The Killie Community named finalist at Scotland’s Health Awards

The Killie Community, the club’s official charity partner, has been named a finalist in the Integrated Care category at Scotland’s Health Awards 2026.

The charity was nominated by Gaynor Campbell of NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Cardiology Team. The organisers said the charity has “truly stood out among a high number of impressive nominations”.

The nomination panel focused on how The Killie Community joins up health, social care, education, employability and community services at Rugby Park. It works with NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Police Scotland, local schools and other charities. In her nomination, Gaynor said the charity’s strength is its ability to “bring services together around people rather than expecting people to navigate complex systems themselves.”

One example is Beat to Treat, a heart failure pathway run from The Killie Community Hub. It’s delivered by NHS Ayrshire & Arran Cardiology services, local GPs, the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, and The Killie Community. Patients get rapid assessment, diagnostic tests, a specialist review and the start of their treatment at Rugby Park instead of waiting for a hospital appointment. People attending say the Hub feels welcoming and less intimidating than a traditional healthcare setting, and many have said they’d like to see more services offered this way.

The charity also held a large community cardiovascular screening event, where more than 700 local people had health checks, a cardiovascular risk assessment and advice on looking after their heart.

The health work covers every age group. Football Fans in Training, Prostate FFIT and Weigh to Go help adults get fitter and healthier among fellow supporters. Walking Football keeps older fans active and connected. Football Memories, delivered with Alzheimer Scotland, uses match footage and stories from the terraces to start conversations with people living with dementia and their families. Young people, including care-experienced young people, take part in youth outreach, school holiday programmes and targeted support.

This year, more than 6,000 people took part in Killie Community programmes. An independent evaluation found that the charity generated over £6.3 million in social value, which works out at £21.39 for every £1 invested. The evaluation also recorded improvements in children’s wellbeing, physical activity, mental wellbeing and community cohesion, along with reduced loneliness.

Jordan Allison, Head of Charity at The Killie Community, said: “Being recognised at a national level for our preventative health work is a huge honour for our staff and volunteers, and for the partners who work alongside us every week. People come to Rugby Park because it’s somewhere they already know and trust, and that means a heart check or a specialist appointment feels a lot less daunting than it might somewhere else. It also means our NHS colleagues can see people sooner and closer to home.

“A massive thank you to Gaynor for putting us forward, and to her Cardiology Team at NHS Ayrshire & Arran for everything they’ve built with us through Beat to Treat. Thanks too to the Alzheimer Scotland team in Kilmarnock, the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, our brilliant team, and everyone who has taken part in our programmes. Fingers crossed for Edinburgh.”

Winners will be announced at the Scotland’s Health Awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday 12 November.