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Announcing the winner: Learning Professional Award 2023

We are delighted to announce that Renfrewshire duo Julie Paterson and Gail Abraham have been chosen as the joint winners of the Scottish Book Trust's Learning Professional Award 2023!

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Julie Paterson (Literacy and Languages Development Officer) and Gail Abraham (Social Work Practice and Process Development Co-ordinator) were recognised for their outstanding efforts to develop early literacy and ensure access to books for children and young people across Renfrewshire – including their inspiring work with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which has seen more than 63,000 books gifted to children across the local authority in the last two years. Their work resulted in Renfrewshire becoming the only Scottish region to offer monthly books to all 2–4-year-olds through the Imagination Library, in addition to the local authority's existing programme for care-experienced children.

The Learning Professional Award, now in its seventh year, is a national award that recognises the hard work learning professionals do to bring the magic of reading to young people. The winning duo will also receive a prize of £500 worth of books from the award's sponsor, Browns Books.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: 

'Many congratulations to Gail and Julie on winning the Learning Professional Award. The panel were so impressed by their achievements and the positive impact this will bring to many children and families. Our thanks to Browns Books for making this important award possible.'

Highly Commended

This year, the panel wanted to recognise two additional nominees whose incredible work has been inspiring Scotland's young people to develop a life-long love of reading and writing.

Haley Milne, South Ayrshire School Librarian

Haley Milne is a school librarian working across three high schools as well as cluster primary schools in South Ayrshire. Haley was nominated for her unwavering dedication to the development of reading and literacy in young people across the local authority. She was a driving force behind the implementation of Read Woke in South Aryshire, which has had an impact not just on the engagement of young people with books and reading, but also on their empathy and the way they view the world. Haley's libraries are described as welcoming, vibrant, safe havens that function as the heart of the schools that Haley works in, partly due to the relationships that she cultivates with her pupils. She's been recognised for her contagious positivity and inspiring commitment to providing dynamic, inclusive reading experiences for the young people of South Ayrshire.

Vicky McCauley, Dunfermline Class Teacher

Vicky McCauley is a class teacher at Carnock Primary School in Dunfermline. She was nominated by her Depute Head Teacher for her devotion to literacy and reading throughout the school. As well as introducing Reading Ambassadors to the school, Vicky has led projects celebrating dyslexic learners, and delivered a block of teaching on comedy writing to inspire a more meaningful and enthusiastic approach to writing. She supported her students as they wrote their own sets, which they then performed for an audience at The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh. Vicky has been highly commended particularly for her innovation, creativity, enthusiasm and inclusivity.

Browns Books

Scottish Book Trust would like to thank Browns Books who sponsor the Learning Professional Award. Browns Books is the UK's leading supplier of books, eBooks and DVDs for schools, colleges, universities and businesses.