Emma Ritch honoured at the Scottish Public Services Awards 2021

Tributes have been paid to women’s rights campaigner Emma Ritch, as she posthumously won the lifetime achievement award at the Scottish Public Services Awards 2021.

The awards, organised by Holyrood in partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament, have been running since 2014, in order to recognise the rich and unique diversity of public life in Scotland and the vital relationships that cut across departmental, geographic and institutional boundaries.

The awards were co-hosted by the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone MSP, and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

At a glittering award ceremony held at the Scottish Parliament, the former executive director of Engender, Emma Ritch, who died earlier this year, was honoured with the main award of the night, following a unanimous vote by the SPSA panel of judges.

After the announcement, video tributes were played from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Nina Murray, the convener of the board at Engender, and Emma’s husband, Kenny Ritch.

In her video message, Sturgeon said: “Since her passing earlier this year there have been so many tributes paid to the life and career of Emma Ritch.

“I read one that described Emma as ‘a titan of the feminist movement’ and that is exactly what she was. Emma made a quite extraordinary contribution to the cause of women’s rights in this country and beyond.”

Commenting on Emma’s tenure as executive director of Engender, the First Minister added: “Anyone who met Emma will know the level of passion, intellect and eloquence that she brought to that role and every position she held.

“Emma was instrumental in strengthening ties between the feminist movement in Scotland with its counterparts in the UK and in Europe.”

Nina Murray said of Emma: “It’s an honour to accept this lifetime achievement award on behalf of Emma Ritch, especially today on her birthday. Emma’s lifetime was so much shorter than it should have been and her death earlier this year was cruel, both for those of us who knew and loved her, but also for all of the women in Scotland.

“The extra years Emma deserved would no doubt have brought great changes in women’s rights in Scotland.”

In an emotional tribute, Kenny Ritch said: “I’ll keep this short as, well, Emma isn’t here to write this for me. There a re a thousand things I would want to say about just how amazing she was, but the reality is I can’t even begin to hope I could do her justice. But luckily, there are others doing just that

“I am so proud of her.

“I was lucky to meet her at 18, fall completely in love, engaged at 19, and married at 23, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The first award of the night was the digital services award, sponsored by Leidos, which went to Technology Enabled Care Programme, Near Me. Runners-up were Managed Service & Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, Just Checking; and Immersive Experience Pod, North Lanarkshire Council.

The project and programme management award went to Delivering results – agile improvement in action, Scottish Legal Complaints Commission; beating HEPMA Implementation, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion to 1140 Hours, Improvement Service.

The community engagement award, sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne, went to the Shielding Programme, run by the Scottish Government Shielding Division. The other nominees were Glasgow's PRS Housing and Welfare Hub, Glasgow City Council, and Delivering for Communities, North Lanarkshire Council.

The voluntary sector partnership award, sponsored by SVCO, went to the Maximise! Project, Capital City Partnership, CHAI, Children 1st, and NHS.

The Campbell Christie public service award reform went to the Social Security Directorate and Social Security Scotland.

The leadership award went to Driving innovation to support people in extraordinary times, Trish Quinn, Scottish Government Digital.

The communication award went to the Panel Member recruitment campaign, Children's Hearings Scotland.

The championing gender equality award went to the Scottish Women’s Development Forum, from Police Scotland.

The sustainability award, sponsored by Aico, went to Going Green the D&A Way, Dundee and Angus College.

The Covid-19 award, presented by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, went to the Scottish Parliament 2021 Election Under COVID-19, part of the Scottish Government Elections Team.

The Colin Mair award for police in practise, sponsored by the Improvement Service, went to Dundee City Council’s Housing Domestic Abuse Policy.

Finally, the commercial partnerships award went to Scottish Seafood Export Hubs, Food Standards Scotland.