Blogs & conversations - The Churchill Fellowship
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Blogs & conversations

Churchill Fellows offer their views and advice on topical issues, based on global research and UK activities.

To connect with a Fellow, please go to their Profile page. To find related content, click the tag under each item below. To receive regular blog alerts, sign up at the foot of this page.

If you are a Fellow and would like to write a blog for us, please email communications@churchillfellowship.org to discuss the topic you have in mind.

Blogs & conversations

What it Takes to Build Trauma-Responsive Systems

After her Fellowship exploring trauma, attachment, and ACEs, Jane Pepa reflects on what it takes to move from trauma-informed training to real system change. Through her work with the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, she has supported over 12,000 public service staff, from education to policing, to better understand and respond to trauma. Now working to embed trauma-responsive approaches across systems in Merseyside, she shares how this learning is being applied in practice through collaboration and ongoing support.

By Jane Pepa, 16 April 2026

Blogs & conversations

What it Takes to Build Trauma-Responsive Systems

After her Fellowship exploring trauma, attachment, and ACEs, Jane Pepa reflects on what it takes to move from trauma-informed training to real system change. Through her work with the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, she has supported over 12,000 public service staff, from education to policing, to better understand and respond to trauma. Now working to embed trauma-responsive approaches across systems in Merseyside, she shares how this learning is being applied in practice through collaboration and ongoing support.

By Jane Pepa, 16 April 2026

Blogs & conversations

Bringing resilience to life through flax

Zoe Gilbertson looks back on her Fellowship exploring flax and bioregional resilience across Europe. She shares how learning from community-focused projects shaped her understanding of how local production can be rebuilt through culture, creativity, and collaboration. Now, through her organisation Liflad, she is working to revitalise flax and linen production in the UK, with her work being supported by growing networks and shared learning across Europe and beyond.

By Zoe Gilbertson, 9 April 2026

Blogs & conversations

Songwriting for Confidence, Self-Expression, and Connection

During her Churchill Fellowship, songwriter Hannah Louise Partridge – known professionally as Anna Anise – explored how collaborative songwriting retreats in the United States help musicians build confidence, connection, and lasting creative networks. Drawing on visits to six retreat programmes, she reflects on the power of shared creative space to support wellbeing and sustain musical careers. Now applying this learning through her organisation CHORUS Songwriting CIC, she is developing retreats that strengthen community and widen access to songwriting across the UK.

By Hannah Louise Partridge, 26 March 2026

Blogs & conversations

A Changemaker Mam: Building Theatre for Survivors

JoJo Kirtley reflects on balancing her Churchill Fellowship with life as a mother of three while exploring how survivor-led theatre can challenge violence against women and girls. Drawing on learning from practitioners across Europe, North America, and Africa, she shares how community-led creative work can build safety, solidarity, and lasting change. Now developing her Theatre of the Survivor framework in the North East of England, JoJo is putting this learning into practice to support women and communities.

By JoJo Kirtley, 12 March 2026

Blogs & conversations

‘The Right to a Break’?

Drawing on her own experience of caring for her mum, and her work alongside unpaid carers every day, Fi Brown reflects on the “mental load” of caring – and what it means to protect carers’ mental health before crisis point is reached. With Scotland’s ‘Right to a Break’ marking a significant shift in care reform, she explores why a legal right must translate into breaks that are genuinely meaningful and restorative, with prevention at their core.

By Fi Brown, 20 February 2026

Blogs & conversations

Building together: rethinking teacher wellbeing and career sustainability

During her Churchill Fellowship in Ghana, Dr Chiedza Ikpeh explored how teacher wellbeing grows through community, adaptability, and shared responsibility. Speaking with teachers, she how collective approaches help educators thrive, even in challenging conditions. Witnessing this resilience reshaped how she understands teaching and what allows careers to be sustained over time, and Chiedza is now bringing this learning into her research and development work with teachers across the UK.

By Chiedza Ikpeh, 12 February 2026

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Darren Way: From gang intervention to pioneering research unit

We spoke to Darren Way about how a Churchill Fellowship helped shape a new model of long-term youth intervention – from opening a charity with £10, two chairs, and an empty shopfront, to building Streets of Growth into a nationally recognised organisation supporting thousands of young people. Darren reflects on learning from pioneering community projects in the USA, putting that learning into practice in East London, and why he is now launching a research and policy centre to influence how youth harm prevention is understood, funded, and delivered in the UK.

By Darren Way, 5 February 2026

Blogs & conversations

Mark Damazer: Stepping into the role of chair

Mark Damazer reflects on his first weeks as Chair of the Churchill Fellowship, from reading and scoring this year’s applications to engaging with the scale, diversity, and generosity of ideas coming forward from across the UK. He shares how the Fellowship connects people rooted in communities nationwide, what he has learned from seeing the process up close, and his ambitions to build on this work – including through the Activate Fund – as the Fellowship enters its next chapter.

