Glasgow Community Champion 2023 heat winners revealed

Amazing individuals and fantastic groups from every corner of the city entered this year’s contest, and almost 29,000 votes were cast in the public poll to decide who should triumph in the North East, North West and South regions.

Today, we can reveal the winners, who will now all go through to the Grand Final on December 5.

The Glasgow Times awards are run in association with Glasgow City Council, Wheatley Glasgow, Trades House of Glasgow and Merck.

In the North East, the winners of the Team Award are The Croft Visitor Centre at HMP Barlinnie, who provide support to families whose loved ones are in jail; the Individual Award goes to Kevin Scott of history and heritage initiative Walking Glasgow; and the Public Service Award goes to the Surviving Stalking podcast, run by Karen Fullerton-Chalmers and Shelcy Garcia of Action Against Stalking.

Karen Fullerton-Chalmers and Shelcy Garcia of the Surviving Stalking podcast have triumphed (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)

The North East Uniformed Services award goes to the GRI Neonatal nursing team, who have helped countless parents and babies with dedicated, specialist support; the Senior Award goes to the Daffodil Club, who run a variety of much-needed services across the East End; Summer Weir and Farrah McIvor, who volunteer tirelessly at the Pavilion in Easterhouse have won the Young Award; and PEEK, who support families through a raft of life-saving initiatives have won the Health and Wellbeing Award.

Sunnyside Primary has won the School Award in the North East heat (Image: Newsquest)

The North East School winner is Sunnyside Primary, for its Stanksy art project, which brought environmental awareness to the doorstep of Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art during its Banksy exhibition.

In the North West, Men Matter Scotland, a charity which provides a range of mental health services, have won the Team Award; Joyce Bell, the powerhouse at the heart of Drumchapel’s G15 Youth Project has won the Individual Award; and the Public Service Award goes to John Barclay and Glasgow Street Aid, who provide a vital support service to the NHS on the streets of the city centre.

The rapping grannies of Possilpark (Image: BBC)

The North West Uniformed Services award goes to the Scottish Ambulance Service Air Ambulance Team, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary; the Senior Award goes to the rapping grannies of Possilpark, who brought their community together through music, friendship and faith; Jack and Kallum, inspirational young volunteers with North United Communities have won the Young Award; and Baby Loss Retreat, who support families through the devastation of losing a baby, have won the Health and Wellbeing Award.

Scotstoun Primary's Cafe Culture project was a winner in the heats (Image: Mark Gibson/Newsquest)

The North West School winner is Scotstoun Primary for its Café Culture project, which brings parents together to cook, share recipes and stories, and boost language skills.

The South winners of the Team Award are the Govanhill Community Garden Memorial Garden volunteers; Derek Reid, who runs suicide awareness initiative LD Let’s Talk, has won the Individual Award; and the Public Service Award goes to Turf Youth and Community Project.

The South Uniformed Services Award goes to paramedic Sharon Stewart; the Senior Award goes to Father Gerry Fitzpatrick for his work with musical organisations in the city; hard-working eco volunteers Hannah Davidson and Nathan Reid from the Friends of Southern Necropolis have won the Young Award; and Bridget Crossan and Cath Milligan of Castlemilk Souper-heroes, which is helping families through the cost of living crisis, have won the Health and Wellbeing Award.

Castlemilk Souper-heroes Bridget Crossan and Cath Milligan (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

The South School winner is St Bride’s Primary in Govanhill, whose inspirational young pupils lead a raft of language initiatives.

The Sports Award is a city-wide category and, based on the public vote the top four groups going through to the grand final are Braveheart Martial Arts, an inclusive and fun club which supports its community; Glasgow Phoenix FC, a new women’s football club in Dalmarnock; Pinkston Watersports, which runs a variety of affordable activities making the most of Glasgow’s canal; and the Disability Sports Camp, a Pepass and Disability Sport Glasgow inclusive holiday programme.

There will also be two special awards announced on the night – an Editor’s Award, and the Lord Provost’s Special Recognition Award.

Glasgow Times Editor Stacey Mullen said: “It is fantastic to hear almost 29,000 people voted to determine this year’s heat winners. It just shows how much the Glasgow Community Champion Awards mean to our readers, to the groups and individuals involved. and to the city.

“All of our heat winners are fantastic and we wish them warm congratulations on achieving so much already. We are looking forward to welcoming all of them to the grand final on December 5, which promises to be an uplifting and emotional night.”