a special mention needs to be for those who made it through to the finals. The standard or entry this year has been so high that it gave our expert judges some difficult decisions.”

PubAid, which organises the awards in association with Matthew Clark and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, refreshed the awards and created more categories to congratulate more community pubs throughout the UK. There were 33 finalists in total across five categories. 

Blue Ball in England won the Community Support Hero award for its region.

National study highlights Edinburgh housing provider’s tech success

Major research praises housing specialist for sector innovation

A LEADING housing specialist has been recognised in a national research project for its technology advances in Scotland’s social care sector.

Blackwood Homes and Care has been praised as a leader in adopting new social care technologies, according to a major report published by Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute.

The research project examined fresh-thinking and technology adoption across Scotland’s housing, health and social care sectors with the aim of better understanding the potential for innovation clusters, the role of public investment and capacity for innovation in the key sectors.

Despite the research reenforcing sector-wide challenges, Edinburgh-based Blackwood and its bespoke tech solutions were included as a case study of what is possible within tech-enabled care, despite the challenges faced by the sector.

Simon Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive at Blackwood said: “We are constantly striving to find new ways to improve the lives of the people we support. Receiving recognition and awareness for it always motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and leading the way.

“The research study by the Fraser of Allander Institute is an extremely valuable piece of work for the sector that we’re thrilled to be positively featured in. It’s very rewarding to be recognised.”

One tech solution mentioned in the report is Blackwood’s CleverCogs technology, a specially designed tablet-based system, which has delivered measurable improvements in quality of life and efficiencies in service delivery, despite major budgetary constraints.

Many Blackwood properties feature its CleverCogs technology which is personalised and links users to care and health services, home automation, local information, entertainment and video access to family and friends. The CleverCogs digital system lets users customise it to suit their life.

Emma Congreve, Deputy Director at the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute said: “We were asked by the Scottish Government to analyse the current social care innovation landscape and the potential for further development of tech solutions for those who draw on care.

“Blackwood homes provided an example of an organisation that has been able to take forward significant technological innovations. As our report stated, based on our research with others in the sector, this was an exception rather than the rule.”

The report, which was released late last year, also noted Blackwood’s strategy of close collaboration with residents and technology partners to develop solutions tailored to their needs – noting the crucial role of innovation-focused leadership in driving progress and cultural change.

Blackwood is now renowned as Scotland’s most tech-focused housing specialist, deploying cutting-edge technology to help its customers to live independently. With 600 staff across Scotland, the charity’s headquarters are in Edinburgh.

Simon added: “Making change is a team effort of course, so it’s fantastic to see our co-design approaches with customers and partners held up as an example model.

“The report does an excellent job of highlighting the hurdles the housing and care sector is having to jump in Scotland at the moment and it can be difficult to continue to innovate new forms of tech-enabled care while combatting challenges like funding or labour shortages.

“Despite that, it only gives us more fuel to continue that fresh thinking to allow people to live as independently as possible.

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and we owe it to them to explore every opportunity that technology offers to enhance the quality of their lives. It’s rewarding that Blackwood is setting the standard in that.”

As Scotland’s most tech-focused housing provider, its Blackwood House design guide – developed in partnership with architects Lewis and Hickey – is the gold standard for accessible housing.

Over the next five years Blackwood aims to build 400 such homes, that can adapt to tenants’ future needs. Each can be adapted to include a host of benefits such as lift access, remotely controlled automated functions, and digital care and housing systems.

The housing specialist puts customers at the heart of everything it does, and their satisfaction is critical to Blackwood’s success. As a modern, supportive employer it also provides individuals with pathways towards achieving long and rewarding careers in roles that make a positive difference.

For more information, visit: https://www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk/

 Amazon recognised as a Top Employer in the UK for 2024

Amazon, which has a fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, has been named as a Top Employer 2024 in the UK by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. It recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and wellbeing of its employees.

In addition to the UK accolade, awarded for the first time, Amazon has been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a second consecutive year.

The Top Employer acknowledges companies’ commitment to a range of different areas of HR, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and more.

