STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning
The STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recognises outstanding trade unionists who continue to demonstrate their commitment to union values and lead the learning movement forward in Scotland.
The award is named in honour of Helen Dowie, who was involved in the trade union movement in Fife for most of her adult life. She worked in Rosyth Dockyard for twenty years and was active within the civil service unions. Through her union, Helen organised the yard, campaigned on initiatives and supported many workers. She took the union into the community through the organisation of the Rosyth Festival and music events, highlighting important union campaigns.
Along with her partner, Mike Morris, Helen started the Trades Council News in Fife. By writing, printing, editing and distributing the newssheet, Helen and Mike kept union members aware of the issues and also spread the word more widely throughout Fife. Helen and Mike made many solid friendships through their union involvement.
Helen worked to support the development of education and learning in Scotland. She was a key player in supporting the development of the lifelong learning agenda that union members know today, and she worked hard to secure financial backing to support unions in developing the role of the Union Learning Representative.
Helen’s life was devoted to supporting others through the trade union movement, and her untimely death was mourned by trade unionists throughout Scotland. This award commemorates Helen’s lifetime achievements in lifelong learning by recognising other trade unionists who work to champion union learning in Scotland.
Helen Dowie Award 2012
JANETTE DUNBAR
Unite the Union Learning Rep
Diageo Kilmarnock
The 7th Annual STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recipient was Janette Dunbar, a Unite Union Learning Rep at Diageo Kilmarnock.
Diageo Kilmarnock was the home of Johnnie Walker Whiskey. After the employer announced controversial plans in late 2009 to close the Kilmarnock plant, Janette was in the forefront of fighting to save the hundreds of jobs at the site.
Upon being elected as the Site Convenor in 2010, Janette put her organising abilities and dynamic style into action as she became the driving force behind supporting members through the ‘ins and outs’ of the redundancy situation.
Helen Dowie Award 2011
CWU ULRs
Glasgow Royal Mail Centre
The sixth annual STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recipient was a team of the Communication Workers’ Union Learning Reps at Glasgow Royal Mail Centre in Springburn. The recipients were Brian Regan, Stuart Armstrong, William Ferry, Derek Frizzle, David Hainey, Ian Johnstone and Andy Ross, who are all postal workers.
There are hundreds of workers on three shifts at the Royal Mail Centre, and shift patterns can often cause problems for the provision of learning opportunities to workers. However, these ULRs support learning within the workplace at all hours of the day.
Helen Dowie Award 2010
UNITE AND UNISON ULRS
Strathclyde Partnership
for Transport (SPT)
The fifth annual STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recipient was a team of Unite and UNISON Learning Representatives at Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in Glasgow. The award recipients were: Gerry Hastings of UNISON and Brian Stewart, Sonny Singh, Harry Copland, Ian Findlay, John Lennon and Brian Conner of Unite.
Helen Dowie Award 2009
JAMES LILLIS
Unite the Union ULR
First Glasgow
The fourth annual STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recipient was James Lillis. James is a Unite Union Learning Representative at First Glasgow, and he lives in Govan.
In his role, James makes learning opportunities accessible to all employees at First Glasgow. There are a large number of Eastern European migrant workers within the bus depot, so James learned to speak Polish. This has enabled him to help the migrant workers, and these workers return the favour by studying “Glaswegian”.
Helen Dowie Award 2008
AUDREY McJIMPSEY
Community ULR
RSBi Blindcraft
The third annual STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning recipient was Audrey McJimpsey. Audrey is a Community Union Learning Representative at RSBi Blindcraft in Springburn, Glasgow, and she lives in Carluke.
Audrey has been very active within the trade union movement since 1986, and currently supports local initiatives to promote union activity, especially union learning. She represents 100 members in her role as a Learning Rep within RSBi. A large percentage of the workforce is disabled at RSBi Blindcraft and Audrey has encouraged more than 75% of the workers to take up learning opportunities.
Audrey was presented with the third annual award at the STUC Annual Congress in Inverness in April 2008 by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
RSSRelated resources
The Open University - Union Learning The OU in Scotland and the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding on 19 April 2021, setting out a range of collaborative activity which will open up training opportunities for the 540,000 Scottish workers who are trade unionists, the members of 39 affiliated trade unions and 20 Trades Union Councils.
