Meet the winner of the Caring Champion category of this year’s Provost’s Awards – Debbie Ritchie!
Debbie, who has been practicing yoga for many years, wanted to share the calming and strengthening effect it had on her life with her youngest son who was born with Cerebral Palsy. She struggled to find a suitable yoga class locally so decided to complete yoga teacher training and trained in Yoga and the Special Child in London. Seeing how yoga was benefiting her son, Debbie and Helen McGinn founded the charity Yogability in 2013 and began sharing their love of yoga with adults and children in their local community. The ethos of Yogability is yoga should be accessible to everyone, and Debbie and a group of volunteers provide free yoga classes for adults and children with additional support needs and for carers across East Dunbartonshire. They also run mainstream classes on a donation basis.
Debbie was nominated for this year’s Provost’s Caring Champion award by Karen Albrow whose son Ben attends free yoga sessions with Yogability.
Karen said, “My son Ben has profound learning disabilities and gets so much from his yoga classes with Debbie and Jane. He absolutely loves his sessions - he leaves so much calmer and relaxed. Debbie's incredible knowledge of how to move and manipulate Ben's body truly has such a positive effect on our whole family and we really cannot thank both Debbie and Jane for being so kind as to support our children in an activity that brings the kids a sense of calm, positivity and achievement and that they can utilise for the rest of their lives; particularly when Debbie could be using that time to think of her own needs!”
Following yoga sessions participants and their parents or carers are invited to stay and have some refreshments.
Karen said, “I really get a lot from speaking to other parents and carers of children and young people with additional support needs at Yogability. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know and support one other. As parents we can’t thank Debbie, Jane and all the volunteers at Yogability enough, it has made such a positive difference to all our lives. There are so few things I can do to say thank you, so I wanted to nominate Debbie for the Provost’s Caring Champion award. I am delighted her commitment to helping families in our community has been recognised, she thoroughly deserves this award.”
Debbie makes such a difference to the lives of those connected with Yogability and we were delighted to present her with the Provost’s Caring Champion Award 2025.
Provost Gillian Renwick and Depute Provost Colette McDiarmid met with Debbie, Karen and Yogability volunteer Jane at All Saints Church in Bearsden to present Debbie with her certificate and quaich.
Provost Gillian Renwick said, “When sifting through the nominations for the Caring Champion Award, the Depute Provost and I were overwhelmed by the number of people living in our communities who dedicate so much time and energy helping others. Debbie spends hours every week organising classes, arranging venues and fundraising as well as using her expertise in yoga to provide free accessible classes - despite having caring responsibilities herself! Debbie makes such a difference to the lives of those connected with Yogability and we were delighted to present her with the Provost’s Caring Champion Award 2025.”
Debbie said, “I firmly believe that yoga saved me. It has helped me cope with life’s many challenges and builds strength and creates a calmness within. I absolutely love sharing the benefits of yoga with others and was so touched to have been nominated by Karen for the Provost’s Caring Champion Award. But Yogability is very much a team effort, Jane and all the wonderful volunteers involved work very hard to make it the success it is.
“Thank you to the Provost and Depute Provost for presenting me with the lovely quaich and certificate and thanks to Karen and Jane for joining me as I received this honour.”
To find out more about Yogability visit the Yogability Scotland website.
