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Alisons son Joshua was murdered in 2013. Her resilience, strength and power while being traumatised os inspirational. She has educated over 1.5 million people around the reality or knife crime saving and inspiring many. Alison Cope lost her son Joshua in 2013. Since then she has dedicated her life to educating 1.5 million people across the UK. She inspires communities and people to talk about knife crime and youth violence. Alison has more strength and resilience than anyone else Alison J Cope know. She does this with little support and doesn't stop. 70 hour weeks, trauma and pain.

Aminah Michelle and The Coffee Morning Space has been nominated for their outstanding contribution to women and the wider community through the weekly space. Born from personal experience and a desire to ensure no woman feels alone, The Coffee Morning SPACE has grown into a welcoming, compassionate community where women can connect, build confidence, share experiences and feel truly seen. The founder has transformed her own experience of domestic abuse into purpose, using her journey to empathise with and empower countless other women. Now entering its fourth year, The Coffee Morning SPACE has maintained two years of weekly Tuesday.

Angels United is a Greater Manchester bereavement charity turning loss into legacy through football, friendship and community. What began in 2020 with just 13 bereaved dads supporting one another has grown into a registered charity that has supported more than 100 families, while never charging a bereaved parent to attend a support session. Around 50 weekly sessions are delivered each year alongside monthly WalkNTalks, matches and family activities, creating a community where people can talk, listen or simply be around others who understand. Angels United's impact now reaches hospitals, hospices and future healthcare professionals.

Asia Banger is an exceptional leader whose work has helped transform one of the UK's most iconic beverage brands while demonstrating the power of innovative, purpose-driven leadership. As Brand Manager at Carlsberg Britvic, she has successfully combined strategic thinking, consumer insight and creative excellence to drive the continued growth and cultural relevance of the Tango brand. Through product innovation, award-winning campaigns and impactful partnerships, she has consistently delivered results while strengthening meaningful connections with consumers. Asia's leadership goes beyond commercial performance.

SEND Protect Academy CIC was born from one mum’s question: “What will happen to Care and Lisa Fom SEND Protect's child when Care and Lisa Fom SEND Protect is no longer here?”. Founded by mums Cara Roughani and Lisa Chauhan, SEND Protect grew from Cara’s personal journey raising her autistic son, Jayden, and her determination to make the information she struggled to find easier for other SEND families to access. Since launching in 2024, SEND Protect has reached 1,500+ parents, carers and families, delivered 80+ free webinars, events and community sessions, built relationships with 60+ charities, schools and community organisations.

Cast is a theatre with a much bigger purpose: creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds, generations and circumstances to connect, participate and belong. As a registered charity and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, Cast reaches more than 120,000 visitors and almost 14,000 participants, while working with more than 80 community organisations. Its Citizens of the World programme brings refugees, migrants and local people together through creativity; Doncaster People’s Theatre connects generations; and its commitment to accessibility helps remove barriers for disabled and D/deaf communities. In 2026, Waiting in the Wings brought these ambitions together, enabling around 60 locals.

CAV – Communities Against Violence CIC is a grassroots organisation dedicated to preventing violence, supporting young people and families, and strengthening communities through education, mentoring, advocacy and collaboration. Since becoming a registered CIC in 2024, CAV has developed youth mentoring, community outreach, parent and bereavement support, Community Action Days and creative violence prevention initiatives across England. CAV is particularly committed to supporting families affected by serious violence, including establishing a bereaved mothers support group where mothers who have lost children to violence can connect, feel understood and support one another. Working alongside police, councils, schools, charities, health services and grassroots.

Chanel Morrison-Jolley is being nominated for her exceptional dedication, grassroots innovation, and profound impact on young people aged 8 to 25. Chanel has revolutionized local youth provisioning by blending authentic modern culture with structural support, offering high-quality creative arts, professional studio time, and sports mentoring entirely free of charge. Beyond recreational programs, she actively drives youth employment by hiring and mentoring local school leavers, equipping them with vital career skills. Chanel's selfless commitment to her community extends into systemic advocacy. She holds two crucial school governorships and works closely with the University of Birmingham's DEFINE research team as a powerful team.

Strength With In Diahanne Rhiney Foundation (SWIM) is a registered charity working to prevent domestic abuse by giving young people the knowledge, confidence and emotional tools to recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships. Founded from lived experience, SWIM takes prevention into schools and communities, addressing domestic abuse, self-esteem, resilience, boundaries, misogyny, peer pressure, social media and online abuse. Its distinctive approach asks us not only to support people once abuse has occurred, but to educate young people early enough to recognise warning signs, understand their self-worth and make informed relationship choices. Through interactive and creative workshops, community engagement and youth participation.

Dominic Hurley BEM is being nominated for his outstanding, sustained contribution to charity and community. Having survived a severe traumatic brain injury at 21 and spent three months in a coma, Dominic rebuilt his life and has dedicated himself to helping others. He has raised more than £100,000 for charity, principally supporting Headway, and received the British Empire Medal for services to charity and the community. He continues to engage businesses and develop fundraising opportunities, including securing 30 donated exercise bikes for fundraising in support of Headway Rotherham.

Foundations4TheFuture CIC is transforming the lives of young people across Birmingham and the West Midlands through mentoring, education, wellbeing support and positive intervention. Founded in 2017 by Aaron Forde and Calum Dwyer, what began with two people determined to create better opportunities for young people has grown into a team of 17 supporting some of the region’s most vulnerable and hard-to-reach young people. Its mentoring work has positively impacted more than 3,000 young people, working across mainstream schools, Alternative Provisions and Pupil Referral Units to build confidence, raise aspirations and help young people overcome barriers that could otherwise define their future.

