Charter Awards 2019

The Tobacco-free Generation Charter Awards are for Charter supporter organisations who have demonstrated significant positive change in support of the Charter principles.

The Charter Awards recognise the outstanding contributions organisations across the country are making to reduce the harm caused by tobacco in their communities.

On 25th April 2019 organisations from across the country collected awards at an award ceremony in central Edinburgh for their efforts in tackling the harm caused by tobacco in the communities they work with.

The following organisations received awards for their commitment to taking bold action to help Scotland achieve its tobacco-free goal by 2034.

City of Glasgow College

City of Glasgow College is the first college in Scotland to receive a five star rating within the Healthy Body Healthy Mind Awards, of which smoking prevention is a major component.

City of Glasgow College prioritises the health and wellbeing of their staff and students through a smoke-free campus policy as well as the tobacco prevention and cessation activities that are delivered throughout the year.

The College’s smoke-free policy has been framed in a positive light as a way to protect every student’s right to an environment free from smoke. This commitment to a smoke-free campus is commendable. Regular events have been successful in informing students about the benefits of not smoking as well as smoking cessation.

Community Links (South Lanarkshire)

An independent charity, committed to providing local agencies and services with the tools to equip people in the community with the knowledge to seek the best available resources for individual needs.

This has included providing information around the harm of smoking and second-hand smoke, and ensuring that smokers have access to resources to stop smoking if they wish. Community Links have surpassed all of their Charter pledges, instituting smoke-free areas, hosting events about the harm of tobacco and continuing to provide resources to support individuals to stop smoking.

Fife Council

Within Fife Council, Fife Trading Standards has continued to innovate to reduce under-age sales of tobacco and continue towards a generation free from tobacco by 2034.

The use of the #Notafavour campaign by Fife Trading Standards to prevent the selling of tobacco products to underage individuals was extremely impressive. A fine example of a targeted prevention campaign, it included site visits, stakeholder engagement, campaign posters, cards and the use of social media. Their work in partnership with local retailers and schools has ensured that this is an approach that is supported by the whole community.

Govanhill Health Centre Dental Practice

Govanhill Dental Practice has engaged excellently with the Charter Dentist pilot project, taking on almost all of the pledges suggested by the scheme including working with local stop smoking services to improve referral of smokers to specialist support. Their enthusiastic embrace of the new advice card has been most appreciated both by Quit Your Way and ASH Scotland.

Highland Collaborative

The Highland Collaborative comprises of NHS Highland Health Improvement, The Highland Council Trading Standards, Inverness College – University of Highlands and Islands Wellbeing Team, and Inverness Highlands and Islands Student Association.

They have carried out fantastic collaborative work in support of the #notafavour campaign and the participation of Inverness College students who were involved in all aspects of writing and starring in the video clips created was a particular strength of this work.

Meadowbank Dental Practice

Based in Edinburgh, Meadowbank Dental Practice is committed to ongoing professional development, investment and training to improve the standard of service they can offer.

They have extensively publicised their commitment to the Charter, especially around oral cancer awareness week and showed clearly that every member of the dental team was behind their commitment. Their professional approach to ensuring that staff learn about undertaking brief interventions with adult smokers and make good use of the dentistry focussed advice cards is to be commended. 

NHS Grampian

NHS Grampian has chosen to make use of the Charter as a way to improve engagement between the Stop Smoking Services and both Pharmacy and Dentistry.

There has been strategic thought put in to raising awareness of the part to be played by all parts of the health board in contributing towards the Scottish Government tobacco control plan and this was what was intended at the inception of the Charter. Several members of NHS Grampian’s Health Promotion staff have been very diligent in helping to recruit new Charter supporters and increase the impact of the Charter.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde have shown outstanding commitment to the Charter with all Health and Social Care Partnerships supporting the Charter in their work.

Examples of the fantastic work that has gone on across the health board include:

The Public Health Pharmacy team who have helpedpharmacies across Glasgow to pledge their support to the goal of a tobacco-free Scotland.

Glasgow City HSCP have demonstrated excellent collaborative work with dental practices and the City of Glasgow College as well as supporting smoke-free play parks.

Spartans Alternative School

Spartans Alternative School are based in Edinburgh and provide young people who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education or may find school a challenge, an alternative place to learn, grow and develop.

Spartans have carried out excellent work as part of the tobacco-free schools project, in partnership with NHS Lothian and ASH Scotland. Spartans ensured that the policy development process of the project would be led and guided by solutions identified by young people themselves, and have committed to creating a supportive environment for those who want to stop smoking.