Churchill Fellows offer their views and advice on topical issues, based on global research and UK activities.
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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.
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.
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
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, 2024
"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, 2024
"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, 2024
