Winners announced – Self Management Awards 2025

Seven people and organisations were celebrated for their contribution to self management.

The Self Management Awards are the highlight of Self Management Week (22-25 September 2025) which is a national awareness raising week hosted by the ALLIANCE, with a range of events and activities showcasing the broad range of self management work taking place across Scotland. The Awards are a celebration of the achievements of people and projects that have contributed the most to self management in Scotland over the past year.

Self management is a way of living and working that means people living with long term conditions are more in control of their health and wellbeing.

Winners were announced at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Wednesday 24 September.

Family Recovery College, run by Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs – were awarded the award best Self Management Resource (in partnership with ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) and sponsored by Thistle Foundation)

SFAD’s Family Recovery College a 12-week online course, Understanding Substance Use and Holding on to Hope, for anyone in Scotland concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use.

The Virtual Reality (VR) project, involving the MS Society, Glasgow Caledonian University and Glasgow School of Art – received the award for Self Management Digital Innovator (in partnership with the ALLIANCE Digital Hub and sponsored by Third Sector Lab). This project is Glasgow based – but covers Scotland more widely.

This innovative VR project is supporting people with MS to participate and engage in rehabilitation and manage symptoms through the use of technology.

Every child has the right to equal access to education – National Deaf Children’s Society took home the Sensory Impairment: Positive Self Management Award (in partnership with the Scottish Sensory Hub)

The NDCS was chosen for its work supporting a Deaf teenager to set case law in Scotland, winning a prolonged legal battle for the right to have BSL interpretation in school.

Talking is Mental CIC – were delighted to win the Peoples Choice award – the Self Management in the Community Award (in partnership with the ALLIANCE Links Worker Programme).

The Glasgow based CIC exists to combat social isolation and loneliness in Glasgow through activity groups, including theatre, art, walking and football, to encourage dialogue around physical and mental health

East Lothian community group Sharing a Story CIC received the Self Management through the Arts Award, run in partnership with ALLIANCE Live.

The social enterprise uses creative writing, shared reading and other creative methods to reduce social isolation, working with other charities and individuals.

Paisley-based Bipolar Scotland received the Empowering Self Management Project award, in partnership with the Health and Social Care Academy and sponsored by Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland.

Bipolar Scotland run the national Self Management Training to empower people affected by bipolar to take control of their lives. Co-designed and delivered by people with lived experience, the courses are rooted in peer connection and practical self management tools.

And this year the Audrey Birt Self Management Champion, in partnership with Humans of Scotland, was awarded to Warren Berwick for his work through the Edinburgh based charity Thistle Foundation, to inspire others to believe in change, and raising the profile management in real, tangible ways

Sara Redmond, Chief Officer at the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, said:

“Self management is at the heart of our work around health and social care, and the Self Management Awards give us a chance to celebrate the best of people and projects supporting self management across Scotland.

Self Management Week this year focussed on ‘what I need to lead,’ and all the finalists exemplify approaches that empower people to become leading partners in the management of their health.”

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