More Than a Partnership: Our Year with Baillie Gifford

In May 2024, Baillie Gifford chose us as their Charity of the Year. It was an exciting moment - and the start of a collaboration that would become far more than we imagined. We're so excited to say that our partnership has been shortlisted in the Charity Times Awards!

Baillie Gifford colleagues got involved straight away. A third of their workforce had voted for us, and their commitment showed. The partnership wasn’t just about raising money - although they did that brilliantly - it was about using their time, skills and influence to help us go further.

Throughout the year, we worked closely with their dedicated Charity of the Year committee. Their support was responsive, practical and thoughtful. When we needed help making sense of years of Access Survey data, they built us a Power BI dashboard. When we talked about our need for long-term planning tools, their finance experts developed forecasting models and templates. When we wanted to improve our digital presence, their volunteers reviewed our PR and AdWords, built new dashboards, and offered communications support - even helping us shape our World Toilet Day campaign.

At one point, a team helped us pilot our new “Review-a-Loo” campaign by going out to assess accessible toilets around Edinburgh. They checked 51 in one afternoon. In one venue, they spotted a flashing red emergency light behind a locked toilet door. Thanks to their insistence it be checked, someone was found inside needing urgent help. It was a stark reminder of how important this work is, and what it means when people really show up.

They also made time for the fun stuff. Their team hosted karaoke nights, bake-offs, quizzes and even a “Charitea” trolley — bringing cakes and cuppas to desks, all in the name of raising funds and awareness. They raised much-needed funds for our charity, which are already helping us reach more people with trusted, reliable disabled access information to help them confidently plan great days out.

When our Co-Founder Euan MacDonald MBE passed away following his long, long fight against Motor Neuron Disease, they responded as friends. One of the team decided to honour Euan’s life by running up Arthur’s Seat 50 times in 50 days – to celebrate his 50 years of life. It was a moving gesture that captured the spirit of the partnership: one built on empathy, respect and shared purpose.

We’re a small team at Euan’s Guide, but this partnership helped us think bigger. It’s not every day that a collaboration brings strategy, visibility and genuine friendship. For us, this was more than a year of working together, it was a year of growing stronger, together with lasting results.

Tags: blog, blog post, baillie gifford, euan's guide, 2025, charity of the year, partnerships, awards, charity times awards