On Wednesday, 17 April, the John Smith Centre hosted its third Annual Reception at the Scottish Parliament, sponsored by Anas Sarwar MSP.

A variety of programme participants, Alumni Network members, MSPs and supporters of the Centre joined together for an evening to reflect on and celebrate the past achievements of the John Smith Centre, and to look ahead to the coming year.

This year’s Annual Reception was of special significance as it marked 30 years since the passing of The Rt. Hon John Smith QC MP.

I’m so thankful to have been part of this, to be inspired by the brown women around me, and to have a goal to work towards.
 
~ Iqra Mahmood, John Smith Public Service Awardee 2024

It also marked the 10 year anniversary of the founding of the John Smith Centre, and the beginning of our ‘John Smith Centre at 10’ programme of engagements. Our Centre Director, Professor Kezia Dugdale, outlined a series of exciting projects planned for the upcoming year, all revolving around the Centre’s core mission to make the positive case for representative politics and bringing diverse voices into public life.

Our host for the evening, Anas Sarwar MSP, reflected on the impact John Smith had on him, his experience as a host MSP for the Parliamentary Internship Programme, and the positive experiences he has had mentoring our student interns throughout his years of participating in the programme.

 

A highlight of the evening was Caitie Dundas and Iqra Mahmood being presented with certificates in recognition of them completing the John Smith Public Service Award. Caitie and Iqra delivered truly inspirational speeches outlining the transformative impact their internship placements have had on their personal and professional development. We thank Caitie and Iqra for their contributions and we wish them every success going forward.

My experience on the award has been truly transformative. I have gained such a wide variety of new skills, and developed existing ones. I have been lucky to gain insightful knowledge and experience which have been instrumental in shaping my future ambitions.
~ Caitie Dundas, John Smith Public Service Awardee 2024

The evening ended with a reflection from Catherine Smith KC on the anniversary of the Centre, projects upcoming, and a tribute to our outgoing Centre Director Kezia Dugdale for her leadership in growing and expanding the work of the Centre.

The John Smith Centre would like to thank all supporters, alumni and friends of the Centre who attended and made our Annual Reception a special evening. We are grateful to Anas Sarwar MSP, his team, and wider Scottish Parliament staff for their support in hosting and delivering the evening. We warmly look forward to the opportunity to meet again next year.

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