Nearly 100 nominations received across Scotland
City of Edinburgh Councillor Ellie Bird (above, far right) has been shortlisted in the Champion for Education category in this year’s LGIU Scotland & CCLA Cllr Awards.
Running for the 4th year, the Cllr Awards are the only national ceremony to celebrate the vital contributions of councillors that so often go unrecognised. As communities continue to recover from the pandemic, these Awards are a hugely important way to champion what local councillors do for their communities.
Competition was extremely tight again this year with nearly 100 nominations received across six categories that celebrate the varied work of councillors. Some of the awards up for grabs include Resilience and Recovery (new for 2021), alongside the coveted Community Champion, Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards. The full shortlist is included below.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector. The winners will be revealed at the Cllr Awards ceremony taking place on Wednesday, 24th November from 6:30pm until 9pm at Glasgow City Chambers. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on YouTube.
This year’s awards are only made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland said: “This year’s Cllr Awards shortlist showcases the best of local government. During a time when they have experienced unprecedented challenges and pressure, these councillors are true champions for local government and their communities.
“The last year has reminded each and every one of us of the effort and lengths to which councillors go to support their citizens. As such, we were overwhelmed by powerful stories and experiences coming through the nearly 100 nominations received for councillors across Scotland.
“Our most sincere congratulations to all of those councillors shortlisted. We look forward to unveiling the winners on Wednesday, 24 November.”
Cllr Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Bird is councillor for Edinburgh’s Forth ward, the city’s Young People’s Champion and a trustee of both Spartans Community Football Academy and Changeworks.
She believes passionately in placing the voice of young people at the heart of decision-making and is currently working to support candidates for the Scottish Youth Parliament election.
Ellie is the only City of Edinburgh councillor to be shortlisted in the national awards.
About the Award Categories
Champion for Education
The Champion for Education award celebrates councillors who have guaranteed that everybody has access to high-quality education. This can include championing adult education, providing new learning opportunities that have previously been unavailable, or ensuring that no one gets left behind.
The winner of this award will have:
worked with educational bodies and the council to enable high-quality education;
listened to the needs of their local community to introduce new opportunities for learning;
thought creatively to introduce educational approaches that are tailored to suit different needs.
2021 Shortlist
Cllr Eleanor Bird – The City of Edinburgh Council
Cllr Claire Leitch – East Ayrshire Council
Cllr Frank McNally – North Lanarkshire Council
Bailie Annette Christie – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Duncan Cumming – East Dunbartonshire Council
Cllr David MacDonald – East Renfrewshire Council
Cllr Mohammad Tauqeer Malik – Aberdeen City Council
Bailie Jacqueline McLaren – Glasgow City Council
Bailie Soryia Siddique – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Susan Aitken – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Lawrence Fitzpatrick – West Lothian Council
Cllr James Stockan – Orkney Islands Council
Bailie Willie Sawers – Dundee City Council
Cllr Sandy Scott – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr David Watson – South Lanarkshire Council
Cllr Kris Chapman – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr Jackie McCamon – Dumfries and Galloway Council
Bailie Christy Mearns – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Steven Rome – Dundee City Council
Cllr Euan Jardine – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr Kelly Parry – Midlothian Council
Cllr Gwyneth Petrie – Aberdeenshire Council
Cllr John Wheeler – Aberdeen City Council