Eight UK-based charities have been named as the winners and runners-up at the annual ScottishPower Foundation Awards ceremony, splitting a £30,000 fund to support benevolent work in communities around the country.

Organisations were judged in four categories including Education, Innovative Project, Community Impact and Charity Champion with the winning organisation in each category receiving an additional £5,000 funding boost and four runners-up receiving £2,500 each.

The winners are as follows:

Education Award

Winner -  Size of Wales for its innovative ‘MockCOP’ education programme, developed to help inspire young people across the country to think about the implications of climate change
Runner-up – Hearts and Minds for its ‘Clowndoctors in the Classroom’ programme which supports children with complex support needs

Innovative Project Award

Winner – Bendrigg Trust for its ‘Family Weekends’ initiative which offers unique adventure experiences to people living with disabilities
Runner-up – Theatr Clwyd for its Justice in a Day programme which explored county lines, a growing issue in North Wales

Community Impact / Engagement Award

Winner - National Deaf Children's Society for its national roadshow which promotes equal opportunities for deaf children and young people
Runner-up - Changing Faces for its ‘Face Equality’ campaign which gave workshops to schools to change attitudes towards visible differences

Charity Champion Award

Winner - Robin Barr from Music in Hospitals & Care
Runner-up - Lorraine McInnes from Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Care (Maggie’s Glasgow)

Taking place at ScottishPower’s HQ in Glasgow on Monday, 23 September, the annual awards celebrate the charitable organisations which the ScottishPower Foundation has provided funding to in 2019. At the beginning of the year, the Foundation announced that it was to split £1.25 million between 25 charities involved in supporting local people in the arts, environment, education and health.

Melanie Hill, Trustee and Executive Officer of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 with the aim of making a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. Our annual awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic and inspiring work of the charities that we support. Congratulations to all of our worthy winners who continue to work tirelessly to assist those in need."

The ScottishPower Foundation provides funding to registered charities which are involved in the advancement of education, environmental protection, citizenship and community development. The Foundation also supports organisations working in science, the arts, heritage or culture as well as the prevention of poverty and relief of disability or other disadvantages.

For further information, project interviews or images please contact Jen Ward or Zoe Dunnett at Stripe Communications on 0131 561 8628 or email spfoundation@stripecommunications.com

Notes to editors:

About the ScottishPower Foundation

The ScottishPower Foundation is a registered Scottish charity (SC043862) and a company limited by guarantee (SC445116). The Foundation’s aim is to make a significant and lasting contribution to society and enhance the quality of life in local communities. It provides funding to registered charities for the following purposes: the advancement of education; the advancement of environmental protection; the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of disability or other disadvantage; the advancement of citizenship and community development.