Heduca Awareness C.I.C.C. is a volunteer-driven organisation transforming personal adversity into community empowerment. Founded by Christiana Naa Kwarley Hansen, HEDUCA is dedicated to ensuring that no woman or girl suffers in silence. Through health education, advocacy and community engagement, HEDUCA raises awareness of reproductive health conditions, challenges cultural stigma and supports the mental and physical wellbeing of women and girls. Its achievements include delivering a successful health conference attended by 142 people in March 2026, followed by its September Women, Girls and Youth Conference, bringing together healthcare professionals, community leaders, volunteers and women with lived experience.

Helen is nominated for her outstanding contribution to improving the lives of parents and caregivers of children and adults with disabilities through her work as Founder of Obimi CIC. Drawing on over 13 years’ experience as a Social Worker alongside her lived experience as a parent, she has built a trusted organisation providing advocacy, wellbeing support, education and practical guidance. Through workshops, one-to-one support, webinars and community events, she has empowered hundreds of families to navigate complex SEND systems, access essential services and feel less isolated. Helen has also pioneered innovative wellbeing initiatives such as Brunch & Unwind, Pause & Reset and Sip & Crochet, creating safe, inclusive spaces where caregivers can prioritise their mental health and reduce isolation.

Joanne Alexander is being nominated for her sustained commitment to supporting children, vulnerable women and the wider community. She has helped provide access to drama, dance and other creative activities, giving children opportunities to develop confidence, skills and self-expression. She has also contributed to Caribbean Carnival and community events, helping celebrate culture, strengthen community connections and bring people together. Her work with vulnerable women involved in prostitution demonstrates compassion and practical commitment, supporting them to explore safer and more stable alternatives. Alongside this, Joanne has undertaken fundraising activities for charitable causes, helping raise money and awareness for people and organisations in need.

Young Gloves Karate is far more than a karate club. For more than 25 years, it has built a community around confidence, inclusion, teamwork and helping others. Founded by Justin Thomas BEM in 1999, the club has grown to around 150–200 members and has helped more than 5,000 people learn martial arts. Alongside teaching karate, Young Gloves has created a remarkable culture of giving, raising almost £90,000 for charity, with 100% of fundraising proceeds donated to good causes. For around five years, the club has also provided monthly disability karate at Leapgate Activity Centre, adapting sessions to ensure people with disabilities can participate, build confidence and feel part of a team.

Keiren Thompson is the founder of Helping Kids Achieve, a Nottingham-based organisation dedicated to giving young people positive alternatives to crime, violence and antisocial behaviour. After being seriously injured in a gang attack as a teenager, Keiren chose to turn that experience into a force for good. He invested his own time, money and energy into creating safe spaces where young people could access sport, mentoring, positive role models and opportunities to grow. Through Helping Kids Achieve, Keiren has supported hundreds of young people, helping them build confidence, discipline, aspiration and a sense of belonging. His work has included basketball, football, boxing, BMX and multi-sports programmes, with some young people progressing into volunteering and leadership roles themselves.

KRYLA Culture CIC is a UK-based cultural organisation using the power of culture to connect communities, amplify Ukrainian voices and build lasting bridges between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Founded by cultural and community leaders Yuliia Ivanova and Liudmyla Sergiienko, KRYLA brings together an established network and years of grassroots experience. Through the work of its founders and partners, 200+ cultural events across 30+ UK cities and communities have reached more than 6,000 people, while the wider charitable work has raised over £37,000 to support Ukraine. From Ukrainian film screenings and international film marathons to concerts, exhibitions, theatre, heritage and educational programmes, KRYLA creates opportunities for Ukrainian and British communities to meet, participate and collaborate.

Learn Active Coaching CIC deserves this award because it is using lived experience to create systemic change and help reverse cycles of disadvantage within communities. Founded from experiences of childhood trauma and ACEs, its Directors recognise how trauma, poverty, exclusion, poor mental wellbeing and limited opportunities can become repeating cycles. Their mission is not simply to manage these challenges, but to intervene early, widen opportunity and help people create a different future. The impact is tangible. A former mentee who had previously been in prison has transformed his circumstances and is now a manager within a local business. Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds have experienced Wimbledon for the first time, challenging perceptions about where they belong and what they can achieve.

Life Transforming Fitness CIC is proving that fitness can transform far more than the body. It can transform confidence, wellbeing and entire communities. Beginning with grassroots community sessions, LTF has developed into a growing movement that has engaged more than 700 people, welcomes over 200 community participants every week and has delivered more than 2,250 sessions. Most importantly, its impact is measurable. 92% of participants report increased confidence, demonstrating that LTF’s influence extends well beyond physical fitness. Life Transforming Fitness CIC is a grassroots community organisation using physical activity as a powerful vehicle to improve confidence, mental wellbeing, social connection.

Lisa Goodchild has made an extraordinary contribution to charity and community through her tireless commitment to social mobility, youth empowerment and digital inclusion. As founder of the Digilearning Foundation, she has built one of the UK's most impactful initiatives supporting underserved young people into careers in digital, media and technology. Under her leadership, the charity has reached more than 100,000 young people, delivered hundreds of learning opportunities and created pathways into industries that were previously inaccessible to many. Drawing on her own experiences of overcoming adversity, Lisa has dedicated her life to ensuring that talent, not background, determines opportunity. Through education, mentoring and direct industry engagement, she has transformed the lives of countless young people while challenging systemic barriers to progression.

