Scotland's Champions
I've just nominated Glasgow's Frances Stojilkovic as a Community Champion in the Daily Record's 'Scotland's Champions' awards.
In the Daily Record article below Susan Boyle describes a champion as:
"someone who cares, who can make a difference to other people, who can perhaps help others turn their lives around.”
Well if you ask me, that's Frances to a 'T'.
And after the Evening Times' slap in the face over its 'Scotswoman of the Year 2018' award, I do hope Frances goes on to make the Daily Record's Champions shortlist and gets the recognition she deserves for all her tireless work on behalf of others - including thousands of low paid workers in Glasgow City Council.
Because while Frances is the kind of person who doesn't give two hoots about awards, Frances is the real deal - a genuine working class heroine who rose to the occasion when the chips were down.
Scotland's Champions - Community Champion Category
I would like to nominate Glasgow’s Frances Stojilkovic as one of Scotland's Champions, in the Community Champion category, because Frances is a selfless, inspiring, irrepressible role model for women of all ages.
Frances is one of Glasgow’s 2,500 Home Support Workers and for the past 15 years she has been looking after the most vulnerable people in our local community.
More recently Frances played a vital role in Glasgow’s historic fight for equal pay which culminated in an agreement to settle the City Council’s 14,000 outstanding cases at a cost of £500 million, after a lengthy battle in and out of the courts.
The enormous sum of money involved represents the pay and pensions which low paid, predominantly female council council workers lost over 12 years as a result of Glasgow City Council’s discriminatory pay arrangements, known locally as the Workforce Pay and Benefits Review (WPBR).
The WPBR was introduced originally in 2007, but the controversial pay scheme was subsequently condemned as ‘unfit for purpose’ by the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest civil court, in August 2017.
Frances started up her own Facebook page in support of the campaign for equal pay and this has been instrumental in galvanising support across the city - not just from other low paid workers (cleaners, carers, catering workers, clerical staff, classroom assistants etc), but from the wider public as well.
Frances’s high profile role in Glasgow’s equal pay campaign attracted the attention of Anne Robinson, well known for a variety of TV roles, who made a film about the 2018 struggle for pay equality - 'The Trouble with Women’ - highlighting the need for Glasgow's campaign almost 50 years after the 1970 Equal Pay Act.
In her spare time, Frances is also a committed community activist who has done a huge amount of voluntary work in Govanhill to increase community safety, tackle crime and generally improve the local area.
In recent years some of Glasgow’s most senior council officials have been awarded public honours from the Queen - OBEs, MBEs, CBEs - for their services to local government and the charitable sector.
So instead of the ‘usual suspects’ it would be great to see one of Glasgow’s unsung foot soldiers being recognised for her selfless contribution to better the lives of her co-workers and fellow citizens.
https://www.scotlandschampions.co.uk
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/things-to-do/scotlands-champions-jack-take-charge-14051860?
Scotland's Champions: Jack takes charge at our new awards
Former First Minister Jack McConnell is to chair our new awards panel.
By Julie-Anne Barnes - Daily Record
Former first minister Jack McConnell
Former first minister Jack McConnell is to chair the judging panel of the first Scotland’s Champions Awards, we can reveal.
Lord McConnell will help champion the country’s unsung heroes who are going above and beyond to lend a helping hand.
He and the panel will choose this year’s most inspiring citizens. McConnell, Labour first minister from 2001 to 2007, was a judge with the Sunday Mail’s Great Scot awards for several years.
He said: “I am incredibly excited to be involved in this brilliant event.
“At Great Scot, we celebrated so many fantastic achievements and wonderful stories. I look forward to many more years doing the same with Scotland’s Champions.”
The event brings together two long-standing campaigns from the Sunday Mail and Daily Record.
The Great Scot Awards clocked up 28 years, while Our Heroes has been running for 18 years.
Both awards are now coming together as Scotland’s Champions. The gongs will be handed out at a star-studded party on June 22.
Singer Susan Boyle helped to launch Scotland’s Champions in the Daily Record.
Former first minister Jack McConnell is to chair the judging panel of the first Scotland’s Champions Awards, we can reveal.
Lord McConnell will help champion the country’s unsung heroes who are going above and beyond to lend a helping hand.
He and the panel will choose this year’s most inspiring citizens. McConnell, Labour first minister from 2001 to 2007, was a judge with the Sunday Mail’s Great Scot awards for several years.
