Inclusive, trauma-informed childcare model wins £50,000 Social Innovation Challenge
The award will enable Thrive East Lothian CIC to launch a low-cost, inclusive nursery for children aged 0–5.
Thrive East Lothian CIC (Thrive), a Haddington-based social enterprise tackling childcare inequality and child poverty, has been announced as the winner of Firstport’s Social Innovation Challenge 2025.
The £50,000 award will enable Thrive to launch a low-cost, inclusive nursery for children aged 0–5, designed to close critical childcare gaps in East Lothian and create a replicable model for communities across Scotland.
Founded in 2023 by Anisha Yaseen, a single parent and carer who experienced first-hand the barriers to affordable childcare, Thrive East Lothian already operates successful after-school and holiday clubs. The new nursery will take its original community-rooted approach and expand that impact, delivering a comprehensive childcare service that meets the needs of the community. It will offer flexible, pay-as-you-go options, subsidised places for low-income families, trauma-informed care, and employment pathways through apprenticeships and volunteering.
We are absolutely delighted to have won the Social Innovation Challenge 2025. This funding will make a huge impact, allowing us to launch the nursery and make inclusive childcare truly accessible for local families, while being able to plan for sustainability, and continue on to success.
Anisha Yaseen, Founder of Thrive East Lothian CIC.
Like in the rest of the UK, childcare in Scotland is expensive, oversubscribed, and often inaccessible. The average cost of full-time nursery care in Scotland is over £18,000 per year. Many parents and carers are unable to return to work, education, or training due to a lack of affordable provision. Thrive’s model aims to change that by delivering a community-led, inclusive, and flexible alternative.
Congratulations to Thrive East Lothian on this fantastic achievement. The judging panel was inspired by their lived-experience approach and commitment to trauma-informed, inclusive childcare. This is exactly the kind of model we need to see replicated across Scotland.
We look forward to supporting the team to fulfill their ambitions and champion their cause. Our huge congratulations to them, and to all our finalists.
Gael Drummond, Firstport’s Chief Executive
The Social Innovation Challenge funds pioneering solutions to Scotland’s most pressing social and environmental challenges, aligning with the First Minister’s priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, tackle the climate emergency, and build sustainable public services.
Apart from the overall winner, two runner-up prizes of £25,000 were also awarded to:
- Point Five Climbing – transforming Kinlochleven’s “Electric Village” into a world-class climbing and community hub.
- Shore Psychology – addressing gaps in psychological support for vulnerable and marginalised groups.