Although we have always known how great our staff are it is nice when others reward them for their hard work. Liz Williamson, who runs our Supporting Womens service, was presented with an Elsie Inglis award for Woman of the Future at this years Zero Tolerance awards ceremony.

The event, held at the prestigious Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow, celebrated the women who have made a significant contribution towards fighting domestic abuse and violence against women and children. Liz was recognised for her own contribution in leading Streetwork’s womens team who work with the most vulnerable women on the streets of Edinburgh. 

Liz, who often plays down her role here at Streetwork, was excited about meeting like-minded women at the event as well as providing a good opportunity to dress up.

Although the award was much deserved, we were all really proud.

“Working with women with history’s of violence or addiction is a great challenge to anyone, but if you add the horrors of rough sleeping into it, the difficulties associated with the work need no further explanation.

Liz enters this chaotic field using the widest range of personal and professional skills, she is empathic, congruent and always treats her clients with the highest positive regard. In my 15 years of working in the field I have never felt so sure of a colleagues suitability for an award as I do with Liz”

Peter Anderson

Rough Sleepers Team Manager

The same hard work and dedication that sees our Streetworkers out on a day-to-day basis, reaching the most vulnerable on the streets, is happening behind the scenes as well.  Streetwork’s management team have spent the last 12 months behind closed doors reshaping and improving our business systems and what better way to celebrate these changes than winning the Business in the Community Award at the Ninth Annual Evening News Excellence Awards.

Nicola explains;

“Receiving the Business in the Community Award is a huge step forward for Streetwork UK. We have consistently been recognised for our work out on streets and it’s rewarding to be recognised for our work back at the office as well. I am delighted the judges have rewarded our hard work. This is, however, the first step as we will continuously be improving our business strategies. Our determination to be the best ensures that we offer a fantastic quality of client service.”

Streetwork UK are now hoping to carry forward their success to the Scotland-wide Enterprising Scotland Business Awards.

After our leading lady made her screen debut Dave was contacted once again with an invite to the esteemed awards ceremony. With Nicole McDermott and Eliza Balloch in tow, Stephanie and Dave arrived at the Hub on Castlehill in Edinburgh for an evening with the glitterati that resembled the Oscars more than a winter’s night in Edinburgh. As Dave commented:
“On arrival we were taken aback at how big the event was. We really did not expect to win but felt it would be good to go and see what happened”

Whilst taking their seats the team were told about the Lord Provost Peer Education Award, a new award that was up for grabs and to their surprise they won.

“We were happy that we had won such a prestigious award and it had capped off an excellent project. The event was a great success and has enthused the young people even more so to create a new project. The evening will live long in the memories of the young people who were lucky to attend. But the award is for the whole group and everyone who helped make this project so successful”.
David Aitchison