He said: “I am incredibly excited to be involved in this brilliant event.
“At Great Scot, we celebrated so many fantastic achievements and wonderful stories. I look forward to many more years doing the same with Scotland’s Champions.”
The event brings together two long-standing campaigns from the Sunday Mail and Daily Record.
The Great Scot Awards clocked up 28 years, while Our Heroes has been running for 18 years.
Both awards are now coming together as Scotland’s Champions. The gongs will be handed out at a star-studded party on June 22.
Singer Susan Boyle helped to launch Scotland’s Champions in the Daily Record.
Star Susan Boyle
She said: “A champion is someone who cares, who can make a difference to other people, who can perhaps help others turn their lives around.”
The categories are – Community Champion, Caring Champion, Community Project of the Year, Sporting Champion, Military and Emergency Services Champion, Entertainment Champion and Lifetime Achievement Champion.
There’s also a Junior Champion category for under-16s.
Jem Maidment, director of Utilita, which is sponsoring the ceremony, said: “We are looking forward to hearing the incredible stories from communities across the country.”
• Nominate by April 26 – go to
She said: “A champion is someone who cares, who can make a difference to other people, who can perhaps help others turn their lives around.”
The categories are – Community Champion, Caring Champion, Community Project of the Year, Sporting Champion, Military and Emergency Services Champion, Entertainment Champion and Lifetime Achievement Champion.
There’s also a Junior Champion category for under-16s.
Jem Maidment, director of Utilita, which is sponsoring the ceremony, said: “We are looking forward to hearing the incredible stories from communities across the country.”
• Nominate by April 26 – go to
www.scotlandschampions.co.uk
Here are two more very pointed comments about the Evening Times failure to include Glasgow's Frances Stojilkovic on its shortlist for Scotswoman of the Year 2018.
SOTY 2018 - Own Goal by Evening Times (28/02/19)
Here are two more very pointed comments about the Evening Times failure to include Glasgow's Frances Stojilkovic on its shortlist for Scotswoman of the Year 2018.
Really disappointing we all know how many women, the hardest working women in this city, nominated Frances
J
‘Is it that they are too working class to be a proper feminist rights story, and too female to be a proper workers rights story’...?
‘Is it that they are too working class to be a proper feminist rights story, and too female to be a proper workers rights story’...?
C
I couldn't agree more and I have to say I think it's a terrible own goal by the newspaper.
I'm sure that the thousands Glasgow City Council workers who have been fighting for their rights to equal pay for the past 12 years will be deeply unimpressed.
I'm sure Frances S won't be losing any sleep at not reaching the shortlist for Scotswoman of the Year 2018, but the more you think about it the more outrageous it is that such an outstanding local candidate from Glasgow wasn't deemed worthy of consideration.
A bit of a joke and a terrible own goal by the newspaper if you ask me and I'm pleased to say that lots of people on Facebook seem to agree!
Just read the list of finalists for Scotswoman of The Year and unfortunately our wee Frances is not on it. Frances will forever be our Scotswoman of The Year for all her hard work
U have won with us Frances xx
Well done to all the women who are being considered for the award of Scotswoman of the Year 2018 - they are all worthy candidates in their very different ways.
But quite how Glasgow's very own Frances Stojilkovic didn't make the final shortlist is astonishing - her service as a Home Carer, her contribution to the historic fight for equal pay in Glasgow and her wider community work made Frances a stand-out candidate.
I did ask the editor of the Evening Times (Donald Martin) to share the details of the Judging Panel which selected the finalists, but strangely he failed to answer my question.
So if anyone knows who was on the panel of judges, drop me a line in confidence at - markirvine@compuserve.com
If you ask me, the Evening Times decision is a big slap in the face to all the local Glaswegians who nominated Frances for this award - and with very good reason.
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17458988.swoty-2018-and-youngswoty-2018-meet-the-finalists/
I'm sure that the thousands Glasgow City Council workers who have been fighting for their rights to equal pay for the past 12 years will be deeply unimpressed.
SOTY 2018 - Readers Comments (27/02/19)
I'm sure Frances S won't be losing any sleep at not reaching the shortlist for Scotswoman of the Year 2018, but the more you think about it the more outrageous it is that such an outstanding local candidate from Glasgow wasn't deemed worthy of consideration.
A bit of a joke and a terrible own goal by the newspaper if you ask me and I'm pleased to say that lots of people on Facebook seem to agree!
