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Supporting Scotland's vibrant voluntary sector

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.

Thursday 20 June  |  Radisson Blu, Glasgow  |  #ScotCharityAwards

Finalists 2023

We are pleased to announce this year's Scottish Charity Awards finalists. The shortlist includes 32 inspirational individuals, projects and organisations from across Scotland’s voluntary sector. Our judging panel will determine the winners across our nine categories at the Scottish Charity Awards ceremony on 23 June.

Members of the public can have their say by voting for their favourite overall entry in the People's Choice Award sponsored by SCVO Credit Union. Voting closed at 5pm on Friday 26 May.

If you would like to find out the winners of all our Awards categories, you can now book to attend our celebratory awards ceremony which will be held on Friday 23 June at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh!

All finalists

Volunteer of the Year

Andrii Zhehestovskyi - Libraries & Information Services Dundee

Dundee Libraries nominated Andrii as Volunteer of the Year. He supports Digital Inclusion in the Opportunities Project, providing basic IT support to library customers and access to the Databank. Speaking English, Ukrainian and Russian he has been a great support to ESOL groups...

Pioneering Project

Capability Scotland-Corseford College

Capability Scotland believes in creating an inclusive Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard, contribute to society and fulfil their potential, and Corseford College is making this a reality for young people with complex and additional support needs...

Trustee of the Year

Carmel Teusner - Disability Snowsport UK

Carmel Teusner, DSUK’s Vice-Chair has diligently undertaken all the hard work on governance, policy and people needed to steer us out of the pandemic and look to the future. She is an unsung hero. Rarely do we celebrate those who ensure that policy and process is up to date, fit...

Charity of the Year

CFINE

CFINE improves health & wellbeing and the environment, tackles poverty and builds resilience through a range of support services. This last year has been unlike any other, with the worsening cost-of-living crisis having a severe impact on individuals and families. CFINE quickly...

Employee of the Year

Charlie Leavy - Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)

Charlie is a natural leader, and a charismatic person who, through his authentic and open nature inspires others to get behind the EDI agenda. At just 26 years old, Charlie has led cultural change in CHAS, bringing EDI issues to the forefront of our organisation. Using his...

Climate Conscious

Climate Action Strathaven

Responding to community demand, we launched the 3C bus as the first regular public transport route linking Strathaven and Glasgow in over 30 years. Despite not being considered viable by commercial operators, we were confident in our local knowledge and market research. We...

Pioneering Project

Cycling Without Age Scotland

We launched in 2017. Our mission: provide life enhancing rides, free of charge, in pioneering e-bike Trishaws to anyone with mobility restrictions, or simply isolated or lonely, especially the elderly. We gained charitable status in 2018. From two Trishaws then, we now have 11...

Trustee of the Year

David Leggat MBE - RSABI

David Leggat MBE was Chair of RSABI during 2021 and 2022 and is currently in his ninth and final year as an exceptionally dedicated Trustee. David’s energy and enthusiasm have shone through and his contribution to RSABI and the work the charity does to support people in the...

Charity of the Year

Diversified

Set up by Kaydi when she was just 14, Diversified is the first autistic youth led charity in Scotland to be designed and led by autistic young people under 18. We use lived experience to provide innovative services and specialist facilities to give neurodivergent young people...

Climate Conscious

Edinburgh Science

Edinburgh Science is a charity that promotes science education and engagement; organising the annual Edinburgh Science Festival and year-round science-based outreach programs for primary/high school students and community groups. Edinburgh Science also provides The NetZeroToolkit...

Community Action

Fresh Start Scotland

Fresh Start focuses on homelessness & poverty prevention, tackling the cycle of repeat homelessness & social isolation while supporting people in the transition period. 'Starter Packs' provide household goods to people moving into their tenancy. 'Hit Squads' paint new flats...

Volunteer of the Year

Garry Duthie - Camphill School Aberdeen

Nicknamed the “Alpaca Whisperer,” Garry, a retired university lecturer, has volunteered at Camphill School Aberdeen for over 5 years, often 7 days a week – rain or shine. Garry has transformed and developed alpaca therapy sessions directly improving the lives of over 50 young...

Pioneering Project

GEMAP - Financially Included: tackling economic abuse

Financially Included’s aim is tackling economic abuse. Economic abuse is a type of domestic abuse and involves the control and coercion of a person's money and resources. In the last year, our team of 4 have developed our strategy, service and built up a network across both...

Community Action

Golden Friendships

This application details the rapid development and expansion of a local community charity created in 2017 with an ambition to provide bespoke facilities, events & opportunities for predominately elderly and disabled individuals who had little or no access to facilities in which...

Volunteer of the Year

Gordon Harkin - Cancer Support Scotland

Gordon has been our volunteer gardener here at Cancer Support Scotland since 2018. At least 1 day a week, he looks after the gardens that surround our beautiful Calman Centre, ensuring our little cancer support centre is a comforting, welcoming place for those that need us. Our...

