Tag: Scottish Public Service Awards

Three awards for Edinburgh at Holyrood’s Public Service Awards

Three Edinburgh projects were honoured at the Scottish Public Service Awards 2023 this week (December 6).

The awards, which are in their tenth year, are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants. 

Edinburgh’s response to supporting Ukrainian refugees was a standout of the evening winning two awards.

Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome is a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.

The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), won the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.

The Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub also won the Commercial Partnerships Award.

This was a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and NatWest Group/Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment.

Approximately 3,000 Ukrainians (representing up to 900 households), currently reside in Edinburgh, with over 350 children and young people in our education system.

There was also a victory for the Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES), as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, which took the Project and Programme Management Award.

IRES seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the fantastic work in our city being recognised.

“Edinburgh’s solidarity and support for Ukraine and the Ukrainians who now call Edinburgh home is unwavering. These awards highlight the extensive partnership work between local government, third sector, private sector and other partners that has taken place across the city since the start of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine in February 2022.

“As we shift our focus from welcoming our Ukrainian guests to helping with settling into their new lives here in Edinburgh, this strength of partnership is as important as ever. I’d like to wholeheartedly thank all our partners and the people of Edinburgh for all their efforts.  

“Employment, upskilling, and improving the working lives of our residents are also key priorities, and it’s great to see that these have been recognised in IRES’s award.”

Five city projects shortlisted for public service awards

Edinburgh is a five-time nominee for this year’s Scottish Public Service Awards. Now in their tenth year, the awards are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants.  

Capital-based nominees include Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome, a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.

The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), is in the running for the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.

Also nominated is the Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub, a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment. The project is in the running for the Commercial Partnerships Award.

The City of Edinburgh Council-led Granton Waterfront Regeneration has also been shortlisted for this year’s Sustainability Award.

Led by the council, the plan involves working with partners to deliver a new and sustainable 20 minute neighbourhood community for Edinburgh. The regeneration is already underway and once complete, will feature around 3,500 new net zero carbon homes and business start- up space.

This is all within what will become Europe’s largest coastal park – with new and enhanced green spaces and opportunities for the creative arts, culture, and leisure, connected to the rest of the city by sustainable transport routes.

Welcoming the news Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve been putting a huge amount of work and ambition into creating a better, greener, fairer future for residents so recognition like this – for how the Council and city partners are trailblazing in many areas of Scottish public service – is very welcome.

“For instance, the huge amount of change we’re seeing in Granton is creating an exciting and sustainable place to live, work, travel and have fun. It is fantastic to see it shortlisted for a sustainability award.

“It is also positive to see our efforts with partners to help those from Ukraine being recognised. These projects have allowed people to not only move to Scotland but put down roots. Our work with NatWest to help those fleeing war into work and study is one of three employability projects supported by the council to be nominated for an award.

“We face big decisions about how we address our housing and climate emergencies, and one of our biggest priorities is make sure those in our communities feel supported and welcome. All of these projects are successfully working towards that aim. I’d like to wish everyone involved in the very best of luck.”

Other council supported nominees include the Whole Family Equality Project, supported by the Capital City Partnership, which supports families from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Edinburgh to reach financial resilience, improved health and wellbeing, and positive participation in school life.

Delivered by Children 1st and CHAI and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government and Robertson Trust, the project empowers people to take leading roles in decision made about the project’s design and delivery and is nominated for the Championing Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES) as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, is also in the running for the Project and Programme Management Award.

The programme seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.

The finalists will be announced on Wednesday 6 December.