Just read the list of finalists for Scotswoman of The Year and unfortunately our wee Frances is not on it. Frances will forever be our Scotswoman of The Year for all her hard work
J
Read the list I only recognise one name. our Frances Stojilkovic should be there!!!!
After what they done to carers the weekend before the strike, I wouldn’t give them headspace
Read the list I only recognise one name. our Frances Stojilkovic should be there!!!!
B
After what they done to carers the weekend before the strike, I wouldn’t give them headspace
M
Shame on them
Lets put it this way Francis your name will pop up in History because of the major part you played with the equal pay issue.
SO you don't need woman of the year.....
C
Frances will always be our no 1
Very surprised and disappointed xx
Must be because its political! there's no way all our votes didn't count!!!
You are our winner
Stupid phone lol
You'll always be remembered and our no.1 woman of any year, we owe you so muchxxx
Surprised but You’ll still go down in history
H
It would be good to see the vote counts.
Fix.
Lol.
X
As that's so sad, but Francis will always be remembered as the lady that lead the fight. One in a million 👏👏💖
P
How is she not on it.....pure fix lol x
Z
Ask GCC
How is she not on it.....pure fix lol x
Z
Ask GCC
G
Aww that's shocking.xx
P
Might’ve known that the Evening Times wouldn’t let her reach the final ! After all Susan writes for the paper !
Aww that's shocking.xx
P
Might’ve known that the Evening Times wouldn’t let her reach the final ! After all Susan writes for the paper !
E
Strange as plenty people voted for her
Strange as plenty people voted for her
K
Still a winner hen xx
Still a winner hen xx
L
She is defo our winner !!!!
A
Aw never mind guys im still honoured that you all voted for me xx
L
You are "thee woman " to all of us . & u have no competition whatsoever ..true heroine who went above and beyond ..so well done to u
A
Lets put it this way Francis your name will pop up in History because of the major part you played with the equal pay issue.
SO you don't need woman of the year.....
C
R
J
Must be because its political! there's no way all our votes didn't count!!!
B
E
E
You'll always be remembered and our no.1 woman of any year, we owe you so muchxxx
D
Surprised but You’ll still go down in history
H
It would be good to see the vote counts.
Fix.
Lol.
X
L
D
The Evening Times can stick there newspaper where the sun don't shine
The Evening Times can stick there newspaper where the sun don't shine
S
R
Should win hands down,you're our hero.x
R
So sorry Frances you deserve a bloody medal for the work you have done but never mind we appreciate everything you have done for us although i have been away two years your a hero in our eyes you will get your reward someday i hope soon thanks Frances from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done you must be so proud of yourself thank you so much xx
So sorry Frances you deserve a bloody medal for the work you have done but never mind we appreciate everything you have done for us although i have been away two years your a hero in our eyes you will get your reward someday i hope soon thanks Frances from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done you must be so proud of yourself thank you so much xx
B
Well done to all the women who are being considered for the award of Scotswoman of the Year 2018 - they are all worthy candidates in their very different ways.
But quite how Glasgow's very own Frances Stojilkovic didn't make the final shortlist is astonishing - her service as a Home Carer, her contribution to the historic fight for equal pay in Glasgow and her wider community work made Frances a stand-out candidate.
I did ask the editor of the Evening Times (Donald Martin) to share the details of the Judging Panel which selected the finalists, but strangely he failed to answer my question.
So if anyone knows who was on the panel of judges, drop me a line in confidence at - markirvine@compuserve.com
If you ask me, the Evening Times decision is a big slap in the face to all the local Glaswegians who nominated Frances for this award - and with very good reason.
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17458988.swoty-2018-and-youngswoty-2018-meet-the-finalists/
People Make Glasgow - Frances Stojilkovic (31/01/19)
I've just nominated Frances Stojilkovic for the 'Scotswoman of the Year 2018' award which is being organised by the Evening Times in association with the St. Enoch Centre.
Here's what I said about Frances in support of my nomination along with an internet link explaining the background to this annual event.
More details to follow soon and the very best of luck Frances who has played such a huge role in her local community and, of course, in Glasgow's long fight for equal pay.
Because becoming 'Scotswoman of the Year 2018' would knock an OBE, MBE or even a CBE into a cocked hat any day of the week - well in my book anyway!
Because becoming 'Scotswoman of the Year 2018' would knock an OBE, MBE or even a CBE into a cocked hat any day of the week - well in my book anyway!
