The Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Awards winners announced

Amongst those being honoured was Enable Works, whose Stepping Up Programme, which helps school leavers with disabilities to gain employment, received the Diversity Through Education award, while the Allander Resource Centre was named winner of the Diversity in the Public Sector Award for its work in supporting people with a range of learning disabilities, both in its purpose-built facility in Milngavie and within the community, providing what the judges described as “a vital and inclusive service.”

There was a further win for the town when Milngavie Football Club was named the recipient of the Diversity in Sport title, sponsored by sportscotland.

The award was recognition for the club’s outstanding track record of making sport accessible to everyone, regardless of age or disability, creating what was described on the night as “a model that will inspire others to follow.”

The winners of this year’s The Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Awards were announced at a ceremony in the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow. (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

Meanwhile there was a commendation in the same category for Amina - The Muslim Women’s Resource Centre, for its work on equality.

Throughout the evening the organisations stepping up to the podium included Women in Property, which took the Diversity In The Third or Charity Sector award. The group was praised for “tirelessly breaking down stereotypes, providing outreach programmes and inspiring young people in schools,” while the Diversity Campaign of the Year, sponsored by Arnold Clark, went to financial services firm, abrdn, for ‘What You See and The Real Me’, which was described as “a brave campaign, showcasing the strength in being vulnerable, which has created an overall shift in staff  culture.”

In awarding the Design For Diversity title to musicALL Pathways, the judges praised the work of the organisation in providing music provision to neurodivergent and disabled young people, saying that it helped them to develop social and life skills. The audience were treated to a performance from the project to open the evening celebrations.

Also, in the same category, there was a commendation for the book Santa Steals Christmas!, which was last year’s stand-out stocking filler and was written by Eve Nairn-Magnante when she was just six years old.

The Diversity In Net-Zero Leadership Award, sponsored by Crown Estate Scotland, was won by Powering Futures for its work on inspiring young people into low-carbon careers while, in a very strong field, Nichola Kane, editor of STV News, won the Diversity Hero of the Year title, sponsored by Diageo, for her commitment to ensuring diversity in her station’s newsroom through STV Expert Voices programme.

There were two Diversity and Inclusion Champion awards handed out on the evening and the first, for companies with up to 250 employees, went to Ng2 Ltd in collaboration with Enable Works, a social enterprise that delivers services to homes in the North of Glasgow.

The judges were impressed with Ng2 Ltd’s proactive approach to recruitment, stating that the organisation was “more than just a housing provider” and praising it for its inclusive working practices.

Meanwhile the Regional Scotland division of infrastructure providers, Balfour Beatty, which won in the title for companies with more than 250 employees, was described as “a stand-out entry in a really challenging business sector,” with competitive targets for diversity inclusion and clear evidence of the positive impact that these are having on employees.

This year the Judge’s Award went to KnowVate Hub, an entrepreneurial support network aimed at underrepresented ethnic minority communities.

In awarding them the title, chair of the judges, Jane Gotts, Director, GenAnalytics, said: “They are an organisation that remains committed to building a stronger, more diverse, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Scotland. They believe that by empowering individuals from all backgrounds to pursue their business ideas, they can unlock the full potential of our economy while fostering a more inclusive society.”

It was an evening of celebration and recognition for the many individuals, charities and employers (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

And the final accolade of the evening was the Lynne Connolly Achievement in Diversity Award, which was sponsored by abrdn in memory of their late Global Head of Diversity, who was a committed supporter of improving opportunities for everyone.

This year the award went to Dr Julie McElroy, who despite being born with cerebral palsy, has become a trailblazer in the field of assistive technology and a role model for many through her own experiences and achievements, which have included, this year, becoming the first female frame runner to complete the London Marathon.

Her personal and professional journey was described as “exemplifying the profound impact of dedicated advocacy for diversity, inclusivity and accessibility”, and her work was described as having changed, not only her own life, but also created opportunities and inspired change for countless others.

Afterwards Gillian McGill, Colleague Experience Director for communications and DEI,  abrdn said:  “At abrdn we are committed to building a business and shaping a culture where all our people can thrive and all the nominees, finalists, and the winners from tonight’s awards ceremony all highlight and live by these values.

“Our objective, and mission is to create an inclusive culture for all colleagues and the opportunity to sponsor, celebrate, and join in the 2024 Scottish Diversity Awards has highlighted individuals, teams, and companies who share these goals, who are shifting the diversity dial in the right direction.”

Lynne McBurney, Group People Director, Arnold Clark, said: “This year’s awards were a huge success, and it has been very inspiring to see so many companies across Scotland placing diversity and inclusion at the top of their agenda. We hope that by highlighting the achievements of these businesses, the event will inspire others to go on and make positive changes to their workplace.

And Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive Officer of sportscotland, said: “I’d like to thank all of the nominees, winners and everyone involved in The Diversity Awards 2024. It was heartening to see such strong work being done around equality, diversity and inclusion and there were some excellent examples of people who are making a massive difference in their industries.”