A Fife schoolgirl who taught Lewis Capaldi to sign Happy Birthday has been recognised for her work to promote British Sign Language.
Layla Cooke, 14, who has hearing loss, demonstrates popular songs in sign language on her social media feeds and recently set up the LC Academy.
Her videos have won her a celebrity following, including soap actors Matthew Wolfenden, Liam Bairstow, Jordan Young and Kate Robbins and Me Before You author Jojo Moyes.
They have also been shared by the singer-songwriter Eddi Reader and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
She has also campaigned for BSL to be taught in schools to prevent isolation.
Just weeks after educating Someone You Loved musician Capaldi backstage after a gig in Edinburgh, the Auchmuty High School pupil has received an award for outstanding achievement from Enable Scotland.
Modest Layla, one of the youngest students at Fife College where she is studying BSL Level 2, said she was “delighted” and “lucky” to have won, considering “there are so many people out there who deserved it”.
She started posting videos on Twitter and Facebook demonstrating popular songs from some of her favourite artists in sign to raise awareness of BSL.
This led to her performing on the stage at the switch-on for Perth’s Christmas lights.
Layla, of Windygates, said: “It would be good if more people knew some sign and I think that if I want things to change I need to start helping people learn it.
“It makes a massive impact in my life.
“It’s extremely helpful to even know some basic signs.”
Enable Scotland assisted Layla through its We Can All Do It self-directed support project in Fife.
Jan Savage, the charity’s executive director of campaigns and external affairs, said: “Layla’s outstanding achievement award is more than deserved due to her campaign work for British Sign Language to be taught in schools as part of the curriculum in order to encourage communication, inclusion and breaking down barriers.
“She embodies everything that ENABLE Scotland is about, and we are so proud of her work as an active campaigner in her local community and beyond.”
— Layla-cooke BSL/ SSE (@BslCooke) October 7, 2019