Amazon’s certification in both the UK and Europe is confirmation that the company’s dedication to a better world of work extends internationally, acknowledging the hard work that colleagues are doing at all of its operations sites, including the site in Dunfermline, corporate offices, and research and development centres in across the region.

Amazon Dunfermline General Manager, Jamie Strain, said: “It’s an honour that Amazon has been certified as a Top Employer 2024 in the UK for our ongoing commitment to the development and wellbeing of our employees.

“Across our business, we strive to be Earth’s best employer and are committed to creating an innovative and engaging workplace where our teams across the UK, who come from all backgrounds, are proud to work.”

Top Employers Institute CEO David Plink says: “Exceptional times bring out the best in people and organisations. And we have witnessed this in our Top Employers Certification Programme this year: exceptional performance from the certified Top Employers 2024.

“These employers have always shown that they care for the development and wellbeing of their people. By doing so, they collectively enrich the world of work. We are proud to announce and celebrate this year’s group of leading people-oriented employers: the Top Employers 2024.”

Amazon is dedicated to continual improvement in the workplace, offering some of the most advanced workplaces of its kind in the world, with competitive pay, and processes and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.

Whether in its corporate offices, research and development centres or its operations network, Amazon has created all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people.

From those starting work with no formal qualifications to people with doctorate-level qualifications, from graduates and apprentices to people with decades of experience in the workplace, Amazon has created roles across its business where people can develop their careers and positively impact the lives of Amazon customers.

Amazon is proud to have a diverse workforce in the UK, where employees are encouraged to chart their own path, with programmes such as Career Choice and apprenticeships opening opportunities for education and growth.

Amazon also offers a range of great benefits that support employees and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. These comprehensive benefits begin on day one and include private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, employee discount and commuter benefits.

This new recognition comes as Amazon was listed second on LinkedIn’s Top Companies 2023 list in the UK, as well as being certified a Level 3 Disability Confident ‘Leader’ in the UK, the highest level.

About the Top Employers Institute

Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in People Practices and has certified more than 2,300 organisations in 122 countries. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 9 million employees globally.

Musselburgh: Just Champion!

Local Racecourse gallops off with top award

Musselburgh Racecourse has been named as the Champion Racecourse at the 12th annual Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards.

The East Lothian track picked up three individual awards enroute to being named as the overall Champion for 2023 – the Racing Post Readers’ Award and the Marketing and Food & Beverage awards.

The Racing Post Readers’ Award asked the racing public to nominate their favourite racecourse based on raceday experience, customer service and value for money. Musselburgh scored the highest average across these metrics and polled almost 20% of the overall votes.

Musselburgh’s continued drive for excellence in Food & Beverage was evident in the Pinkie’s Deli, a Taste of Scotland’s Larder initiative. A move to more a locally-sourced and evidence-based menu was a resounding success with racegoers, with the racecourse seen as best-in-class throughout British racing for its fantastic food and drink offerings.

As a highly successful one-off event in 2019, the Corgi Derby returned to Musselburgh and this time was integral to a campaign which won the Marketing category.

Musselburgh’s use of data to target specific demographics and tailor the messaging, ticket packages and raceday experience was deemed best-in-class by the judges with the results clearly showing a hugely impressive return.

The East Lothian racecourse was also a Finalist in two other categories on the night, demonstrating a racecourse operating to the highest standards on multiple fronts, said the judges.

Musselburgh Racecourse General Manager Bill Farnsworth, said: “Musselburgh’s joins a small group of eight illustrious Showcase Champions and it certainly felt as if all the other racecourses represented at the Awards were particularly pleased that Musselburgh had won.

“I am incredibly proud of the team here at Musselburgh who have shown incredible resilience over the past few years and have been resolute in their commitment to the racecourse and to putting on a fantastic experience for our customers and participants.

“The staff at Musselburgh never stand still and are totally committed to making sure all our visitors have the best possible ‘Musselburgh’ experience. To deliver on so many levels with limited resources is a truly fantastic achievement and we can all be extremely proud of what Musselburgh has achieved.”