Blogs & conversations

Following the questions: a Fellow's journey

From an off-the-cuff question as a teacher to lasting change across policy and practice, Sarah Beresford traces how curiosity shaped her Churchill Fellowship and everything that followed. She reflects on learning from other countries, turning insight into action, and how asking the right questions has helped centre children’s voices in the criminal justice system.

By Sarah Beresford, 22 January 2026

Blogs & conversations

Supporting adolescent mental health in schools

Through his Churchill Fellowship, Charlie Samuda explored how schools in the USA, Canada, and South Korea are responding to the adolescent mental health crisis. Visiting over 30 organisations and schools, he examined how independent guidance, curriculum design, counselling, and safety systems can help schools support students more effectively. He reflects on what England could learn from these approaches as pressures on schools continue to grow.

By Charlie Samuda, 15 January 2026

Blogs & conversations

Supporting adolescent mental health in schools

Through his Churchill Fellowship, Charlie Samuda explored how schools in the USA, Canada, and South Korea are responding to the adolescent mental health crisis. Visiting over 30 organisations and schools, he examined how independent guidance, curriculum design, counselling, and safety systems can help schools support students more effectively. He reflects on what England could learn from these approaches as pressures on schools continue to grow.

By Charlie Samuda, 15 January 2026

Blogs & conversations

From Prisons to Community Studios: Fellows’ Blogs from 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we’ve selected a range of Fellows’ blogs that capture the learning and perspectives they shared throughout the year. Covering topics from domestic abuse and criminal justice to arts, health, and innovation, these reflections show how Fellows are applying international insights in practical ways across the UK. Together, they offer a window into the conversations and connections shaping their ongoing work.

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with Sophia Alexandra Hall: Empowering care-experienced voices in the media

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Sophia Alexandra Hall about how her Fellowship helped shape her trauma-informed interviewing toolkit, now used across major UK newsrooms. Drawing on her lived experience and 50 interviews in the USA, she reflects on the need for safer, more empowering media practices for care-experienced and other under-represented people. She also shares how this work has grown through training, conference speaking, and an expanding public platform at Big Issue.

By Sophia Alexandra Hall, 4 December 2025

Blogs & conversations

Later living that makes the most of every moment

Amid growing pressures across housing, health, and care, Churchill Fellows Graham Russell and Oona Goldsworthy argue that the lessons from their Fellowships – integrated commissioning, mixed communities, and stronger collaboration – are needed more urgently than ever. They highlight how Brunelcare, the care charity they both work at, is beginning to apply these approaches, from reablement and redevelopment to community-focused work that aims to improve later living.

By Graham Russell ~ Oona Goldsworthy, 20 November 2025

Blogs & conversations

Beyond the Beat: Building the Architecture for Creative Communities

Dominic Heslop’s Churchill Fellowship explored the “cultural architecture” that allows creativity to thrive and communities to heal, taking him to Jamaica, Berlin, and Athens – each offering lessons in resilience, expression, and collective care. Back in Sheffield, Dominic is embedding these insights into his grassroots organisation Slambarz, combining artistry with structure to support young people, build community, and show how creativity can strengthen wellbeing and identity.

By Dominic Heslop, 6 November 2025

Blogs & conversations

Improving care for those living and dying at society’s margins

Palliative care doctor Shaun Qureshi explores how the field can rekindle its original, radical spirit by addressing the inequities faced by marginalised people who remain under-served in current practice. His Churchill Fellowship took him to the USA and Canada, where he learned from centres of care for excluded groups and saw how trauma-informed, social justice, and inclusive approaches can be embedded into everyday work. His report sets out practical recommendations for building a system where everyone can access the palliative and end-of-life care they need.

By Shaun Peter Qureshi, 30 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

“Kindness and Goodwill”: Developing Postvention in Prison

With self-inflicted deaths in prisons remaining consistently high, Piers Barber set out to explore how prisons can respond with stronger postvention – systematic aftercare following a suicide. His Fellowship took him to New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, where he saw examples such as the embedded role of chaplains in New Zealand prisons, new trials in Australia, and trauma training models for staff in Canada. He is now sharing his reflections with UK practitioners and policymakers, calling for leadership, mapping of all contact points, and varied support to strengthen suicide prevention in custody.

By Piers Barber, 22 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Faith Yiminyi: Beyond the learning: a Churchill Fellowship’s lifelong influence

We spoke to Faith Yiminyi about her 2009 Churchill Fellowship, which took her to the United States to explore how dance companies could thrive and open opportunities for young people. At just 21, she set out to learn new styles, work with choreographers, and see how dance could build confidence and enrich communities. More than 15 years on, Faith reflects on how her Fellowship shaped her journey – from running her own dance school, to working in social care and cyber security, and now returning to dance as a board member of a community studio.

By Faith Yiminyi, 16 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

Scaling Suicide Prevention: Lessons for the UK from India, the USA, and Canada

In memory of his friend Olly, who died by suicide in 2017, Rory Keddie set out to explore how medical students can be better prepared to support people in crisis. His Fellowship took him to India, the USA, and Canada, where he learned from innovative approaches using technology, policy change, and university frameworks. Building on his work with the Dr SAMS project, which has already trained over 2,800 UK medical students, Rory is now working to expand training and engage policymakers so suicide prevention becomes a core part of every doctor’s education.

