Glasgow’s Champion Team of the Year 2025 is Rape Crisis Glasgow and Clyde, who won for their pioneering work establishing community hubs in the north of the city.
The support service, which is also a powerful campaigning voice, helped 2824 women and girls in the last year with more than half of them - 1441 - aged under 29. The youngest girl supported by the centre is just 13, the oldest 79.
The movement began in Glasgow in 1976, a fact of which director Claudia Macdonald-Bruce is especially proud.
“I’m a Glasgow girl, and I’m really proud of those women who understood the need was there and who set up something that is still going, still helping survivors,” she said.
"This award means so much to us. It does not celebrate sexual violence, it celebrates the 28 women who work hard every day in Glasgow to help survivors get the support they need.”
The North Glasgow hubs, held in churches, schools, local shops and businesses, aim to reach as many women and girls as possible, who might not otherwise be able to access the charity’s support.
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“We knew our existing model, where people came to us in the city centre, needed to evolve,” says Claudia.
“The reality is that some survivors, whether because of coercion, or poverty, or caring responsibilities, or many other reasons, are just not able to come to us.
“So, we had to go to them. With support from Glasgow’s health and social care partnership, we set up our first community hub in 2022 and since then, we have just kept turning up, and building trust.”
“We took a risk establishing the community hubs, and it paid off. We have now run 390 across Glasgow and Clyde.”
Claudia added that it felt “surreal” to be recognised at the Glasgow Community Champion Awards, which are run by the Glasgow Times in association with Vertu and supported by Glasgow City Council and Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust.
The grand final took place on December 3 at Glasgow City Chambers.
“We are very proud the whole team has been recognised,” says Claudia. “Every single one of them plays a part.”
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