The Babies on Buses campaign came about when mothers began being turned away from vehicles operated by Lothian Buses in Edinburgh because of a policy that barred drivers from allowing pushchairs into the space designated for disabled passengers – even when it was empty.
Lothian Buses said it was acting to prevent the exclusion of those with disabilities. However, members of the campaign achieved concessions after winning the backing of councillors, MSPs and even local disability organisations.
Caroline Burgess, one of the founder members, said the group was overwhelmed to be recognised in the Campaign of the Year category, which was sponsored by EVH. She said: “When we met with disabled organisations, we found we had a lot of common ground in terms of the isolation of new mothers and people who are disabled. Problems with being able to access public amenities are really common.”
The awards night was a chance to celebrate innovation and excellence. Among the unusual and creative approaches was that taken by Aberdeen College and Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, whose partnership won Collaboration of the Year, sponsored by Improvement Service. College IT hubs are now provided in the training rooms of seven fire stations, making learning accessible to local people.
Glasgow Caledonian University impressed in the Education Initiative of the Year Category. Its Caledonian Club provides opportunities for young people from parts of Glasgow where levels of participation are traditionally low to experience university life. The judges were particularly taken with the long-term thinking behind the project, which also aims to influence parents’ views and expectations.
Another creative approach scooped the award for Public Service Team of the Year, sponsored by Unison. Ward 202 at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary provides acute care for the elderly. A team from the ward used “lean management” techniques to rethink the way it operated. By rethinking roles and redesigning the ward itself, they achieved impressive results, including allowing nursing staff to increase the time spent on direct care to patients by 43%.
One of the hardest categories to judge was Service Provider of the Year for people aged 24 and under, sponsored by the Association of Directors of Social Work. In a strong field, the winner was the Mungo Foundation charity, with its Glasgow-based Campus project.By providing support and temporary accommodation for unaccompanied young asylum seekers, it targets one of Scotland’s most vulnerable groups.
Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow won Equalities Initiative of the Year, sponsored by Royal Mail, with its Transitions Project, which works to alleviate the problems faced by young deaf adults when they move away from Scotland’s school for children who are deaf or have speech and language difficulties.
The Health Initiative of the Year award went to Renfrewshire Council’s Family Matters project, which brings together staff from a range of health and social-work backgrounds to support parents having difficulties for reasons including poor mental health, addiction and learning disability.
Service Provider of the Year for the over-65s was the Edinburgh Leisure scheme Ageing Well, which involves an inspirational team of older people who provide encouragement and support for their peers to lead a more healthy and active lifestyle.
Viewforth Nursery in Leven, Fife, scooped the Environmental Initiative of the Year for their Bob the Builder project, which involved young learners in an energy audit of their buildings and a range of other ideas including building a greenhouse from recycled materials.
Finally, the judges were full of praise for the Friends of King’s Park, winners of the Community Project of the Year for their work to reclaim a popular Glasgow park due to concerns it was becoming a no-go area because of drinking and antisocial behaviour. Their varied campaigning was hailed as a great example to others.
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