By Rory Keddie, 9 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

Scaling Suicide Prevention: Lessons for the UK from India, the USA, and Canada

In memory of his friend Olly, who died by suicide in 2017, Rory Keddie set out to explore how medical students can be better prepared to support people in crisis. His Fellowship took him to India, the USA, and Canada, where he learned from innovative approaches using technology, policy change, and university frameworks. Building on his work with the Dr SAMS project, which has already trained over 2,800 UK medical students, Rory is now working to expand training and engage policymakers so suicide prevention becomes a core part of every doctor’s education.

By Rory Keddie, 9 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

Renegade Guides: the places we go, the stories we share

Writer, guide, and founder of Living London, Saira Niazi spent her Churchill Fellowship in the USA exploring how tours and storytelling can be more inclusive, ethical, and community-focused. Her travels took her through 41 neighbourhoods, 32 guided tours, and 36 interviews with “renegade guides,” organisers, and storytellers, culminating in the creation of the Renegade Guides Handbook. Since its launch, Saira has been sharing her findings widely and continues to lead tours, write, and collaborate with communities.

By Saira Niazi, 2 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

Renegade Guides: the places we go, the stories we share

Writer, guide, and founder of Living London, Saira Niazi spent her Churchill Fellowship in the USA exploring how tours and storytelling can be more inclusive, ethical, and community-focused. Her travels took her through 41 neighbourhoods, 32 guided tours, and 36 interviews with “renegade guides,” organisers, and storytellers, culminating in the creation of the Renegade Guides Handbook. Since its launch, Saira has been sharing her findings widely and continues to lead tours, write, and collaborate with communities.

By Saira Niazi, 2 October 2025

Blogs & conversations

New programme aims to build prosperous, resilient economies across the UK

The Churchill Fellowship has launched a new programme – Building Prosperous, Resilient Economies – to support individuals with practical ideas for strengthening economic resilience in their communities. In this blog, Advisory Council Chair Lucy Parker, and Fellows Grace Harrison and John Barker, reflect on why this programme matters, what it hopes to spark, and how it’s rooted in lived experience, policy insight, and local action.

Blogs & conversations

Health, Homelessness, and Hope: Children in Temporary Accommodation

Monica Lakhanpaul’s Fellowship took her to Australia to explore how different systems respond to the health and wellbeing needs of children living in temporary accommodation. Back in the UK, her work has already helped launch the In Their Own Words report in the Scottish Parliament and continues through research, media, and international collaborations. She now hopes to build on this momentum to ensure that children’s voices are heard – and acted upon – in shaping a fairer future.

By Monica Lakhanpaul, 18 September 2025

Blogs & conversations

The environmental saviour that is… Donkey milk

As part of his Churchill Fellowship, Ross Watson travelled to the Balkans to see how four countries collaborate to remove invasive non-native plants along the 1000km Sava River. In Serbia’s Zasavica reserve, he found donkeys and horses grazing semi-ferally on invasive plants – turning a major environmental problem into prized products like milk, cheese, and soap. His Fellowship showed how being creative and using the right tools in the right way can bring environmental, economic, and community benefits – lessons he is keen to apply in the UK.

By Ross Watson, 11 September 2025

Blogs & conversations

From idea to award – what we learned from last year’s Churchill Fellowship applications

Abigail Campbell, Head of Fellowship, reflects on what we learned from the 2025 application round – from who applied and where they wanted to go, to the ideas that really stood out. She also shares what makes a strong application, and offers tips for anyone thinking of applying for a Churchill Fellowship in 2026. If you’re considering applying this year, Abigail’s reflections will give you an inside look at the process and some helpful advice to guide your journey.

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Antonia Charlton: How a Fellowship contributed to the televising of Parliament

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Antonia (Toni) Charlton about how her Fellowship helped pave the way for televising the House of Commons. Travelling to the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, Toni explored how parliaments overseas managed live broadcasting. Just weeks after her return, Parliament voted to trial televised Commons debates – and Toni was appointed BBC project manager to make it happen. She reflects on how the Fellowship shaped her career and fuelled her ongoing passion for public service broadcasting.

By Antonia M J Charlton, 21 August 2025

Blogs & conversations

Where the Churchill Fellowship magic happens

Tim Woodhouse travelled to Iceland, Slovenia, and the USA to explore how to reduce domestic abuse-related suicides. Here, he reflects not only on the people and projects he encountered during his travels, but on the impact that followed – from giving over 100 talks to frontline teams and securing national media coverage, to influencing policy discussions and beginning a PhD. As Tim writes, “the years after you return home is actually where the power of the Churchill Fellowship can kick in – and where all the magic can happen.”