Loulou Johnson is being nominated because of her exceptional commitment to giving vulnerable people a genuine second chance. She works tirelessly to support individuals who have experienced homelessness, disadvantage or involvement with the criminal justice system, helping them overcome significant barriers to accessing safe and secure social housing. Lou’s greatest achievement is not simply helping people find accommodation; it is helping people rebuild their lives. She looks beyond a person’s past and sees their potential, treating individuals with dignity, compassion and respect when others may have written them off. Her determination to advocate for people with criminal records demonstrates her belief that past mistakes should not prevent someone from creating a positive future.

Lucas Gleed is a passionate charity volunteer, mental health advocate and community changemaker dedicated to making support more accessible and improving the lives of others. Despite facing significant challenges throughout his journey with Crohn’s disease, Lucas has used his experiences to champion mental health awareness, support people living with long-term health conditions and create meaningful change within his community. As IT Trustee and GDPR Lead for Wiltshire Treehouse, he voluntarily contributes his digital expertise to strengthen the charity’s operations and support its vital work with bereaved children and families. He is also a member of Crohn’s & Colitis UK’s Young Adults Advisory Panel, helping ensure young people’s experiences and perspectives are represented.

Made Running has transformed seven runners into a community of more than 3,000 people, with hundreds coming together every week. Built around the philosophy “No One Gets Left Behind”, Made provides three free weekly runs, removing financial and fitness barriers while creating an inclusive space where people can improve their wellbeing, build friendships and find belonging. Its impact now extends beyond running through the Made Hub, providing opportunities for training, networking and community activity. Made demonstrates the extraordinary things that can happen when movement becomes community, strangers become friends and everyone is given the opportunity to belong.

Man Dem in the Woods is a community initiative supporting men’s mental, physical and social wellbeing through outdoor activities, walking, connection and open conversation. It creates a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental environment where men can build friendships, reduce isolation and feel comfortable expressing their emotions. By bringing men together in nature, the initiative encourages meaningful conversations to develop naturally, helping participants feel heard, supported and understood. It challenges traditional perceptions of masculinity by showing that vulnerability is a strength and asking for help is positive. Man Dem in the Woods builds confidence, connection and resilience while creating a stronger, supportive community for men.

Marvin & Trevor Molloy; Together We Make A Difference (TWMAD) is being nominated because Marvin & Trevor Molloy has seen first-hand the passion, commitment and determination they bring to supporting children and young people, particularly those who need someone to genuinely believe in them and not give up. What inspires Marvin & Trevor Molloy most is how consistently the team goes above and beyond. This is not simply about delivering interventions or meeting targets. They care deeply about the individual child behind every referral, taking the time to build trust, understanding what is happening in their lives and finding ways to help them move forward.

Maxine Brooks Choir Director has demonstrated support for all the choir members and we have attended a number of community events to encourage a range of groups locally and nationally, raise funds for local charitable groups through Gospel Goes Charity. The choir performed at Edgbaston Cricket ground prior to the start of the first day of the Ashes Test match. Inspiring the next generation of song writers and praise and worship leaders through improving our vocal skills and sharing the Christian faith through song and drama to the local community. As the Pastor of The House of the Lord UK, in previous years those from the church went out to provide soup for the local homeless. Just after the pandemic the local church hall was used to give food and overnight shelter to the homeless during some of the very cold winter nights.

Migrant Integration & Language Academy CIC (MILA CIC) is a Birmingham-based community organisation helping migrants and families overcome barriers, build confidence and feel part of their local communities. Founded in 2022 in response to the needs of newly arrived Ukrainian families, MILA has grown into a wider organisation supporting migrant and Central and Eastern European communities across Birmingham and Sandwell. Its work includes community-based ESOL, welfare and Information, Advice and Guidance support, supplementary education, wellbeing activities and community events. MILA makes support accessible by delivering services in trusted local venues and providing multilingual guidance. Its projects have achieved strong participation, including ESOL provision with over 80% attendance, oversubscribed community services and an International Children’s Day celebration attended by more than 500 people.

Muhanad Al Jama is being nominated because his life and work are a powerful example of resilience, compassion and service. As a Kurdish refugee from Syria, he fled with his family through northern Iraq and Turkey, crossed the sea to Greece in a small boat, spent two difficult years there, travelled through Germany, and eventually found safety in Edinburgh. Throughout his journey, Muhanad has supported refugees and young people. In Iraq, Greece, Germany and northern France, he volunteered with organisations and community teams, helping refugees and young people facing difficult circumstances. Since 2021, as co-founder of the Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle he has helped five refugee families — three from Syria and two from Africa — settle in Edinburgh, providing practical support, integration and a sense of belonging.

Muslims in Public Policy (MIPP) is a Community Interest Company set up in 2023 to help close the stark gap in Muslim representation at senior levels of UK public service. MIPP runs a full cycle of impact: reaching over 250 students and graduates each year through its outreach initiatives, nurturing professionals through a mentoring and leadership programme now in its third cohort, and enabling senior leaders to give back through events, including its inaugural conference this July, which drew over 120 delegates and marked a real step-change in ambition for a largely volunteer-run organisation. What makes MIPP exceptional isn't just its outcomes, real career progression, new skills, and confidence for dozens of mentees, but the values underpinning them.

Nina Aouilk volunteer as her closed protection. Speaking out means Nina has put herself at risk as she speaks against cultural norms which is unheard of. Speaking out is a taboo and seen as disruptive. Nina Aouilk has listened to her retell her stories endless times without fear knowing the change her voice will make and watched victims and survivors wait to acknowledge her and thank her for allowing their voices to be brought forward. They don’t feel alone. They feel valid and supported. Her daughter and friend are co-founders and give endlessly. The organisation works closely with the police to rescue women and girls and give them shelter yet they do not talk about what they silently do.

