Dumfries and Galloway College (DGC) is celebrating after winning two top honours at the 2025 College Development Network Awards, recognising its commitment to community empowerment and sustainability innovation – while also landing a prestigious prize at the inaugural Crichton Awards!
At CDN’s gala occasion, hosted by Amy Irons, at Glasgow’s Radisson Blu on Thursday, December 4, DGC won the College Community Learning Award for its Empowering Communities: a Co-Designed PDA for Scotland’s CLD Workforce initiative, and also took top spot in the Sustainability Action category for the development of its pioneering Net Zero Skills Centre.
The annual event recognises the talent, skills and achievements of colleges, staff and learners and provides a valuable opportunity to celebrate the innovation taking place in colleges across the country.
And DGC’s two prizes acknowledged the college’s leadership in advancing both community development and environmental sustainability across the South of Scotland and beyond.
The Empowering Communities initiative was developed collaboratively with practitioners from across Scotland to enhance professional learning within the community learning and development (CLD) sector. The project demonstrates the college’s ongoing commitment to co-design, partnership and educational delivery.
The Net Zero Skills Centre represents a significant milestone in DGC’s sustainability strategy, providing state-of-the-art facilities for training and innovation in renewable technologies and low-carbon skills. The centre supports the regional transition to net zero while ensuring learners and businesses are equipped for the opportunities of a sustainable future.
In addition to these two award wins, Dumfries and Galloway College was also highly commended in the Digital Learning category for its project Enhancing Digital and Inclusive Learning in Our College.
Meanwhile, on the same evening, Danielle Higginson, Business Development Assistant at DGC, won the staff award at the 2025 Crichton Foundation awards, which were held to celebrate the foundation’s 25th anniversary.
Douglas Dickson, CEO and Principal, Dumfries and Galloway College, said: “These awards recognise the outstanding commitment of our staff and partners in delivering innovative and impactful programmes that support learners, communities and the wider economy.
“We remain dedicated to leading the sector in delivering high-quality education and advancing sustainable growth for our region.”