By Tim Woodhouse, 7 August 2025

Blogs & conversations

How rural Canada is rethinking migration

Keith Ruffles travelled across Canada to explore how rural communities are using migration to reverse population decline. Over five weeks, he visited six towns taking part in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), meeting with local coordinators, federal agencies, and migrants like Natalia and Mohammad, who shared their experiences of settling in Canada. In this blog, Keith reflects on what the UK could learn from Canada’s community-driven approach to migration, and how the Fellowship gave him the time, space, and connection to explore these issues in depth.

By Keith Ruffles, 31 July 2025

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with Elizabeth Carrington: Championing new physiotherapy techniques for children

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Elizabeth Carrington about her 1973 Fellowship, which took her to Hungary, Switzerland, and Italy to explore new physiotherapy techniques for children with cerebral palsy and neurological disorders. She reflected on how the experience shaped her lifelong international career – from India to Yemen to the World Health Organization – and why she still feels so connected to the Fellowship more than 50 years on.

By Elizabeth Carrington, 10 July 2025

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with Elizabeth Carrington: Championing new physiotherapy techniques for children

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Elizabeth Carrington about her 1973 Fellowship, which took her to Hungary, Switzerland, and Italy to explore new physiotherapy techniques for children with cerebral palsy and neurological disorders. She reflected on how the experience shaped her lifelong international career – from India to Yemen to the World Health Organization – and why she still feels so connected to the Fellowship more than 50 years on.

By Elizabeth Carrington, 10 July 2025

Blogs & conversations

Giving Suicide a Language

I grew up without the words to talk about suicide – and didn’t speak about my own bereavement until my forties. My Fellowship set me on a path to change that, taking me to India and Canada to explore suicide prevention in communities like my own. Since then, I’ve joined a global network of preventionists, trained in early intervention, and started sharing what I’ve learned – from working with therapists to leading workshops with young people to help open up conversations.

By Anoo Bhalay, 19 June 2025

Blogs & conversations

Advancing Sexual Self-Advocacy for Adults with Learning Disabilities

Sue Sharples travelled to the USA and Canada to explore new approaches to preventing sexual harm among adults with a learning disability – including linking self-advocacy skills to sexual rights education and using trauma-informed practice. Since returning, she has co-authored a training pack for social care staff and worked with learning disabled colleagues in Lancashire to develop a new sexual self-advocacy resource. Grounded in the belief that people should be their own first line of defence, it’s already helping people feel safer, better informed, and more in control.

By Sue Sharples, 19 June 2025

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with Emily Jenkins: Integrating Dance into Cancer Care

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Emily Jenkins about how dance can support women living with and beyond cancer. Emily shared how her Fellowship travels across Europe and the USA gave her space to connect with others working at the intersection of dance and health – and how those insights have helped shape her next steps. She reflects on the growth of her organisation, Move Dance Feel, and her mission to train other artists to deliver dance in cancer care, creating a wider community of practice that can reach more people in need of support.

By Emily Jenkins, 5 June 2025

Blogs & conversations

Bringing Rural Abuse into Focus: What survivors are telling us, and why we must listen

As part of my Fellowship, I travelled across rural regions in the USA, Canada, and Australia, connecting with experts and victim-survivors to explore how to improve safety and achieve equity. My learning and earlier conversations with Rhianon Bragg – a survivor whose story reveals deep cracks in our justice system – helped shape my focus post-Fellowship, laying the groundwork for a new social enterprise to raise the status of rural domestic abuse in public policy and support more coordinated, realistic responses.

By Judith Vickress, 29 May 2025

Blogs & conversations

A Lifetime in Paper and Cloth

Forty years on, my Churchill Fellowship to Japan to study traditional handmade paper still shapes how I think, create, and teach. It sparked a lifelong journey exploring paper, place and identity – one that continues to evolve as I balance creativity with care, and remain rooted in community and resilience.

By Cas Holmes, 22 May 2025

Blogs & conversations

Organising with Parents and Carers: Lessons from the US East Coast

Visiting cities across the East Coast of the USA, I explored how parent-led organising is creating change in education – from winning funding for school buildings to building trust between families and institutions. My Churchill Fellowship is now helping shape how we grow our Parent Power programme at The Brilliant Club, embedding lessons on community, leadership and long-term impact.

By Jimmy Pickering, 8 May 2025

Blogs & conversations

"If Not Us, Then Who?" Transforming Social Care

A BBC debate on the Assisted Dying Bill pushed me out of my depth – but my Churchill Fellowship had prepared me to feel the fear and do it because. What began as a modest research plan became a five-week tour across the USA, connecting with trauma institutes, service providers and experts. The relationships I built continue to shape my work today, including through Unique Connections – our growing effort to build a social care system grounded in love, belonging, and equity for people with intellectual disabilities.

By Beverley Samways, 1 May 2025

Blogs & conversations

From Wonder to Well-Being: Exploring the Power of Scent

What began as a creative experiment at Central Saint Martins has evolved into a wearable scent technology designed to support mental wellbeing. My Churchill Fellowship enabled me to explore how sensory fashion could be used to manage stress – learning that now underpins the development of Scent Bubble®, supported by NHS innovation partners and recently featured at London Fashion Week.