Older Queer Voices is a multi-generational community platform with a specific focus on older LGBT+ people, founded by Raga D'silva and Nicola Fenton in May 2025 to address a significant gap: how we grow older and what we need to do so with dignity, visibility and belonging. In just over a year, Older Queer Voices has produced 30 podcast episodes, welcomed 212 people to its first Festival, recognised 10 Older Queer Icons and developed a national round table programme, including two events at the House of Commons. Research is central to its work. In partnership with LGBT Great, The Missing Picture examines LGBT+ ageing across work, community, health, housing, finance and identity, turning lived experience into evidence that can help influence change.

Mummy’s Day Out (MDO Gives Back CIC) is a grassroots organisation that has spent more than a decade making motherhood less isolating and communities stronger. Founded in 2015, MDO has grown from one mother’s vision into a trusted community supporting more than 10,000 mothers through 500+ events, wellbeing activities, workshops, family experiences, networking and practical support. Its impact extends far beyond bringing mothers together. MDO responds to real community needs, including during the cost-of-living crisis, while creating safe and inclusive spaces where mothers can build friendships, confidence and support networks. It also amplifies mothers’ voices in research, advocacy and conversations.

Rachael Smith is the founder of the Renfrewshire Ladies Social Group, a volunteer‑run community supporting nearly 3,000 women across Renfrewshire. The group is free to join, has no membership fees, and operates on a pay‑as‑you‑go model to keep activities accessible. Any woman in the group can create an event, making it a truly community‑led space that empowers women to shape their own social experiences. Rachael created the group to tackle loneliness, isolation, and confidence loss among women. Her leadership is compassionate, inclusive, and grounded in real understanding of the challenges women face. She has helped thousands of women rebuild confidence, form friendships, and reconnect with life. Her work has earned national recognition, including a Scottish Parliament Motion and the Scottish Civic Trust My Place Community Award. These honours reflect the genuine, measurable difference she makes to women’s wellbeing and community cohesion.

The support of each other as a team and the friendship they've built as well as the community bonds they've encouraged. The team supports each other to ensure each ROCUP run is Safe. They pre-plan and run routes before each Saturday community run to ensure it's appropriate. Most people who support Rocup are volunteers who add so much value to the team. Numbers of people attending changes each week which Rocup is sure of as a social enterprise who wants to encourage community and fitness that can be discouraging sometimes but they still show up.

Sandeep has made an outstanding contribution to charity and community through her unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusion and community empowerment. As the leader of BeDiverse, Carlsberg Britvic's multicultural ERG, she has helped create a workplace culture where people feel valued, represented and supported. Her leadership has strengthened inclusion across the organisation while encouraging meaningful engagement among employees from diverse backgrounds. Beyond the workplace, Sandeep has consistently connected corporate influence with community impact. Most notably, she led Carlsberg Britvic's support of EMERGE The ERG Community and the Celebrating Our Game: AFCON Experience, securing organisational support and drinks provision for an event.

Sandra Trew; One Love Luncheon Club, is being nominated for building a truly connected community where elders are cherished, supported, and never forgotten. We actively bring in trusted organisations to share expertise and advice, ensuring members receive the best care and guidance. Our dedicated community champion from ASDA has stood with us from day one, giving generously and becoming a beloved part of our club family. Sandra Trew collects surplus food from Lidl and Aldi, delivering it to local care homes and sheltered housing to ease hardship for those struggling most. Sandra Trew also personally delivers hot meals to elders who cannot attend, ensuring no one goes without nourishment.

Bangers n Mashup CIC has transformed an urgent COVID response into a lasting, innovative support network for some of Birmingham and Sandwell’s most vulnerable communities. Since 2020, the CIC has provided more than one million hot, nutritious meals, supported an average of 550 families every year, delivered 756 free cooking sessions, supported 25 hotels and family hubs, and reached 1,140 children during the 2026 summer holidays alone. But its impact goes far beyond food. With a small team of 5, Bangers and Mashup provides education, wellbeing support, life skills, confidence and pathways towards opportunity. At the heart of its success is Sarah's commitment to building long-lasting partnerships with organisations that share the CIC’s values.

Solihull Women’s Stride Squad CIC deserves this award for transforming a simple walk in the park into a trusted source of friendship, safety and support for thousands of women. Launched in May 2025, this entirely volunteer-led organisation has grown into a community of nearly 3,800 women. Its free weekly walks remove barriers created by cost, loneliness, anxiety, low confidence or fitness concerns. Trained volunteer Buddies welcome newcomers and ensure that nobody is left walking alone. SWSS helped unite more than 300 people through One Big Walk, delivered in collaboration with Men Walking and Talking. Separately, BBC Midlands Today featured its regular walks and highlighted their positive impact on women’s lives. With no paid team and no charge to attend, SWSS has created lasting friendships, improved wellbeing and helped women feel connected.

Emily Benita is nominating STAF; Something To Aim For, as they are an incredible organisation/charity. They help support, guide and mentor vulnerable creatives like Emily Benita with kindness patience empathy and understanding, not condescending or patronising. They helped Emily Benita to see Emily Benita's own qualities and celebrate Emily Benita's wins small and large ,helped Emily Benita to see Emily Benita's creative future when Emily Benita was feeling very low and felt Emily Benita had no purpose. They helped Emily Benita to see what Emily Benita did and to find the joy in creating again with gentle help support and mentoring.

Terri-Louise Brown believes every underrepresented person deserves a voice, and she has dedicated her life to making sure they have one. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2016 and facing profound personal loss soon after, Terri chose to turn her experience into purpose. She founded Talks With M.S. 1 of 2 Black-led registered charities, and Talks With, a grassroots Community Interest Company for people with all disabilities and conditions. Through the Empowerment Awards, her young carers programme and her community ambassadors, Terri champions those who are too often underrepresented, overlooked or left out of the conversation. As a new UCLH partner she is helping to shape the healthcare experience for patients, ensuring lived experience is heard where decisions are made.

