Dr Alison Elliot OBE named winner of the lifetime achievement honour at the Holyrood Public Service Awards

Christine Grahame presenting the Scottish Public Service Awards at the Scottish Parliament - credit: Tom Freeman

Dr Alison Elliot OBE has been recognised for her role in shaping Scottish public life, after being named winner of the lifetime achievement honour at the Holyrood Public Service Awards.

The third Scottish Public Service Awards, hosted by Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame and Deputy First Minister John Swinney at the Scottish Parliament, saw 12 individuals and organisations recognised for excellence in the public service and third sector.

Presenting the award, Swinney paid tribute to how Elliot had “helped to shape the important role of the third sector, increasingly seen as part of the way we now deliver modern public services in Scotland.”

He said: “We are lucky in Scotland to have a public service community that is prepared to work together in a collaborative way as we confront challenges.”

Taking to the stage, Elliot said: “It's been a great journey for me”, adding, “I've been very lucky.”

With judges unable to choose between the two, the Scottish Parliament and Who Cares? Scotland were named joint winners of the Communications Award.

Renfrewshire Council won the Campbell Christie Public Service Reform Award, while the Scottish Government was recognised for innovation in the digital public services award.

Holyrood editor and managing director Mandy Rhodes said: “The awards celebrate the amazing work that all our public servants do in keeping Scotland true to the Scottish values that Campbell Christie in particular identified, and who just day in day out try harder, not just for themselves, but for all of us.”  

The first female moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, Elliot went on to lead the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations and sit on the Christie Commission on public service reform.

She said: “In this world where old divisions are being emboldened again and new ways are emerging of separating people out from each other it’s important to celebrate the visions and commitments of those who put their energies and gifts into seeking the ‘peace and welfare of the city’.”

Winners –

The Campbell Christie Public Service Reform Award (sponsored by EY): Renfrewshire Council

The Project and Programme Management Award (sponsored by Project Management Institute): Transport Scotland

Community Engagement Award (sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne) Independent Living Fund Scotland

The Communications Award (sponsored by Coca Cola): Jointly won by the Scottish Parliament and Who Cares? Scotland

The Leadership Award: Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive, Young Scot

The Emerging Talent Award: Amber Gray, the Scottish Parliament

The Third Sector Partnership Award: Changeworks

The Lifetime Achievement Award: Alison Elliot OBE

The Employee Development and Skills Award: Dundee City Council

The Policy Development Award: Midlothian Council

The Commercial Partnerships Award: Aberdeen City Council

The Digital Public Services Award: The Scottish Government