By Jenny Tillotson, 24 April 2025

Blogs & conversations

From Wonder to Well-Being: Exploring the Power of Scent

What began as a creative experiment at Central Saint Martins has evolved into a wearable scent technology designed to support mental wellbeing. My Churchill Fellowship enabled me to explore how sensory fashion could be used to manage stress – learning that now underpins the development of Scent Bubble®, supported by NHS innovation partners and recently featured at London Fashion Week.

By Jenny Tillotson, 24 April 2025

Blogs & conversations

Global Lessons from Domestic Abuse Fatality Reviews

My Churchill Fellowship took me to Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada and the USA to explore how fatality review systems can help prevent domestic abuse-related deaths. That learning now underpins my ongoing research and my new book ‘The Potential and Peril of Reviewing Domestic Abuse-Related Deaths’, which brings international insights into dialogue with current practice in England and Wales – highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of meaningful review.

By James Rowlands, 10 April 2025

Blogs & conversations

Global Lessons from Domestic Abuse Fatality Reviews

My Churchill Fellowship took me to Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada and the USA to explore how fatality review systems can help prevent domestic abuse-related deaths. That learning now underpins my ongoing research and my new book ‘The Potential and Peril of Reviewing Domestic Abuse-Related Deaths’, which brings international insights into dialogue with current practice in England and Wales – highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of meaningful review.

By James Rowlands, 10 April 2025

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with Cath Snow – Miscarriages of Justice: Improving Support for Survivors

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Cath Snow, survivor advocate at APPEAL, about her upcoming Fellowship to the USA. Her project explores how the UK’s approach to exonerees could be enriched by learning from American innocence networks. She’ll meet exonerees and grassroots organisations to understand how the UK could better support survivors of miscarriages of justice – not just at the point of release, but as they rebuild their lives.

By Cath Snow, 3 April 2025

Blogs & conversations

Empowering veterans and building stronger communities

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I explored how to develop sustainable mental health support for veterans and emergency responders. Since then, I’ve grown Veterans at Ease from an idea into a thriving charity, now supporting over 500 individuals with free, bespoke psychotherapy. We’re continuing to expand, training new therapists from the armed forces and emergency services communities and working with partners to provide holistic support for those facing trauma and mental health challenges.

By Garreth Murrell, 27 March 2025

Blogs & conversations

How the UK can learn from impact media platforms in the USA and India

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I explored how impact media platforms in the USA, India, and Sri Lanka are funded, structured, and sustained. Meeting over 100 media leaders, I saw thriving models that blend philanthropy, individual support, and social enterprise to drive democratic engagement and social change. The UK faces real challenges in sustaining independent impact media, but by learning from these approaches, we can develop new funding models, strengthen governance, and build a more resilient sector.

By Caroline Diehl, 13 March 2025

Blogs & conversations

Celebrating World Book Day

This World Book Day, we’re celebrating the power of books to share knowledge, spark ideas, and inform understanding—something that Churchill Fellows do across every sector. From science education and sustainable fashion to grief and wellbeing, many Fellows have written, published, and been featured in books that bring fresh perspectives to some of the UK’s most pressing issues. Whether exploring solutions to global challenges or sharing personal stories, their books are one of the ways they create impact, translating their learning into action.

Blogs & conversations

Pioneering Wellness in the UK

My Churchill Fellowship in 1987 took me to the USA, where I explored the growing field of exercise and health science, learning from pioneers like Kenneth Cooper. Inspired by what I saw, I introduced the UK’s first Wellness programme at Bristol University and helped launch a master’s in Exercise and Health Science. I’m proud to have played a part in the development of Wellness in the UK, and my work continues with the Foundation for Leadership through Sport, bringing leadership development to sport, business, and beyond.

By Robert Reeves, 27 February 2025

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Laura Wyatt-Smith: Exploring the effects of smartphones on childhood

We spoke with Laura Wyatt-Smith about her Churchill Fellowship exploring the effects of smartphones on childhood. From Silicon Valley to Europe, she investigated how parents, educators, and tech experts are responding to the digitalisation of childhood. Now, she is sharing her findings through talks, workshops, and an upcoming book, helping parents navigate this issue with practical guidance.

By Laura Wyatt-Smith, 20 February 2025

Blogs & conversations

Investigative Genetic Genealogy: A New Era for UK Policing

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I explored how Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) could provide long-overdue answers to families and transform UK policing. By learning from experts in the USA, Canada, and Sweden, I examined how IGG can be implemented ethically and effectively within the UK’s legal framework. With growing momentum for its use, I’m committed to advocating for responsible adoption – ensuring this powerful tool can be used responsibly to deliver justice.

