Professor Fiona Skillen wins National Sporting Heritage Award

Professor Fiona Skillen won a National Sporting Heritage Award last night in recognition of her outstanding research and public history project work.

Held at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, the 2024 awards celebrated people from across the UK who work to ensure the nation’s sporting history is preserved, protected and promoted for future generations.

Professor Skillen, who was the joint winner of the Celebrating Women’s Sporting Heritage Award, said: "My research is underpinned by a desire to uncover and celebrate the stories of sportswomen in the past and to use those stories to motivate participation and change now.

"In recent years, I have had the pleasure of working with a wide range of individuals and organisations across the public sector including museums, archives, sports organisations, national governing bodies, MSPs, local government, theatre companies and community education groups.

"It is wonderful that that diverse body of work has been recognised for moving forward our understanding of the history of women’s sport, particularly in Scotland."

The awards are organised by Sporting Heritage CIC, the UK-wide organisation responsible for supporting sporting collections and heritage.