The Saroj Lal Awards for City of Edinburgh Schools

That the Parliament welcomes the fourth annual Saroj Lal Awards for City of Edinburgh schools on 11 June 2026 at The Hub in Edinburgh; notes that the awards were established in 2022 and that this year’s event focuses on equality and diversity and the embracing of all protected characteristics; understands that they were founded in memory of Saroj Lal, one of the earliest women from minority ethnic backgrounds to teach in an Edinburgh primary school, having begun her role at South Morningside Primary in August 1970; notes that her contributions to Scotland and the capital included being at the forefront of race relations from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, working with Lothian and Borders Police to improve the handling of racism and racial attacks and leaving a lasting legacy for women and minority and marginalised communities; recognises the contribution of Saroj Lal and her husband, Amrit Lal, in founding the Hindu Mandir on St Andrew Place in Leith as a temple, cultural centre and focal point for the Hindu community; congratulates all nominees, including pupils and staff, on their awards, and thanks the Lal family for their continued efforts to commemorate an important and inspirational figure in Edinburgh’s recent history.