By Emma Beddall, 12 February 2025

Blogs & conversations

Reflections on my first year at the Churchill Fellowship

Reflecting on his first year as a Fellowship Officer, Usman Farid shares highlights of his experience guiding potential Fellows through the application process. He discusses helping projects evolve, applying key grant-making principles, the challenges and rewards of the longlisting process, and the excitement of supporting applicants and watching them drive change in their communities.

Blogs & conversations

Reflections on my first year at the Churchill Fellowship

Reflecting on his first year as a Fellowship Officer, Usman Farid shares highlights of his experience guiding potential Fellows through the application process. He discusses helping projects evolve, applying key grant-making principles, the challenges and rewards of the longlisting process, and the excitement of supporting applicants and watching them drive change in their communities.

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Sangeeta Mahajan: Championing suicide prevention and bereavement support

Five years on from her Fellowship, we spoke with Churchill Fellow Sangeeta Mahajan about how her profound loss inspired her mission to improve suicide prevention. Sangeeta shares insights from her research in the USA and Australia, the gaps she identified in UK care systems, and her efforts to create lasting change through education, peer support, and advocacy.

By Sangeeta Mahajan, 23 January 2025

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with Lucy Vincent: Improving food quality and culture in UK prisons

We spoke with Churchill Fellow Lucy Vincent, founder of the charity Food Behind Bars, about her journey from journalist to campaigner and her vision for improving food quality and culture in UK prisons. Lucy shares insights from her Churchill Fellowship research in Scandinavia, the challenges facing UK prison catering, and her plans to support prison catering teams through training and a new podcast.

By Lucy Vincent, 9 January 2025

Blogs & conversations

Highlights of 2024

Our Chairman, Jeremy Soames, reflects on a year of growth and achievement for The Churchill Fellowship, including concluding our work on Migration, launching new programmes in Education and Health, and welcoming 134 new Fellows. Looking ahead, Jeremy shares exciting plans for our 60th anniversary in 2025.

Blogs & conversations

Exploring community-based approaches for women impacted by the justice system

At One Small Thing, I work to explore solutions to reduce the number of women entering prison by promoting community-based approaches. My Churchill Fellowship next year will take me to Canada, Germany, and Finland to learn how others are addressing similar challenges and inspiring policymakers to reimagine justice for women. I’m eager to connect with changemakers globally and share insights on creating a system that prioritises community over custody.

By Sarah Smith, 12 December 2024

Blogs & conversations

Adultifying Black Girls

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I explored how Black girls are adultified in state care – from their relationships with parents to social work practices and transitions to independent living. Travelling to the USA and Canada, I engaged with researchers and practitioners, uncovering how adultification affects Black girls and identifying potential solutions. My findings highlight the need to move beyond tick-box approaches in social work and recognise the strengths Black girls develop despite these challenges. I’m now sharing these insights through CPD sessions, campaigns, and my ongoing PhD, with the hope of driving meaningful change for children affected.

By Sylvia Ikomi, 5 December 2024

Blogs & conversations

Rethinking Mosque Spaces in Shaping British Muslim Identity

My Fellowship explored how mosque architecture in the UK influences the identity of young British Muslims, focusing on design and diversity. I examined the challenges of blending traditional Islamic architecture with British styles and the impact of mosque politics on community building. Through my research, which involved studying best practices in Canada, South Africa, and the USA, I developed key recommendations with the aim of inspiring a new approach to mosque spaces that reflects a 21st-century Western context.

By Abdullah Geelah, 28 November 2024

Amy Davies
Blogs & conversations

Improving the housing experience for older LGBTQ+ people

I’d known about the Churchill Fellowship for years, but my journey began while watching Drag Race Spain last year, where I learned about Fundación 26 de Diciembre, an organisation supporting older LGBTQ+ people in Madrid. This inspired me to apply for a Fellowship, and I was awarded funding to visit LGBTQ+ housing and care projects in Spain, France, Germany, and study online with groups in Sweden and the USA. I’m excited to bring back what I learn to improve housing and care experiences for older LGBTQ+ people here in the UK.

By Amy Davies, 14 November 2024

Blogs & conversations

Addressing Moral Injury in Ukrainian Veterans

Visiting the military graveyard in Lviv, I was struck by the endless lines of graves adorned with the yellow and blue flag of Ukraine, a reminder of the nobility and futility of war. Working with the HopeFull charity on the 'Hope for the Wounded' project, we aim to create a network of 140 rehabilitation centres where veterans can freely articulate their experiences within a safe and trusted environment. This programme balances body, soul, spirit, and material needs, guiding veterans toward a new future defined by meaningful purpose while recognising their unique challenges, hopes, and dreams.

By Simon Edwards, 31 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with: Carole Phillips – ongoing influence of a Fellowship

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Carole Phillips about her journey since receiving a Fellowship ten years ago. As an anti-bullying advocate, Carole shares how her experiences have shaped her work in promoting children's wellbeing. Her Fellowship took her to the USA to study the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme, inspiring her to develop a finalist anti-bullying programme in Wales’s Police Community Awards. Now with Jigsaw Education Group, she supports schools in implementing PSHE content while continuing her advocacy for children affected by bullying.