The gala event, held at Aintree Racecourse, was presented by the RCA and partnered by Great British Racing, Racing Together, the Racing Foundation and Racing Post.

Alongside Musselburgh’s three award wins and Champion crown, it was a fantastic night for Scottish Racing as a whole with wins for Hamilton Park, Perth and Ayr, while Kelso received a Highly Commended accolade from the independent judging panel.

RCA Chairman Wilf Walsh said: “Our class of 2023 represents a range of racecourses operating at the highest level in their respective fields and I am encouraged by the levels of innovation shown as we look to attract and retain racegoers.

“Musselburgh Racecourse are worthy Champions and join our esteemed Showcase list. With five Finalist nominations and three victories, there can be little doubt this is a racecourse team that deeply cares about their customers, participants and place within the local community.”

Musselburgh is back in action tomorrow (Thursday 30 November) with The Max Recycle Saltire Raceday. Gates open 10.30am and the first race is at 11.55am.

For more information and to book tickets visit here.

Scottish Living Wage award for Edinburgh action group

Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group celebrated another success this week (Thursday 17 November) when it was named winner of the Outstanding Leadership Award at the annual Scottish Living Wage Awards.

Launched in November 2021, the group is a partnership of Edinburgh employers from a range of sectors, all committed to helping to make Edinburgh a Living Wage City.

In its award citation, the Scottish Living Wage Foundation recognised the group for the immediate impact it has had in Edinburgh since its inception, and the ways members are using their local influence to help grow the number of real living wage employers in the city.

Over 580 businesses in Edinburgh are now accredited as ‘Living Wage employers’, a number higher than any other city in Scotland. 

Since the launch of the action group Edinburgh has seen a record-breaking increase in new accreditations with close to 120 more employers committing to pay a real living wage and giving guaranteed direct pay rises to 1,400 workers in the city.

Cllr Jane Meagher, chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group and Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “At a time when the cost of living crisis is making life hard for so many people and so many businesses in Edinburgh, this is a great time to celebrate and to thank the record number of employers who are taking the step to make sure their workers are paid a decent wage that provides enough to live on.

“The Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group is full of inspiring employers and business leaders who are determined to make this city a great place to work and to thrive.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made this year, and this award is a fantastic boost that makes us ever more committed to making Edinburgh a Living Wage City.”

Kat Brogan, Managing Director at Mercat Tours, said: The motivation to promote the benefits of the Real Living Wage through the Edinburgh City LW Action Group comes from the impact we see on our own team – morale, loyalty and quality of work. 

“However it runs far deeper – this group champions the benefits of REAL LIVING, beyond the hourly rate paid to your team.  Respect, dignity and fulfilling work benefits individuals, teams, businesses and our community to thrive and flourish.”

Movement for Good Award for The Edinburgh Remakery

The Edinburgh Remakery has been granted £10,000 as part of the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards. 

The latest phase of the Movement for Good Awards will see more than £500,000 in funding be awarded to 31 charities working across the climate change and environment, education and skills, heritage and arts and rural and community sectors.

The Scottish based charity is an award-winning environmental social enterprise committed to creating a culture of sustainable, waste-free living and protecting the planet for future generations.

The £10,000 funding will go towards the charity’s Tech Exchange for Community Hubs project, which will gift up to 200 refurbished electronic devices to 10 Community Hubs, giving their beneficiaries essential access to digital support and services and replacing old devices with newer, higher quality, refurbished ones.

The awards are designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities and beyond. More than 500 charities applied for the funding with the winning projects being selected against four criteria: impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “At Benefact Group we believe business should be a force for good. More than ever, charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability.

“Through our Movement for Good larger-grant awards, we are championing a more imaginative way of supporting charities so that they can have some certainty in these challenging times.

“We know our funding can be a lifeline to those who are struggling with cost-of-living increases and a grant of this scale can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do.  

“Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all our available profits go to good causes, and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.”