John and James Makanjuola, The Maka Twins, have transformed cleaning from their profession into a powerful vehicle for community action. After experiencing homelessness, the brothers went on to build MAKAGROUP Services and create a social media platform followed by more than 500,000 people, with their transformational cleaning content reaching millions. But their story is about much more than social media success. Through their concept of “cleaning places nobody asked us to clean”, John and James voluntarily identify neglected public and community spaces and use their professional skills, equipment and time to transform them. Their work has taken them into playgrounds public spaces and community facilities, including supporting The Salvation Army to improve an outdoor space used by families experiencing the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Washing Machine Project CIC is a UK social enterprise tackling an overlooked global burden: the time, water and physical strain of washing clothes by hand where electricity and fixed plumbing cannot be assumed. Its Divya manual washing machine is shaped by community research and supported by partner-led delivery, training, monitoring and maintenance. In a six-month Kampala programme, average wash time among participating respondents fell from 138 minutes to 25 minutes; water use in a measured household and community-centre subgroup fell from 77 litres to 23 litres per wash. In Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, TWMP deployed 71 machines plus five spares across 39 settings, trained 98 people and reported 87% routine-maintenance independence at final monitoring.

For 20 years, Tom Clarke-Forrest MBE has dedicated his career to improving lives and strengthening communities through Sport 4 Life UK, which he founded in Birmingham. His belief that sport can build confidence, resilience, skills and opportunity has grown into sustained, measurable impact. Under Tom’s leadership, Sport 4 Life UK has supported more than 34,000 young people, helped over 22,000 towards positive futures, enabled more than 3,300 qualifications and, since 2014, supported 2,200 young people into education, employment or training. £14 million invested has generated more than £87 million in social value—over £6 for every £1 invested. Tom has built an evidence-led, values-driven charity that uses resources responsibly, reports impact transparently and collaborates with schools, employers, funders and grassroots organisations to create lasting change.

Growth, engagement, encouragement Community events and weekly classes, developing podcasts, and membership loyalty initiatives. Seeing the growth since they started. Even outside of the gym Community Events Podcast Loyalty members cards

Another outstanding achievement is Verral’s ability to use his growing media presence and public platform to open doors that create real change. Despite receiving recognition from major media outlets, Verral continues to push himself further rather than becoming complacent. He actively builds relationships with corporate companies, businesses and organisations, encouraging them to invest their resources, skills and assets into the community. Through these collaborations, he has helped turn neglected spaces and ideas into practical community facilities and projects. What makes this achievement particularly inspiring is that Verral doesn’t simply ask companies for donations — he creates partnerships that leave a lasting legacy within the community, helping restore spaces, provide facilities and build assets that people can continue to benefit from for years to come.

WE CAN Community CIC turns something most people consider waste into a resource for positive change.

Through the collection and recycling of aluminium drinks cans, WE CAN generates funds that are reinvested into food and essential items for people experiencing hardship, while simultaneously keeping valuable aluminium within the circular economy.

Founded from an idea Ryan had at just 10 years old, WE CAN has grown into a community movement involving residents, schools, businesses, clubs and community organisations across the West Midlands.

In September 2026 alone, WE CAN provided 2,456 food and essential items weighing approximately 932 kg to Anawim and Around Again Charity.

WE CAN demonstrates how thousands of seemingly insignificant individual actions can create substantial collective impact.

Its ambition is to build a sustainable local circular-economy model where recyclable resources generate environmental benefits while helping communities address local social needs.

An empty can is not rubbish. It is a resource, an opportunity and, in the right hands, a way of helping somebody.

Zita has stood the test of time, demonstrating determination, resilience, bravery, dedication and commitment to making the world a better place. Be it speaking on the links between climate change, migration, racism and displacement at COP21 in Paris or training and developing the next generation of trade union reps with a focus on those most marginalised , Zita has used her words and actions to make a difference to challenge corporations, world leaders and institutions and to mobilise and organise, promoting people, power and collective action as well as collective care. Refusing to give up or be silenced when threatened or harassed and using creativity as well as activism to promote equality, freedom, justice and rights.

Alicia Latoya Richardson is redefining what it means to build community within the creator economy. Through BlackCreateConnect and her leadership at FiveTwoNine, she connects Black and Global Majority creators with community, education, global brands, commercial partnerships and funding. Her BlackCreateConnect ecosystem reaches thousands, while her work has created opportunities involving brands and platforms including Adobe, Spotify, Pinterest, Canva and SXSW London. Alicia Latoya Richardson is an exceptional culture and community builder who has dedicated her work to creating spaces where Black and Global Majority creators can connect, develop, access opportunities and build sustainable careers.

Àrèmúorin is a multi-award-winning London-based artist, songwriter, writer, producer and humanitarian advocate who uses creativity to promote inclusion, dignity, faith and resilience. With more than 600 musical works registered with PRS, Àrèmúorin has built an extensive independent catalogue spanning jazz, soul, R&B, gospel and inspirational music. Professional achievements include performances at Ronnie Scott’s, Knebworth and The O2, radio support from UCB and Soul Food Gospel, and reaching the global Top 40 on All About Jazz. Àrèmúorin’s impact extends beyond entertainment. Projects supporting Epilepsy Action and St Mungo’s have used music to raise awareness of disability and homelessness. Through MercyfulGrace, Àrèmúorin also addresses mental wellbeing, discrimination and social exclusion while encouraging audiences to recognise their worth and pursue their purpose.

