December 2024 Fellows' update: Melanie Vaxevanakis
Melanie Vaxevanakis was nominated as a Community Champion at the 2025 BBC Food and Farming Awards for her work with The MAZI Project.
By Melanie Vaxevanakis, 4 December 2024
Fellow’s Profile
Fellow’s Profile
Preventing inequality by investing in food education and community spaces
Preventing social inequality by investing in community spaces and food education.
2023
South West
I am Founder and Managing Director of The MAZI Project.
My Fellowship will explore ways to tackle social inequality through food and community-led projects, specifically for ages up to 25 in areas of deprivation. It will delve into the importance of investing in a better food education system and creating community spaces to bring people together. I hope to learn about and implement new ways for food to help combat social inequality through partnerships with schools and community organisations.
I was raised in Athens, where food is central to our culture. I've lived through financial struggle when my mum was raising me and I am now the founder of The MAZI Project, a youth-led CIC empowering disadvantaged young people through food. I founded the organisation in March 2021 in response to the 'free school meal' scandal. Since then, I have worked closely with vulnerable young people to see at first hand the struggles they face, how access to fresh food can empower them and how creating inclusive communities can tackle social inequality.
Melanie Vaxevanakis was nominated as a Community Champion at the 2025 BBC Food and Farming Awards for her work with The MAZI Project.
By Melanie Vaxevanakis, 4 December 2024
Melanie Vaxevanakis has been accepted into a master's programme at the University of Bristol, where she will study Education (Policy and International Development) starting this September.
By Melanie Vaxevanakis, 29 August 2024
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
Melanie Vaxevanakis was nominated as a Community Champion at the 2025 BBC Food and Farming Awards for her work with The MAZI Project.
By Melanie Vaxevanakis, 4 December 2024
Melanie Vaxevanakis has been accepted into a master's programme at the University of Bristol, where she will study Education (Policy and International Development) starting this September.
By Melanie Vaxevanakis, 29 August 2024
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.