Elaine Brown, CEO of The Edinburgh Remakery Ltd, said: “The Edinburgh Remakery social enterprise is committed to supporting people in our communities whilst creating positive change for our planet.

“We reduce waste by taking in old electronics to be refurbished and reused, we reduce carbon emissions by providing affordable and eco-friendly alternatives to buying new, and we support our communities by providing people in need with gifted tech devices and valuable life skills to improve employability, confidence and wellbeing.

“Thanks to the Movement for Good funding, we are able to further our mission and help even more people whilst reducing waste and helping our planet at the same time.”

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.

Queen’s Award for Enterprise honour for The Edinburgh Remakery

  • Leith-based social enterprise formally receives its Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
  • Its win in the ‘Sustainable’ category in April announced before the death of Her Majesty the Queen

The Edinburgh Remakery, an innovative social enterprise based in Scotland’s capital, has been presented with a Queens Award for Enterprise, one of the UK’s most prestigious business accolades, recognising its outstanding achievement and excellence in social and environmental sustainability.

The Award was presented on a visit to the Ocean Terminal-based business by the Right Honourable Robert Aldridge in his role as Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh. The Award is one of the last to be made in the name of her late Majesty the Queen.

Coming the week before the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 in Egypt, and at a time when conversations around the circular economy and additional solutions to climate change are being held worldwide, this prominent award recognises local efforts in overcoming environmental challenges.

The Edinburgh Remakery is spearheading a tangible change in consumer behaviours, whereby customers are seeking ways to limit their environmental impact through more conscientious buying choices.

The environmental social enterprise, with a mission to reduce waste and strengthen communities, is this week launching new services to better enable residents of Edinburgh and beyond to live more sustainably.

These services include the much-anticipated return of their affordable laptop and computer repair services and in-store sales of quality, refurbished electronic goods.

In his speech on presenting the Award the Right Honourable Robert Aldridge, Lord Lieutenant said: “This is a substantial Civic Award and represents the highest honour that the Monarch can bestow upon a company or enterprise based and operating within the UK.

“The Award is a clear recognition and reflection of the value, efforts, and talent of a Board and Staff grouping, and is underpinned by strong and inspiring performance”

Elaine Brown, CEO of The Edinburgh Remakery says: ““Since re-emerging from lockdown, we have looked to our community and evolved to meet their changing needs, ensuring that we continue to offer services that aid their lives and their wellbeing whilst responding to environmental challenges.

“We’re delighted to have received recognition through the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and take this as further evidence that our role, and the role of other social enterprises, is proving vital in supporting Scotland’s transition to a Net Zero economy and in tackling climate change for good.”

This year, 232 businesses representing every part of the UK were recognised by Her Majesty the Queen on her birthday as among the best in the country.

The Edinburgh Remakery is one of 31 organisations across the UK to be awarded recognition in Sustainable Development.

Seton Sands Holiday Village wins top tourism award

An East Lothian holiday park has been presented with a top regional tourism award by UK holiday giant Hoseasons.

Seton Sands Holiday Village was crowned Best Family Fun destination in Scotland at the staycation specialist’s 15th annual Awards – a celebration of the holiday parks, lodge resorts and boating locations in the company’s UK portfolio that have achieved the highest scores in independent customer satisfaction surveys and delighted guests through exceptional holiday experiences throughout the 2021 season.

Commenting after the awards were announced during an online ceremony Jamie Stirling, General Manager at Seton Sands Holiday Village said: “Winning awards is always nice, but being recognised by our guests for our efforts is particularly pleasing.

“It’s been the most challenging year any of us in the industry can ever remember, but throughout everything we’ve always tried to give our holidaymakers the best possible experience we can, so it’s great for our team to get the recognition they deserve.”

Simon Altham, Group Chief Commercial Officer at Awaze – the parent company of Hoseasons – said: “We all understand the importance customer reviews play in influencing holiday choices and it’s clear from the amazing scores Seton Sands Holiday Village have been receiving, that the team are doing a fantastic job of delighting guests and exceeding expectations.