By Carole Phillips, 24 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation with: Carole Phillips – ongoing influence of a Fellowship

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Carole Phillips about her journey since receiving a Fellowship ten years ago. As an anti-bullying advocate, Carole shares how her experiences have shaped her work in promoting children's wellbeing. Her Fellowship took her to the USA to study the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme, inspiring her to develop a finalist anti-bullying programme in Wales’s Police Community Awards. Now with Jigsaw Education Group, she supports schools in implementing PSHE content while continuing her advocacy for children affected by bullying.

By Carole Phillips, 24 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Mark Brookes – shining a spotlight on disability hate crime

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Dr Mark Brookes, advocacy lead at Dimensions, who will soon travel to the USA for his Fellowship, where he will share his insights on hate crime reporting and its connection to learning disabilities. With over 20 years of advocacy experience, Mark emphasises the challenges individuals with learning disabilities face when reporting hate crimes and highlights the significant achievements his work has led to, as well as his hopes for improving hate crime reporting and outcomes for disabled individuals in the UK.

By Mark Brookes, 17 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Mark Brookes – shining a spotlight on disability hate crime

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Dr Mark Brookes, advocacy lead at Dimensions, who will soon travel to the USA for his Fellowship, where he will share his insights on hate crime reporting and its connection to learning disabilities. With over 20 years of advocacy experience, Mark emphasises the challenges individuals with learning disabilities face when reporting hate crimes and highlights the significant achievements his work has led to, as well as his hopes for improving hate crime reporting and outcomes for disabled individuals in the UK.

By Mark Brookes, 17 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Pete Donnelly – building innovation through lived experience of disability

We spoke to Churchill Fellow Pete Donnelly about his journey from a life-changing accident to empowering disabled communities. Pete shared insights from his Fellowship travels to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, where he learned how the disabled community there use their lived experience to drive social impact. He reflects on the barriers disabled innovators face and the need to give them control over the products and services they use, while highlighting his mission to influence system change in the UK.

By Pete Donnelly, 10 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

Counting for change on National Poetry Day

"Today is National Poetry Day and the theme for 2024 is ‘Counting’. I am a poet, a Churchill Fellow and I can count to ten." In her poem for National Poetry Day, Hannah Stanislaus shares her journey as a poet and proud Churchill Fellow, celebrating the transformative power of poetry in education. She reflects on her experiences and advocates for poetry to be recognised as a separate subject in schools.

By Hannah Stanislaus, 3 October 2024

Blogs & conversations

World afro day and supporting clients with alopecia

In 2017, UK thought-leader Michelle de Leon founded World Afro Day – a global celebration and liberation of Afro hair and identity that takes place annually on 15th September. This initiative brings attention to the cultural significance of Afro hair and highlights ongoing discrimination faced by Black people in the UK. As someone living with alopecia, I felt a personal connection to this topic, which led me to apply for a Churchill Fellowship.

By Jo-Anne Weekes, 25 September 2024

Blogs & conversations

Finding hope for the long-haul

In the early hours of 14 June 2017, I was awoken by the sirens and looked out of my bedroom window to see Grenfell Tower ablaze. Even on that day I knew that our lives had changed forever. As a local resident and Church Worker at Latymer Community Church situated in the shadow of the Tower I was deeply affected by the fire. As the months turned to years, I felt that we desperately needed hope for the long haul and so I applied for a Churchill Fellowship.

By Mary White, 19 September 2024

Blogs & conversations

Starting the conversation to help prevent suicide

For this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and World Health Organization are encouraging people all over the world to ‘start the conversation’ to help break down the stigma associated with suicide. The value of open conversations is what first got me involved in suicide prevention.

By Rhea Newman, 10 September 2024

Blogs & conversations

Paying it Forward: The Role of the Thinking Partner

Julie Stokes OBE (CF 1992), who recently gave the keynote speech at our Award Ceremony, carried out her Churchill Fellowship while working as a clinical psychologist in palliative care. She credits her Fellowship with not only helping her NHS work supporting bereaved children but also her career journey and trajectory, from founding the leading children's charity Winston's Wish to her current role as an executive coach and consultant clinical psychologist.

By Julie Stokes, 5 September 2024

Blogs & conversations

Supporting a Future Without Violence

Reflecting on the past year, I’m amazed at how quickly I’ve gone from theory to implementation. My Churchill Fellowship journey took me across the USA, where I explored the Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) programme and saw first-hand its potential to address issues like misogyny and violence against women. Now, with a successful pilot in Northern Ireland and plans to train more community advocates, I’m thrilled to see it becoming a catalyst for change.

By Nicole Devlin, 29 August 2024

Blogs & conversations

Tackling employment barriers for young people with disabilities

Young people with disabilities, despite their skills and determination, face daunting barriers to employment, with job rates significantly lower than their peers. My work and personal journey, including insights from my Churchill Fellowship, highlight how small, reasonable adjustments can make all the difference in unlocking this highly qualified talent pool.

