Sam Baillie wins 2026 UHI Alumni of the Year Award

Sam Baillie from Fife, has won the 2026 UHI Alumni of the Year Award, in recognition of his contribution to mental health support across Scotland and his continued commitment to UHI and its students.

Sam graduated from UHI Perth in 2017 with an honours degree in Scottish History, studying with the UHI Centre for History. Since then, he has worked with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) in Glasgow, where he has played a key role in developing and expanding access to mental health services across Scotland.

In October 2025, Sam played a key role in launching The Nook, Scotland’s first network of walk-in mental health support hubs. This £10m initiative has already supported more than 5,000 people, including through more than 2,200 one-to-one sessions with mental health practitioners in the first six months.

Following the opening of the first hub in Glasgow, a second opened in Aberdeen in June 2026, with a third planned for Edinburgh in 2027. The Nooks are designed for anyone to walk-in and access free mental health support without any waiting lists, with an emphasis on creating a safe and stigma-free environment.

Alongside his work at SAMH, Sam has maintained a strong connection with the UHI Centre for History. He has contributed to alumni blogs, teaching resources and online learning materials, as well as taking part in careers events to share his experience with current students and highlights the range of career opportunities available to humanities graduates.

Sam said:

“Receiving this award means absolutely everything to me. Growing up, a lack of stability and other challenges meant I never achieved the best grades and I often fell behind. The size of my world, and the impact I thought I could have on it, seemed much smaller back then.

“UHI gave me a chance at education despite those grades. I remember one lecturer taking the time to teach me how punctuation worked with patience and absolutely no judgement. To me, UHI represents genuine inclusion without stigma.

“I want this award to show that you don't need to be top of your class or come from a particular background, to make a difference in this world.

“Thank you so much to the UHI Centre for History and the wider UHI team for giving me a chance when I needed it.”

Vicki Nairn, UHI Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said:

“We are proud to recognise Sam as the winner of the 2026 Alumni of the Year Award. His achievements are an inspiring example of the impact our graduates can have. By helping to make mental health support more accessible across Scotland, he is helping to transform lives and address one of the most important challenges facing our society.

“We are especially grateful for his continued relationship with the UHI Centre for History and for his generosity in sharing his experience with current students.”

Sam will be formally presented with his award at the UHI Perth graduation ceremony on 8 October 2026.