Judges said Aitken lives and breathes the homeless charity’s mission to support the excluded
Ewan Aitken has been named as a Leading Light of Scotland’s third sector.
The chief executive of the Cyrenians was given the accolade at the 2018 Scottish Charity Awards.
Judges said Aitken lives and breathes the homeless charity’s mission to support the excluded with incredible dedication to his role, the organisation and its clients.
They found that Aitken, former leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and secretary of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, consistently upholds the Cyrenians values of compassion, respect, integrity and innovation, while finding ways to promote the organisation’s work.
He said: “To win this award is truly humbling. In truth it is really an acknowledgement not of anything I have done but of the dedication and commitment of my extraordinary colleagues at Cyrenians, staff and volunteers – and perhaps even more so the amazing people we journey with who find the courage and the capacity in themselves to leave their tough reality for a new place of hope. My grateful thanks goes to all of them and to SCVO for this award.”
Charities and individuals from across Scotland have been recognised for the life-changing difference they make at the 2018 Scottish Charity Awards, which took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Organised annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the awards celebrate the amazing work that people within charities and community groups do every day, all over the country, to help those in need and raise awareness of important causes.
Andrew Burns, convener of SCVO, said: “A huge congratulations to our winners and all of this year’s finalists. Each of the 40 individuals and organisations shortlisted make a huge difference to the communities they work with, and I’m delighted that we have been able to bring the third sector together to both recognise and celebrate their achievements.
“We received over 13,000 votes for the People’s Choice Award so I would also like to thank all those who contributed to the evening by voting for their favourite charity. A wonderful night had by all.”