Camelle ilona Carter FRSA has spent more than 20 years creating platforms where people can be seen, heard and remembered. From building an international fashion community of 100,000+, to training 100+ magazine contributors, supporting dozens of authors and creating platforms for their voices, Camelle's work consistently creates opportunities for others. Today, through The Journaling Experience Podcast and FLOW Stories CIC, she continues that mission, amplifying voices and preserving stories across generations. Camelle builds platforms, not pedestals. Her success creates room for somebody else's success.

Carlos Tamale, Founder and CEO of Originally.Black, is an inspirational culture builder who is using entrepreneurship, technology and community to create greater visibility and opportunity for Black-owned businesses. Through Originally.Black, Carlos has built a growing network connecting hundreds of Black-owned businesses, helping entrepreneurs showcase their work, share their stories, reach new audiences and build meaningful connections. His vision goes beyond creating a business; he is building an ecosystem where Black entrepreneurs can support one another, collaborate and grow together. Carlos is particularly passionate about ensuring the people, cultures and journeys behind Black businesses are recognised and celebrated.

Cartier Olivia Charles is building a culture in which difference is not something professionals must overcome before they are allowed to lead. At 28, the Chartered Surveyor and youngest-ever member of RICS Governing Council connects generations – from children discovering the built environment to apprentices, university students, graduates, professionals and senior industry leaders. Her work spans five or more universities and 200+ students through one online programme alone, alongside schools, colleges and early-career audiences. Through talks, workshops, panels and keynote contributions across London, Portsmouth, Wales and Birmingham, Cartier raises awareness of opportunities while challenging assumptions around race, gender, age, motherhood and leadership.

Charmaine Hayden has spent her career building bridges into spaces where underrepresented communities have historically lacked access. From co-founding an agency championing ethnic and curve models and creating a community for female entrepreneurs, to becoming one of the few Black women leading a UK venture fund, Charmaine has consistently turned exclusion into opportunity. Her work now connects founders, investors and markets across the UK and Africa through investment, strategy and international partnerships. Recognised by Forbes and the Financial Times, Charmaine’s impact goes beyond representation.

Cynthia Torto is an outstanding culture builder whose impact has strengthened inclusion, belonging and representation across the organisations and communities she serves. As a senior leader at Shell, she has consistently used her influence to create environments where diverse talent can thrive, while helping drive meaningful progress in diversity, equity and inclusion. Through collaboration, advocacy and sustained leadership, she has helped transform culture into a strategic priority that delivers benefits for both people and organisations. Her commitment to creating equitable opportunities has been recognised through inclusion on the Empower Future Leaders Role Model List and through external recognition from the Women.

David Chipfupa founded AfroSocial after recognising the lack of culturally relevant spaces where Black professionals could build genuine relationships outside nightlife or religious settings. What began as a Manchester meetup has grown into a community of more than 4,000 people, with activity across multiple UK cities. David is now extending that impact through the Manchester Black Business Conference, connecting community with entrepreneurship and economic opportunity. He is not simply bringing people into rooms. He is building spaces where culture, community, career and opportunity can exist together. David Chipfupa is building spaces in which Black professionals, founders and creatives can connect.

David Stanley BEM has spent almost three decades changing the way people with learning disabilities are seen, heard and valued. From one music lesson in 1999, he built The Music Man Project into an international movement, creating opportunities for hundreds of musicians to perform, teach, lead and inspire others. His work has reached more than 20,000 school children through disability-awareness workshops, taken musicians to major stages including the Royal Albert Hall, and created partnerships with organisations including the Royal Marines Band Service, Royal Air Force Music Services and Salvation Army across eight countries and four continents. In 2025, David co-founded the International Alliance of Accessible Music, connecting organisations across 17 countries and creating a platform for knowledge, opportunity and leadership to grow beyond any single organisation.

For more than two decades, Deborah Ababio has helped shape culture from behind the scenes across fashion, entertainment and media. After rising to Global Entertainment Director at Vogue, she took her experience and relationships into entrepreneurship, founding AD Curated to connect talent, brands and communities more authentically. Through Cocktails & Conversations, she has also created space for discussions around representation, leadership, identity and personal growth. For more than two decades, Deborah Ababio has worked at the intersection of fashion, entertainment, talent and culture, helping shape some of the spaces, relationships and moments through which contemporary culture is experienced.

For more than two decades, Dellessa James has helped build the platforms through which Black British music and culture are heard, seen and invested in. After 16 years at the BBC and work with Apple Music, Dellessa joined Amazon Music UK and became a driving force behind +44, helping transform it from a playlist into a cultural platform spanning music, podcasts, original content, live experiences and artist development. She has also taught, mentored and developed emerging talent. Dellessa hasn’t simply secured a seat at the tables where cultural decisions are made. She has used her seat to ensure Black British culture has one too.

Dr Diahanne Rhiney is a culture builder, social entrepreneur and advocate who has spent more than three decades creating platforms that empower underrepresented women and young people. She founded The Baton Awards to give women from diverse racial backgrounds the visibility and recognition they deserve; Strength within Diahanne Rhiney Foundation to equip young people with knowledge about healthy relationships and domestic abuse prevention; and myCaroline to create a culturally relevant wellbeing community for Black and Black-heritage women navigating midlife. Her leadership is guided by a simple philosophy: “send the elevator back down.” For Diahanne, personal achievement has value when it opens doors for somebody else.

Elaine Grant has been nominated because for more than 40 years she has done what this award celebrates: she has opened doors, built bridges and created opportunities for people who have too often been left outside the cultural conversation. Her impact is both substantial and measurable. As Head of Access Programmes at Go Live Theatre, she created opportunities for hundreds of mainstream and SEND schools, reaching thousands of young people and families and helping many experience high-quality theatre for the first time. She has championed access to creative careers, believing young people should not only experience culture but see themselves as future creators and leaders within it.

