2025 is 60 years since the Reverend Mary Webster set up the organisation that later became Carers UK, raising awareness of how unpaid carers were not being recognised or supported – and campaigning for things to change.

In recognition of this landmark year, we are holding a lecture in each nation on the theme of "Equality: today and tomorrow", to acknowledge all we have achieved and, more importantly, that there is still much to do going forward to create greater equality, support and recognition for unpaid carers.

We invite you to join us on Tuesday 13th May at Edinburgh City Chambers for the 60th Anniversary Mary Webster Lecture in Scotland.

Arrival and drinks reception at 6pm. The main event will begin at 6.30pm with a welcome from the Lord Provost of Edinburgh City.

A lecture will be given by Professor Angela O'Hagan, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission (and former Carers Scotland Director), on the topic of "Equality: today and tomorrow".

The second part of the evening will then be Professor O'Hagan will be in conversation with Claire Stevens, former Chief Executive for Voluntary Health Scotland.

The event will end at 8.30pm.

Angela O’Hagan was most recently Professor of Equality and Public Policy at Glasgow Caledonian University where she created the current MSc in Human Rights and previously led the MSc in Citizenship and Human Rights. She was also Deputy Director of the WISE Centre for Economic Justice.

Her career encompasses leadership roles in the community and statutory sectors in Scotland, including as Director of Carers Scotland, and Head of Campaigns and Communications with Oxfam Scotland, after a period with the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Throughout her career Professor O’Hagan has focused on integrating equality and human rights analysis in public policy, policy analysis and service design. She has served on a number of advisory and project groups with successive Scottish Governments including currently as the independent chair of the Equality and Human Rights Budget Advisory Group, a member of the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, and previously as a member of the Commission on Local Tax Reform.

Professor O’Hagan has an international profile, particularly in gender and human rights budgeting, and through membership of academic and civil society networks. In 2019, she was awarded the Jo Cox Award for Public Service and Activity Citizenship by the Political Studies Association.

Claire Stevens has held a wide range of roles in Scotland’s public and third sectors for over 45 years. In her last paid role she spent 12 years as Chief Executive of the national charity Voluntary Health Scotland, focusing strongly on addressing health inequalities and championing the role the third sector plays in transforming people’s health and wellbeing.

In 2021 the Faculty of Public Health elected her an Honorary Member, for services to public health. She retired from VHS in 2024, in order to care full-time for her husband Kenny, who has Parkinson’s and Lewy Body dementia. Since retiring she has used her lived experience as a carer to work actively with NHS bodies, academics and charities to raise awareness about the unmet needs of people affected by Parkinson’s related dementias and the challenges they and their carers face.

She is currently a Trustee of the Neurological Alliance of Scotland, serves on the Parkinson’s Scotland Dementia Working Group, and is a member of Alzheimer Scotland’s National Dementia Carers Advisory Network. She is an active member of her local community in South Edinburgh, both as a Trustee of Bridgend Farmhouse in Edinburgh and as Treasurer of the Friends of Inch Park.

Tickets are limited for this free event so we urge you to book your place today.

Mary Webster Lecture - Equality: today and tomorrow