The milestone year saw inspiring charities awarded additional funding for their vital projects aimed at empowering communities and the most vulnerable in society.
The ScottishPower Foundation honoured Adele Helm with the Charity Champion Award for her relentless dedication and transformative impact onto Lancashire Women at the 10th anniversary of the Awards.
As the charity’s Business Development Manager, Adele's role extends far beyond her job title. Since joining the organisation in 2016 as a service user seeking support, Adele has risen through Lancashire Women’s ranks, becoming a pillar of strength and innovation within the charity.
Going above and beyond, Adele’s work involves early morning networking meetings to late evening events, shaking buckets at local supermarkets, and even scouting charity walk routes. Adele's tireless efforts and infectious positivity make her a true charity champion, earning her the respect and admiration of everyone she works with.
Adele is also a key contributor of Lancashire Women’s Home Repair Service for female trades supported this year by ScottishPower Foundation funding. This service aims to help women in the community to feel comfortable getting into a trade, promoting gender equality in a traditionally male-dominated sector. By offering well-paid, flexible job opportunities for women, Lancashire Women is helping to create a sustainable income stream for their charity, amplifying their impact in the community.
Shining a light on the work of charities supported by the ScottishPower Foundation this year, the milestone awards recognise the difference that people like Adele make to the lives of those within their community.
Adele Helm, Business Development Manager at Lancashire Women said: “It is such a privilege to be named Charity Champion. Supporting women within the community is at the heart of everything we do, from service users, to joining our team. As someone who experienced the work of Lancashire Women first-hand in the past, I know how vital and even life-changing this service can be. Amidst the myriad of great work this charity does, I have always valued the mental health support we offer to users, as Lancashire Women certainly helped build up my confidence and self-esteem.
“I am so thankful to the ScottishPower Foundation for this recognition and the additional funding will prove invaluable in allowing us to expand our service and help even more people in Lancashire. I can’t wait to continue my work and strive to live up to the Charity Champion title every day.”
At the 10th anniversary of the ScottishPower Foundation Awards, the work of Lancashire Women was celebrated for the team’s the can-do attitude, working tirelessly for the benefit of others. The Home Repair Service for vulnerable women, also earned the charity a runners-up place in the Innovation Award category.
The winner of the Innovation Award was Hope Kitchen’s pioneering upcycling and repair shop, Re_Store in Oban. This project aims to address the impacts of poverty by providing affordable food, clothing, and homeware whilst significantly reducing waste by giving locals the opportunity to learn how to turn their unused items into real valuable pieces like draft excluders for the winter.
Established in March 2024, the shop has attracted the support of over 25 energetic volunteers and thousands of customers and service users with even more donated items by members of the public.
By delivering workshops and events, Hope Kitchen enables community members to acquire valuable skills in repairing and upcycling, fostering both personal empowerment and environmental stewardship, exemplifying the innovative power of those who care to make a difference.
Catriona Petit, Service Manager at Hope Kitchen, said: "It is so lovely to be recognised by the ScottishPower Foundation for our innovation. We do take pride in our ability to turn not a lot into something great, which not only goes for the clothes we repair, but this community spirit that we’ve built up throughout this project.”
“This additional support from the ScottishPower Foundation will be invaluable in allowing us to address the real needs of our community and continue to innovate and improvise for the better of our service users.”
The Education Award went to Pan Intercultural Arts for its remarkable Weapon of Choice theatre project at Beachcroft Alternative Provision Academy. Having a profoundly positive impact on vulnerable young people who have been excluded from mainstream education the project was led by past participants of the programme, to provide a creative and supportive outlet that enhances learning and life skills, offering young people a chance to redirect their energy and find a new path.
The project addresses social isolation and vulnerability by providing an alternative educational experience through poetry, creative writing, and drama games.
Katherine Sharp at Pan Intercultural Arts, said: “To be able to give young people a platform in which they are allowed to be the best version of themselves is a special thing. Being able to bring them together to boost their confidence and provide them opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible is so important for shaping futures and helping people find their voice.
“Having genuine backers like the ScottishPower Foundation that take the time to understand our story and recognise the importance of our work is vital. This funding will directly funnel into the Weapon of Choice project to ensure a long-term support system for these children.”
LifeCare Edinburgh was the final winner at this year’s ScottishPower Foundation Awards with the Community Engagement Award for its outstanding Community Care for Everyone project. This dedicated service delivers significant, life-changing benefits to the growing population of older people living on low incomes. By providing practical help within the home, companionship, and hot, freshly cooked meals, LifeCare Edinburgh is making a profound impact on both the physical health and mental wellbeing of over 200 vulnerable older individuals. This support ensures that these individuals feel secure, connected, and enabled to thrive in their own homes and communities.
Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive, LifeCare Edinburgh said: “We are so grateful to have been honoured with this award and are so excited for what this means for our service users. LifeCare Edinburgh provides such necessary support and to be able to do what we do is so vital to the population of Edinburgh.
“We send our thanks to the ScottishPower Foundation for its continued support through this project, and we cannot wait to put this funding to use to bring in more incredible staff, including a sustainability co-ordinator to help our community even further.”
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer, and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, shared her thoughts on the 10th anniversary of the ScottishPower Foundation Awards: "A heartfelt congratulations to all our winners at this year's ScottishPower Foundation Awards. This milestone year is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible work these charities do in our communities.
"Choosing this year's winners was an immense challenge, given the outstanding quality of nominations we received. The dedication and innovation demonstrated by Lancashire Women, Hope Kitchen, Pan Intercultural Arts, and LifeCare Edinburgh truly embody the spirit of the ScottishPower Foundation Awards. Their unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in people's lives is inspirational.
"It brings us real joy to celebrate with these highly deserving charities. The additional funding they receive will undoubtedly help them advance their impactful projects even further. Once again, a massive congratulations to all our winners - their phenomenal work continues to make a significant difference, and we are excited to see what they achieve next."
Further details on the winners and runners-up are available on the ScottishPower Foundation website: scottishpowerfoundation.com.