Grant Dempsey is being nominated because he has built something that goes far beyond fitness. Through Banked Running and Banked HQ, he has created a community where people feel welcome, supported and genuinely part of something. What began as small local sessions has grown into a movement involving hundreds of people, with major events attracting 500+ participants and a community network of more than 800 people. In 2026, Grant launched Banked HQ, which quickly grew to more than 100 paying members, with hundreds of weekly attendances and regularly full classes. His impact is visible in the people around him: beginners becoming runners, members gaining confidence, friendships forming, families getting active together, children training through Banked Rebels and members travelling to competitions as one team.

Gurpri Bains is a culture builder who uses the power of sport, storytelling and community to create platforms, amplify voices and turn curiosity and 'why not' into meaningful engagement and change.
As Wolverhampton Wanderers’ first EDI Manager, Gurpri used the club’s influence to strengthen connections between football and the diverse communities of Wolverhampton. She spearheaded advocacy for a city-wide Windrush partnership, bringing Wolves, City of Wolverhampton Council and community organisations together. This collaboration culminated in Wolverhampton’s permanent Windrush Monument, creating a lasting legacy through public art, storytelling, heritage and education.
Gurpri also helped create the platform for Golden Black, Wolves’ first Black supporters’ group, and curated 'Reclaiming Our Narratives' reconnecting Wolves Black football pioneers with the club and ensuring their experiences formed part of its contemporary story.

Irene Agbontaen is a cultural leader, entrepreneur and founder of TTYA London who has spent more than a decade creating inclusive spaces across fashion, music and the creative industries. What began as a fashion brand addressing the exclusion of taller women has evolved into a global cultural platform through TTYA Talks, events, podcasts and community programming. Irene has consistently used her influence and network to amplify Black women, creatives and underrepresented voices. From London to Lagos and Accra, and now as a member of the SXSW London Advisory Council, Irene doesn't simply participate in culture, she helps build it.

Jackson Mclarty is the founder of Black Eats LDN, a pioneering platform transforming the visibility and commercial opportunities available to Black-owned food businesses. Since 2020, his work has supported hundreds of Black-owned businesses, welcomed more than 250,000 people to events and helped drive millions of pounds into independent businesses. What began as a directory has become a cultural ecosystem encompassing food, festivals, entrepreneurship and community. Jackson hasn’t simply encouraged Britain to celebrate Black food. He has built infrastructure that allows the people creating it to prosper. He has turned cultural visibility into a genuine economic opportunity for the community.

Jade Beckles is being nominated for her exceptional work building community, creating visibility and making space for people too often overlooked. In 2020, Jade founded Black Mums of Cheshire from a simple question: “Are you here too?” What began as a search for community has grown into a 300+ strong network supporting Black mothers through connection, representation, advocacy and education. Her impact extends beyond community building. As an EDI specialist, Jade uses her professional expertise and lived experience to challenge institutional barriers, champion underrepresented voices and advocate for more inclusive workplaces and systems.

Jodie Williams is an outstanding diversity, equity, inclusion and social impact leader whose work has transformed organisations and communities alike. With more than 15 years of experience across publishing, media, transport and utilities, Jodie has consistently delivered meaningful change that improves representation, access and opportunity for underrepresented groups. As Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Impact at Pan Macmillan, she is helping shape a more inclusive publishing industry while using literature, literacy and storytelling as tools for social impact. Her leadership extends beyond organisational practice through partnerships that amplify diverse voices and initiatives that improve community access to books.

.Lauretta Asak is a Hiring Leader and Co-Chair of Black Monzo who is transforming workplace inclusion into meaningful community and opportunity. She has helped create career-focused spaces for more than 160 Black professionals, delivered an engineering mentorship programme with Coding Black Females and connected 100+ people from Black employee networks across organisations including Monzo, Meta, Google DeepMind, Spotify and Bloomberg. Her work recognises that hiring diverse talent is only the beginning. People also need connection, development and belonging. Lauretta isn’t interested in being the only person who gets through the door. She is helping make the doorway wider.

Lisa Leonce is a multi-award-winning leadership coach, community leader and culture builder whose work has strengthened communities, created opportunities and amplified underrepresented voices for more than 25 years. As Founder of efiL Coaching, Co-Founder of Sheerah Network and Producer of the Legacy documentary series, she has helped countless individuals develop confidence, leadership skills and access to opportunities. Lisa is also leading the first-ever Epping Forest District Black History Month Community Day, a pioneering initiative bringing together community leaders, businesses, partnership agencies and residents of all ages to celebrate culture, build understanding and strengthen community connections.

Louchavan Lemard is an award-winning business leader and plumbing professional who is using his success to create opportunities for others. After experiencing homelessness as a child and leaving school without GCSEs, an apprenticeship gave Louchavan the opportunity to transform his life. He went on to build a successful engineering career, co-found PH247 and, in 2026, become the first National Plumber of the Year. But his greatest achievement is what he is doing with that success. Louchavan committed his £1,000 award prize towards creating opportunities for disadvantaged young people and has brought businesses, manufacturers and education partners together to provide further support.

Louise Prashad is an extraordinary example of someone who has turned adversity into lasting impact. In 2016, at 37 weeks pregnant with twins, Louise developed Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy. Her babies, Mia and Leo, were stillborn and Louise required an emergency liver transplant to survive. Given a second chance through her donor, Sarah, Louise has spent the last decade making that chance count. She has raised more than £350,000 for charitable causes, delivered over 625 talks, campaigned in Parliament, represented Great Britain at the World Transplant Games and won three international silver medals. Her legacy is not simply what she has achieved, but the people she has helped believe that life after loss, illness or disability can still hold purpose.

