Awards for the volunteers who make Scotland a better place

Alzheimer Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament, Sue Ryder, and Down’s Syndrome Scotland were among the winners of this year's prestigious Scottish Charity Awards. An excited crowd of around 400 people gathered at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket on Thursday, June 14 to hear which of the 25 shortlisted hopefuls would be singled out for accolades.

The full list of winners was:

• Charity of the Year
  Alzheimer Scotland
• Campaign of the Year
  Love Equally – Scottish Youth Parliament
• Charity Champion
  Bill Learmonth
• Community Action Award
  Skye & Lochalsh Young Carers (pictured)
• Partnership Award
  Sue Ryder & Scottish Prison Service
• People’s Choice Heart & Soul Award
  Down’s Syndrome Scotland and the Celtic Foundation

Alison Elliot, Convener, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, which runs the awards, said, “This year we saw the number of applications increase three-fold compared to last year. This makes the judging even more difficult, but it’s a real testament to the passion and commitment of people working in third sector organisations who continue to find new and creative ways to tackle many of Scotland’s biggest social problems.

“Scotland has one of the largest and most vibrant third sectors in the world and the Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the dedication of everyone who works relentlessly to support the most vulnerable members of our communities and make Scotland a better place to live.”

The 6th annual Scottish Charity Awards were held by the Scottish Council for Volunteer Organizations. These Awards recognise the outstanding work of voluntary organisations, community groups and individuals.