“The future looks brighter than ever for UK holidays and we are sure this award will help further boost bookings for 2022 and beyond.”

For more information on Seton Sands Holiday Village or any other Hoseasons holiday, visit www.hoseasons.co.uk

Hero British diplomat awarded for lifesaving actions

British diplomat Stephen Ellison has been awarded the Royal Life Saving Society  UK’s (RLSS UK) ‘Certificate of Recognition’ after his heroic efforts saved a woman  from drowning. 

Mr. Ellison, currently serving as consul-general in Chongqing in China, hit headline news in  November 2020, after footage of him bringing the unconscious woman to the riverbank, went  viral. 

Out walking that morning, Mr. Ellison noticed the woman struggling in a fast-moving current,  after falling into deep water. A seasoned open water swimmer through his participation in  triathlons, Mr. Ellison wasted no time in getting into the water and bringing her to safety.

“RLSS UK’s ‘Certificate of Recognition’ celebrates members of the public who successfully  rescue someone from the water,” explains RLSS UK CEO, Robert Gofton. 

“Mr. Ellison’s selfless actions saved that lady’s life, and it is a testament to his courage and  water safety knowledge that they both survived the ordeal. 

“I was delighted to be joined by RLSS UK President Mark Smith, to award Mr. Ellison the  certificate via a video call, and I look forward to the chance to meet him face-to-face, one  day in the future.” 

“It’s often the case with a situation like this, that everyone was taken by surprise by the  sudden turn of events,” said Mr. Ellison. “As someone who takes part in triathlons, I felt confident that I could safely reach the lady in  the water and help. 

“I was just over-the-moon that she recovered consciousness and required no further  treatment. 

“It’s a wonderful surprise and an honour to be recognised by the Royal Life Saving Society  UK.” 

For more information:

RLSS UK: www.rlss.org.uk 

Twitter – @RLSSUK 

Facebook page – facebook.com/RLSSUK

SFA recognises Gorgie Road restaurant with National Award

The national winners of the annual Scottish FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards have been revealed, with the Gorgie Road restaurant in Edinburgh being crowned the winner of the 2020 Football Restaurant of the Year award.

The awards celebrate the efforts of grassroots football volunteers across Scotland who make a difference and go the extra mile to support their local communities.

Launched in March this year, the public response has been extremely strong, despite the challenging circumstances, with the Community Projects category receiving over 351% more votes this year compared to 2019. The awards feature a wide mix of categories which reflect the huge range of roles that volunteers play.

McDonald’s Gorgie Road, owned and operated by local franchisee Graham Angus (pictured above), joins a long list of inspirational grassroots football heroes who have been recognised by the awards programme.

Graham has been involved in the local grassroots community for a number of years, and the team at McDonald’s Gorgie Road support local football at Salvesen FC, as well as developing an innovative partnership by working with the club’s older players looking for a route back into employment.

The Gorgie Road restaurant was judged alongside the other regional winners from the Football Restaurant of the Year 2020 category and will be presented with their award at a ceremony at a later date.

Graham, who with his team will continue to support grassroots football in the Edinburgh area, added: “It’s an honour to be named Football Restaurant of the Year at the awards this year.

“I’m so proud of the efforts my team have put in to support grassroots football. Over the years our relationship with football teams have thrived. We’ve worked hard to form strong relationships with clubs like Salvesen FC, so we can help provide them with much-needed support to keep grassroots football prosper in the area.”

McDonald’s Fun Football ambassador Kenny Dalglish said: “It’s been a really difficult year for the whole country, but I’m very pleased that we’re able to recognise and celebrate the volunteers who go above and beyond to have a positive impact on their local communities.

“The tireless work of local heroes like Graham Angus and his team at Gorgie Road is what keeps the game going. Graham and his team should be extremely proud of his achievements and grassroots football in Scotland is in a much better place with them being a part of it.”

The Scottish FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards are part of McDonald’s ongoing Community Partnership with the Scottish FA.

To find out more about McDonald’s partnership visit:

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/funfootball 

or on Twitter @FunFootballUK.