A disabled girl’s campaign that secured £2 million of funding to improve support for disabled kids in Scotland has been nominated for a national award.
Eilish Cowan (5) and her dad Lawrence (39) from Dunfermline launched the Our Kids Won’t Wait Campaign alongside Edinburgh disabled children’s charity The Yard in September 2023, with a call for the Scottish Government to reverse a 76% real terms cut to the amount of funding the charity received per family supported.
They successfully convinced politicians, including the then First Minister, Humza Yousaf, to back the move and invest further in growing The Yard’s reach. The investment means in particular that the charity can improve its service in Tayside and open up a new centre in the West of Scotland.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Charity Awards are the charity’s version of the Oscars. Eilish, who has a rare genetic condition affecting her TUBA1A gene, struggles to walk and has a learning disability, is nominated in the Campaign of the Year category.
Eilish’s dad Lawrence Cowan, said, “We’re so proud of our wee girl. We hope that this nomination is something she can look back on and feel proud about.
“Eilish’s genetic condition means she struggles with things we all take for granted like walking or talking and she has a learning disability. But just like any other wee girl she deserves love and a place to feel like she belongs.
“The Yard provides a place for disabled children like Eilish to have fun, make friends and be proud of who they are. We need to expand the great work of The Yard right across Scotland so we were delighted when the First Minister visited and announced the extra funding.
“To be able to say that Eilish contributed to growing the Yard’s work and opening up more opportunities for disabled children to be celebrated makes my wife and I so emotional and proud.
“But to win we need your votes! So please get behind Eilish’s campaign.”
Eilish added, “I’m proud. I love The Yard. Vote for me!”
Celine Sinclair, CEO of The Yard said, “Thanks to this campaign we are now in a position to grow the work of the Yard.
“The funding from the Scottish Government will mean that we can make real improvements to our service in Tayside and open a new service in the West of Scotland. A huge thank you to Lawrence, Eilish and all of our families who rallied behind the campaign. It makes a huge difference.”
The Yard works with children and young people with additional support needs through adventure play sessions in Dundee, Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy.
The service offers creative and inclusive play experiences in a well-supported environment, alongside wraparound support for the whole family, with a varied programme of drop-in, respite and transition youth clubs, early years, specialist sessions with schools, family play sessions, plus inclusive play and disability training.
RSABI provides practical, emotional and financial support to people in Scottish agriculture. Working in agriculture can be isolating, especially during the pandemic. Our helpline calls were increasing so we needed to do something to help keep people connected. RSA…
Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund campaign shone a light on the financial cost of Covid-19 to children and families in Scotland and provided essentials like food, heating, clothing and beds to children who would otherwise have gone without. The campaign launched i…
Alistair is a volunteer within the Bridge Community Project’s Financial Wellbeing Service, where he provides hope to vulnerable members of the West Lothian community who are experiencing financial and personal challenges. His approach focuses on developing positiv…
Andrew’s influence, guidance and support has helped the trust secure an incredible amount of funding in the last 12 months alone. He liaised with key experts in Covid-19, which was instrumental in the charity securing funding for its recently launched research on…
The team has worked tirelessly with the Scottish Government, Parliament and Infection Prevention and Control specialists to improve guidance and enable meaningful contact with care home residents cut off from their loved ones due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Bob joined Cumbernauld Action on Care of the Elderly after becoming a service user, he then registered as a volunteer because he wanted to support others who felt isolated. Bob became a Befriender to someone who was bedridden after suffering a stroke, providing…
The team has redesigned hundreds of events and workshops to take them online, coordinated a Castlemilk-wide emergency response and created a Wellbeing Community Chest. It has improved services with a digital transformation strategy, formed a digital lending librar…
During the toughest of years for so many, Chris focused on ensuring AbilityNet’s older and disabled clients remain – or become part of – the digital world at a time when it’s become more crucial than ever. Thanks to him over 1,000 older and disabled people have no…