Campaign of the Year

Jack's Wee Snowman with the Big Heart - Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity

Jack's Wee Snowman with the Big Heart was the charity's Christmas fundraising appeal in 2022. Six year old Jack, who has been waiting for a heart transplant for 2 years, was the hero of the campaign. Jack designed a Christmas bauble - his 'Wee Snowman with the Big Heart' - which...

Trustee of the Year

John Strange - Glasgow East Alcohol Awareness Project

John Strange is a 44-year-old successful businessman from Glasgow. He is a dedicated family man and loves nothing more than spending time with his wife and twin daughters. John is not only the Chairman of GEAAP, but also sits on the board of two other local charities. Through his...

Community Action

Maryhill Integration Network

In 2022 Maryhill Integration Network (MIN) and JustRight Scotland (JRS) highlighted that many students in Scotland were being excluded from accessing higher education due to their immigration status. These students were from families who came to Scotland as refugees, yet despite...

Charity of the Year

Maslow's Community

Maslow’s Community purpose is to empower refugees, asylum seekers and those experiencing poverty and hardship by enabling them to improve their financial and social situation and promote community cohesion. This year Maslow’s has provided free clothing and household items to...

Campaign of the Year

My Amazing Brain Schools Programme - Brain Health Scotland

Research shows that 40 per cent of dementias could be prevented through lifestyle changes. Our evidence-based campaign empowers children to keep their brain healthy. It is based on the fact there are as many connections between brain cells as stars in the galaxy. Through...

Digital Citizen

North East Sensory Services (NESS)

NESS supports over 6,000 people living with serious sight and/or hearing loss across North East Scotland, in line with our Mission of “Achieving Independence for Blind and Deaf People”. Many aspects of daily life have moved online –greatly disadvantaging those who are digitally...

Employee of the Year

Paul Sheerin - Beatson Cancer Charity

We are incredibly fortunate to have Paul. His dedication and work ethic know no bounds. He is compassionate and genuinely cares for others. In his role as Volunteer Co-ordinator, we are most proud of his work on our Befriending service, which tackles the need for open dialogue...

Employee of the Year

Peter Canevale - Man On! Inverclyde

Peter is one of our valued Wellbeing Workers at Man On! Inverclyde and has used his knowledge, lived-experience and passion to prevent a number of suicides in our community and beyond. Peter, the Man On! Employee of the Year for 2022, has experienced a high level pain, trauma and...

Pioneering Project

Quarriers - Operation Protector

Operation Protector is a pioneering initiative by Arrows, a Quarriers service providing drug and alcohol support in Moray, working in partnership with Police Scotland, social work housing and advocacy. The project targets cuckooing – the practice of taking over the home of a...

Campaign of the Year

Safer Outer Hebrides - Western Isles Violence Against Women Partnership

Saferouterhebrides.com is a directory of public protection organisations, calendar of local events and training, and news source for the people of the Outer Hebrides. It was created in response to the Scottish Government's 'Equally Safe' (the strategy for preventing and...

Pioneering Project

SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health)

Wellbeing on Wheels (WoW), is a peer led, drop-in service that offers free mental health and wellbeing support. In partnership with Stagecoach East, the service is situated on a bespoke Stagecoach bus that visits the heart of different communities and provides a ‘hop on-hop off...

Climate Conscious

Scotland's Young People's Forest

Scotland's Young People's Forest (SYPF) is a partnership between YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot, funded by Accenture and NatureScot. The vision is to create the first forest in Scotland that's co-designed, led and governed by young people. The mission is to create and...

Digital Citizen

Scottish Union of Supported Employment

Recruitment today is often digital, with many employers only accepting online applications. This has created a scenario where disabled jobseekers face not just attitudinal barriers, but digital barriers as well. Many websites and recruitment boards are not fully accessible to...

Campaign of the Year

Shed Your Armour, Show the Scars - Feniks. Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services

Did you know that Polish men in Scotland are twice as likely to commit suicide than Scots due to stigma & reluctance to seek help? The "Shed Your Armour, Show the Scars!" campaign tackled this issue by using armour as a symbol of emotional shields and encouraged men to seek...

Digital Citizen

Simon Community Scotland

Working with over 100 women we created digital resources that responded to the unique voices and challenges of women who use drugs. We realised that few if any digital harm reduction resources responded to the experiences of women so we set about changing that with over 100 women...

Charity of the Year

Team Jak Foundation

Team Jak was established by inspirational teenager Jak Trueman in 2015 before he died aged 15 and provides emotional, social and practical support to children and young people age 0-25 with cancer, their family, friends and those bereaved throughout Scotland. We are the only...

Trustee of the Year

Vongayi Mufara - Amma Birth Companions

We have nominated Amma's Vice-Chair, Vongayi Mufara, as Trustee of the Year. Vongayi originally came to Amma Birth Companions in 2020 as a client. We supported her through a difficult pregnancy that sadly resulted in the loss of one of her newborn twin sons. In 2021, she joined...

The Scottish Charity Awards 2024 is sponsored by