Meet the innovators breaking barriers to better health and wellbeing
Introducing the 2024 Social Innovation Challenge shortlist and panel.
The Social Innovation Challenge funds and supports innovators to kick-start solutions that tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. In 2024, we invited solutions tackling the deep-rooted inequalities driving negative outcomes for individuals and communities in Scotland.
This year, we received more applications than ever before, which was a testament to the scale of the issue and the wealth of initiatives from all over Scotland looking to have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing.
After a very challenging shortlisting process, we selected three applications to present to our Award Panel later in November:
- Building Futures Galloway Ltd offers employment and training to young people in skills ranging from masonry to sash and case window making. They employ young people without positive destinations and match their skills with the national shortage of traditional skills. They have close links with the local High School, training those who struggle to learn in a traditional classroom setting by offering skilled supervised sessions once a week. Their current goal is to complete accreditation for their skills training programmes.
- Fair Feast CIC is a new deer management system that provides long-term and sustainable support to food banks. Fair Feast will process deer from areas of extreme overpopulation into high-protein and highly nutritious venison parcels through an on-site deer larder and kitchen. Fair Feast is financially self-sufficient as food bank donations are funded through wholesale sales.
- SignPort is an innovative technology solution designed to revolutionise the booking system for British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in the UK. SignPort addresses inefficiencies in the current system that hinder quick and accessible communication for deaf BSL users and the public bodies that serve them. Deaf Action will license SignPort to public bodies, especially in health and social care contexts, so that they can meet their duties under the Equality Act and reduce health inequality for deaf people.
The innovators behind these ideas have been invited to pitch to our expert Award Panel on 4 November. The Award Panel is made up of four individuals who between them have years of experience in social enterprise, innovation and social impact:
- Gary Macdonald is a director of social enterprise Macdonald Training. He is a fully qualified Scottish Mental Health First Aid, ASIST, safe TALK and suicide TALK trainer. He is the co-founder of the mental health peer support group MindtheMen and a community champion for See Me, which tackles mental health stigma and discrimination in Scotland. Gary has also worked for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and was previously the Scottish lead for health & wellbeing for the Department of Work and Pensions.
- Jo Cook is Finance Director & Company Secretary for The Robertson Trust. After graduating with a degree in Politics Philosophy and Economy from the University of Oxford, Jo qualified as a chartered accountant and became an Audit Manager with KPMG in London. Jo moved to the BBC and undertook a variety of Finance Manager and business improvement roles. Jo became Finance Director for NVA, an innovative arts charity, and later moved to the Beatson Cancer Charity as Director of Finance & Corporate Services. Jo joined the Robertson Trust in 2021 and oversees the Finance, Governance, Investments and Business Support functions.
- Kirstie Penman is Firstport’s Head of Programmes. She has many years of grant-making experience, which informs her decision-making at panel level across all Firstport’s awards programmes. Kirstie has previously provided public and third sector legal support and was also a founding director of two start-ups, including an award-winning social enterprise and the first Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Kirstie has a particular understanding of the challenges facing individuals setting out on this journey and is keen to use what she has learned to help them on their way.
- Starkeeper Morton is a Firstport Board Member, a social entrepreneur and founding CEO of The Haven in Stonehaven, a community wellbeing social enterprise whose vision is for flourishing communities where everyone feels supported, included and belongs. Starkeeper is committed to creating communities and spaces where wellbeing and social change come together, and her mission is guiding individuals and communities to fulfil their potential through the power of wellbeing.
Despite the vast levels of experience and commitment to social impact on this panel, the decision on who will benefit from the £50,000 Social Innovation Challenge grant will undoubtedly be a difficult one to make. The winner of the 2024 Social Innovation Challenge will be announced at the Social Enterprise Scotland Awards on 7 November.
Until then, we wish all the applicants good luck from all of us at Firstport!