Over the last ten years, nearly 10,000 families in Scotland lost a loved one through drug-related death. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdose, providing vital time to call an ambulance. The team at Scottish Families recognised the nee…
The team at Macrobert Arts Centre believes the arts should be for everyone and recognised that there was a clear need to make performances more inclusive for the Deaf community. Creative Scotland’s Create:Inclusion programme resourced this innovative project to de…
Cumbernauld Resilience was established in March 2020 as a community-based response to the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. It united people from all over Cumbernauld from a diverse demographic to reach out and help their neighbours. The team has over 120 voluntee…
Douglas is more than a volunteer for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) – he is a life-changer. He does everything he can to help fellow stroke survivors in their recovery. When the pandemic hit, Douglas was first in line to suggest creative ways for stroke su…
Covid-19 has been a rollercoaster for everyone; no less for children and families in hospital and those privileged to support them. Innovation and dedication from supporters, partners, staff and volunteers saw support for children shielding at home, in wards and w…
In response to the pandemic and in partnership with Natwest, last year Cyrenians launched a full-scale food production service; cooking and delivering more than 5,000 freezer-friendly, healthy and delicious ready meals every week to local people who were unable to…
The Fringe is widely recognised as one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet. It is a worldwide brand that speaks to the values of being open, welcoming, inclusive, pioneering, international, experimental and innovative. Pursuing a vision…
As the manager of Harlawhill Day Centre, Fiona supports the elderly community of Prestonpans every day. When lockdown struck in 2020 she put an immediate outreach plan in place to keep all the centre’s clients socially connected, and tirelessly organised free meal…
Child Sexual Abuse impacts one in six children in Scotland and targeting offenders is one of the most important ways of tackling abuse before it happens. As a result of the ‘Get Help or Get Caught’ campaign over 79,000 people visited the team’s website and 185 peo…
GAU is proudly embedded in the communities it serves and is fully responsive to the needs of those they work with. When lockdown hit the team acted quickly and decisively with a new food delivery service that has helped hundreds of people. They also delivered onli…
In 2020 Glasgow’s Golden Generation was awarded funding to get older adults online. However, most service users had never used technology before so GGG bought tablet computers and developed a bespoke app with videos, Covid updates, puzzles and befriending video ca…
Edinburgh School Uniform Bank is a volunteer-run charity, which is a safety net for struggling families and a vital resource for education and health professionals – and when pandemic restrictions were put in place Julia knew she had to keep the service open. Desp…
Lead’s aim is to provide accessible digital skills and cyber safety training to disabled people, unpaid carers, practitioners and people experiencing barriers to learning. With a small team of five staff, they supported 989 people to improve their digital skills a…
Lilias’ particular focus over the past four years has been to fundamentally change how Cosgrove Care approaches fundraising, and to improve the environments in which people live, and the charity operates within. She has spent many hours researching grants and has…
Linda wants the team she works with to be recognised for the outcomes they accomplished. Valuing the team and working together is essential to achieving the best possible outcomes for the most vulnerable in our communities. Linda believes she has become an effecti…
Long Covid Care Now continues to raise awareness and push for better care – ensuring that people with Long Covid are not the forgotten victims of the pandemic. Thanks to the campaign’s activities public awareness is high, the Scottish Government has committed fund…
Our application aims to highlight the hard work and achievements of our manager, Lorraine Jarvie. Lorraine has brought a wealth of experience and a new level of excellence and professionalism to MOOD ensuring its services are delivered to the highest standards. Lo…
The project helped people cut their energy bills, despite the pandemic, but also secured new heating systems, warmer home payments and even new windows for a number of deaf and blind people who were struggling to heat their homes and pay their bills. On top of thi…
Nicola has achieved a huge amount in the last 12 months. Working with young carers, she set up #Supermarkets4Change, campaigning to raise awareness of unpaid carers with supermarkets to include young carers in the protected hours set aside for vulnerable people to…
COVID-19 brought the impacts of digital exclusion for single parent families into sharp focus. Not only did One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) respond with a gifting campaign that distributed over 100 new laptops, tablets and mifi connections over the period, but…
