Growing strong: Celebrating Aila’s first year

Reflecting on the first year of Aila has been a truly moving experience for me. The name Aila comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning for “from a strong or resilient place”. One of the women involved shared that she wanted others to feel this same sense of strength, and that sentiment has been at the heart of everything we have achieved. As the Women’s Programme Lead, I have been at the core of this project since its inception, and I have to share that it has been a highlight of my career so far. I feel incredibly privileged to have walked this path alongside such inspiring women, and I am so grateful to every person who has trusted me with their experiences.

The evidence is clear when it comes to the link between gambling and homelessness, with those facing homelessness being forty times more likely to experience harm from gambling compared to the general population. We established Aila alongside RCA Trust because we saw a need for a safe space tailored to women impacted by gambling. By taking a gendered approach, we have been able to break down the specific barriers that often leave women feeling unheard and without the right kind of help in traditional services. One of our co-design members noted that the project helped her ‘blossom in ways she never expected’, and seeing that personal growth first-hand is what makes this work so rewarding.

Our impact over the past twelve months has been remarkable. Our website reached over 4,500 unique users, and we were incredibly proud to be named the Digital Service Transformation Award winner for 2026 at the Holyrood Digital Connect Awards. I am so excited to see what the next few years will hold for us. We are always looking for new opportunities and are keen to collaborate to ensure every woman has a safe place to go!

Please view and/or download our Impact Report – Growing Strong: Celebrating Aila’s First Year