By Tracey Francis, 14 August 2024

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation With: Christopher Roads - The complexities of saving coral reefs

The devastation of coral reefs due to warming seas, pollution, and predation has been a concern since the late 60s, when a group of eminent scientists led by Churchill Fellow Dr Christopher Roads began studying Red Sea coral reefs. We spoke to Dr Roads about his 13 years leading this scientific research group studying tropical marine biology, and his reflections on where we are today.

Blogs & conversations

In Conversation With: Christopher Roads - The complexities of saving coral reefs

The devastation of coral reefs due to warming seas, pollution, and predation has been a concern since the late 60s, when a group of eminent scientists led by Churchill Fellow Dr Christopher Roads began studying Red Sea coral reefs. We spoke to Dr Roads about his 13 years leading this scientific research group studying tropical marine biology, and his reflections on where we are today.

Blogs & conversations

Building a culture of belonging through workplace accessibility

My experience of being fired after requesting a reasonable adjustment showed me just how much of a problem workplace accessibility truly is. Inspired by this, I undertook a Churchill Fellowship to explore best practices in inclusion, engaging with global leaders to embed these principles and create trusting environments for disabled employees.

By Rachael Mole, 1 August 2024

Blogs & conversations

Building a culture of belonging through workplace accessibility

My experience of being fired after requesting a reasonable adjustment showed me just how much of a problem workplace accessibility truly is. Inspired by this, I undertook a Churchill Fellowship to explore best practices in inclusion, engaging with global leaders to embed these principles and create trusting environments for disabled employees.

By Rachael Mole, 1 August 2024

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Abi Nolan - From yoga to circle-based therapy and beyond

In 2023, the London-based yoga teacher and social impact founder finally managed to undertake her Fellowship first awarded in 2019, visiting Colombia and Alaska where she studied organisations supporting displaced people (Colombia) and Alaskan native community through circle-based restorative practice, a method Abi herself has been exploring.

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Abi Nolan - From yoga to circle-based therapy and beyond

In 2023, the London-based yoga teacher and social impact founder finally managed to undertake her Fellowship first awarded in 2019, visiting Colombia and Alaska where she studied organisations supporting displaced people (Colombia) and Alaskan native community through circle-based restorative practice, a method Abi herself has been exploring.

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with : Tim Holtam - How table tennis can create a more inclusive society

It is hard to imagine how two old table tennis tables and a couple of bats could be the start of a highly successful and truly inclusive, multicultural sports club for an entire community. But from these humble origins, what began as a small venture for a Sussex University student, who wanted to bring ‘ping pong’ to the youth of Brighton, has turned into a thriving organisation.

Photograph of Churchill Fellow Saeida Rouass
Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Saeida Rouass - Exploring the impacts of far right violence on women

When Saeida Rouass applied for a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to investigate the impact of violent extremism on women, in particular survivors of white supremacist groups and violence, she was surprised to find the connections between racially motivated violence and gender-based violence. The learnings from Saeida’s Fellowship, and 28 other Fellows, have gone on to help inform the Churchill Fellowship’s Migration report due to be published shortly.

By Saeida Rouass, 24 January 2024

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Anna Wardley - Being a Churchill Fellow is like having a superpower

A passionate believer in how those with lived experience can bring social issues to the fore, Churchill Fellow Anna Wardley (CF 2019) spoke to us about her own personal Fellowship journey and the advice she would give to people thinking of applying. In 2022 supported by her Fellowship work and connections she had made, Anna set up the Luna Foundation to transform the way young people are supported after suicide bereavement, particularly after the death of a parent or primary caregiver.

Blogs & conversations

In conversation with: Anna Wardley - Being a Churchill Fellow is like having a superpower

A passionate believer in how those with lived experience can bring social issues to the fore, Churchill Fellow Anna Wardley (CF 2019) spoke to us about her own personal Fellowship journey and the advice she would give to people thinking of applying. In 2022 supported by her Fellowship work and connections she had made, Anna set up the Luna Foundation to transform the way young people are supported after suicide bereavement, particularly after the death of a parent or primary caregiver.

Blogs & conversations

Finding the beauty in illness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year’s campaign is focusing on raising awareness around secondary breast cancer. In this powerful blog, Churchill Fellow, Lottie Barnes (CF 2020) talks through her second primary cancer diagnosis and how it interrupted her Fellowship journey but inspired her to challenge perceptions around the imagery of illness. Photographed in chronological order (2021-22), with a high-fashion, photo shoot aesthetic, ‘Finding the Beauty in Illness’ documents and interprets an eight to nine-month journey of chemotherapy and mastectomy to convalescence and beyond.

By Lottie Barnes, 11 October 2023

Blogs & conversations

How a Local Currency is transforming Brazil’s High Streets

I believe local currencies, like the system in Marica, can be a powerful business development model for towns and villages in the UK, especially those losing out to online sales or nearby large cities. They can support community wealth building and circular economy initiatives and give power back to communities when making spending decisions.

By Patrick Brown, 3 October 2023

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