The PEEK team has continued to support Glasgow communities throughout lockdown – reaching out, offering a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear. Through their PEEKACHEW mobile food truck, the team delivered the equivalent of 353,891 healthy meals…
Pam Noble was a trustee of Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust from 2017 until 2021 and its chair from 2018. The projects developed under Pam’s leadership have established strong foundations for a sustainable future supported by extensive community consultation. The…
People Know How believe in the inextricable link between social and digital isolation and the pandemic has only reinforced that view. Over the last year the team has provided devices, digital skills and connectivity to thousands of people across Edinburgh and East…
LGBT Youth Scotland worked alongside LGBTI young people and a taskforce from JP Morgan to create a digital community called ‘Pride and Pixels’, which combined a community Discord space and a Moodle learning hub to create a digital space for young people where they…
R:evolve Recycle is a unique project managed by LEAP, a charity that works to enhance the lives of older people across Scotland through volunteering, learning, socialising and befriending. R:evolve’s goal is to reduce clothing consumption, cutdown carbon emissions…
The team, made up mainly of volunteers, give their time, and have their own lived experiences – and therefore are totally accepted and trusted by the most vulnerable. RES is about shared trust. It has reached a diverse range of the community, crossing numerous ag…
Robert is the co-founder and driving force of Linkes community project (2006), serving as chairperson to promote integration, empowerment and social inclusion. In response to the pandemic, he was visionary and determined, quickly building alliances to set-up a foo…
The Edinburgh Tool Library (ETL) got involved with the Edinburgh Mask Makers (EMM) collective, set up and coordinated by nominee Rosie Sinclair, during the first lockdown in 2020. Rosie, together with three other coordinators, Dhouha Mastouri, Martha Mattos Coelho…
The aim of the ‘Save Your Outdoor Centres’ campaign was to secure funding from the Scottish Government to ensure that Scotland’s Residential Outdoor Education Centres did not close. Not only did the campaign succeed in getting £2 million of funding, it brought tog…
The team delivered critical services to support people and animals during the coronavirus pandemic. They pioneered an emergency foster scheme during lockdown getting over 260 animals into loving homes, launched their first ever online rehoming service to allow peo…
SCRAN coordinated a coalition of charities that produced, packaged and delivered nearly 150,000 meals during the first lockdown, supporting over 1,000 people per week at its height. None of it possible without the 220 local people who gave tens-of-thousands of ho…
Shawn wants to be a role model for both BAME and disadvantaged communities. He has successfully made an impact in communities across Glasgow by delivering Cyber-crime Prevention Awareness Workshops and also creating a space through a community gardening pr…
During the pandemic The Flourishing Well received many referrals to help support traumatised people. The team had to adapt really quickly to the online platform – after receiving their first round of funding in July 2020, by December they had hosted 352 one-to-one…
The Louise Project is a place where all are welcome and where people are safe to be vulnerable. We support families experiencing poverty to transform their own lives and to be active participants in the transformation of their community. We work in a relational an…
In April 2020 The Space launched its Digital Inclusion Service so families could learn about the internet, how to use their devices, and attend online activities. The team enabled 41 families to become digitally active and 20 more restarted their education online…
TripleTapTech aims to provide advice, help, support and training to anyone with a visual impairment in accessing and using technology. This includes teaching basic and advanced skills used to successfully access and prosper in the digital world. The team aims to p…
WHALE Arts has constantly adapted activities in response to the needs of the community over the last year and a half, with online classes, free weekly community meals on a take-away basis, delivering food, making and delivering art packs and sending wellbeing pack…
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased food insecurity across Scotland through shielding, furlough, unemployment, rise of domestic abuse and withdrawing of some support services for vulnerable people. West Lothian Foodbank created a food network with partners and vol…
With over 70 volunteers, five staff, and a network of 550+ Young Leaders, 2050 Climate Group equips young people with leadership skills to challenge the climate crisis. 2050 Climate Group was born from a need to empower, equip and enable young leaders from across…