Maite Bikenge has watched Maïté Bikenge build access for years, first for herself, now for everyone around her. She's a Senior Privacy Analyst by day and a builder of doors the rest of the time. From a working-class background herself, she creates what she didn't have: as a board member of BOLD UK she's brought students into the industry through insight days, put books by authors of colour into workplaces through the Free Books Campaign partnership, and championed conversations about health and psychological safety that Black employees rarely get to have at work. As Advisory Board Lead at Black in Tech UK, she helps opportunities travel beyond closed networks, including through Recruiter Tea, a candid careers event for Black professionals in a punishing job market.

Misky Sharif is an outstanding culture builder whose leadership has created lasting impact across the technology, fintech and professional development sectors. As Co-Chair of Black@Revolut, mentor, speaker and advocate, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to creating opportunities for others and strengthening communities. Through her work, she has helped foster greater representation, belonging and professional growth for underrepresented talent while creating spaces where individuals can connect, learn and thrive. Beyond her professional achievements, Misky is deeply committed to empowering future leaders.

Ndidi Nkwopara is being nominated because she represents what it truly means to be an Inspirational Culture Builder: she creates opportunities for others to be seen, heard and empowered. As Creative Producer of Leeds International African Arts Festival, Ndidi has built a community-centred platform that champions African, Caribbean and diaspora artists, stories and communities while creating meaningful connections across cultures and generations. Her impact extends from Leeds to international cultural networks. She has developed a successful partnership with Hyde Park Picture House, creating space for African cinema and audiences; secured Netherlands Embassy funding to bring international artists and History of the World to Leeds.

Nene Parsotam deserves to be recognised as Culture Builder because she has spent more than two decades doing more than building her own creative career. She has been building pathways for others. From co founding We Are Stripes and championing underrepresented creative talent, to serving on the ACCESS:VFX board and co hosting a podcast with more than 110 episodes for emerging creatives, Nene consistently turns influence into opportunity. She has led creatively at D&AD Shift, helping people without traditional university degrees find routes into the creative industries, while also mentoring at Brixton Finishing School, supporting start ups, advising emerging creators and using her positions as a Cannes Lions, D&AD and other industry juror to champion meaningful representation and creative excellence.

Peter Okonkwo is a writer, literary critic and cultural builder who has dedicated his creative career to giving writers a voice and creating spaces for literary connection. Through P. English Literature, he has featured more than 1,000 authors, connecting writers and readers across international audiences and helping authors share their stories, ideas and books. Beyond media, Peter has built literary communities and platforms through initiatives including Akure Book Club and the West Yorkshire Inked Literary Collectives. Peter's impact goes beyond his own achievements: he continually uses his platforms to open doors for others, amplify diverse voices and make literary culture more accessible.

Petra Baptiste is being nominated for her outstanding commitment to championing Caribbean culture, creating opportunities and ensuring underrepresented voices are seen and celebrated on the international stage. From her Saint Lucian roots to London and Paris, Petra has built a career grounded in creativity, resilience and cultural pride. Through Island Empress & Emperor, she has created a platform that amplifies Caribbean stories, achievements and talent, connecting people and increasing visibility for communities too often overlooked. Her creative house, Kai Baptiste, has taken that mission even further. Showcasing at Paris Fashion Week, Petra proudly incorporated influences from Saint Lucian and Caribbean culture, including Carnival, traditional craftsmanship and the island’s rich cultural heritage.

Raga D'silva is a British-Indian lesbian, published author, DIVA magazine writer, speaker and community builder who came out publicly at 50 and has since used her voice and visibility to create opportunities for others. She co-founded OUTspoken Speakers Network and, with Nicola Fenton, founded Older Queer Voices, a multi-generational community platform with a specific focus on older LGBT+ people. In just over a year, the platform has produced 30 podcast episodes, created a Festival for 212 people, celebrated 10 Older Queer Icons, convened national roundtables including at the House of Commons, and launched The Missing Picture research with LGBT Great.

Ray Böhm has turned personal experience into purpose, talent into opportunity and ambition into action. He doesn’t just want to succeed in the entertainment industry. He wants to help change who gets the chance to succeed. Ray Böhm embodies what a true next-generation leader in television should be: exceptional at his craft, deeply committed to people, and determined to use his own opportunities to create opportunities for others. Ray’s career is already remarkable. What distinguishes Ray, however, is what he has done with that experience.

Ruth Kudzai is a visionary leadership strategist, speaker and founder of The Exec Branch, an international leadership community transforming lives across the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. She has dedicated her career to creating opportunities, amplifying underrepresented voices and building cultures where people can thrive. Through conferences, leadership retreats, mentoring programmes and community initiatives, Ruth has empowered hundreds of women to become confident leaders, entrepreneurs, speakers and changemakers while investing in future generations through youth development and entrepreneurship. Her influence extends far beyond her own accomplishments. She has built an enduring leadership ecosystem founded on collaboration, service and legacy, ensuring that those she empowers continue empowering others.

Savannah Adams is an exceptional culture builder whose impact reaches across business, community and leadership networks. Alongside a successful career at S&P Global, she has become one of the most influential ecosystem builders within the City of London. Through her leadership of Black in the Square Mile, her work with the City Belonging Project and CBERG, and her commitment to creating spaces where underrepresented professionals can connect and thrive, she has built lasting platforms that empower others and strengthen communities. Savannah's leadership is defined by action. She creates opportunities, develops networks, champions diverse talent and brings people together around a shared vision of belonging and representation.

Tope Chiedozie is the founder and host of The Sitdown UK, a live interview and cultural-events platform that has spent nearly a decade creating meaningful conversations with the people shaping Black British culture, entertainment and creative industries. Through more than 50 live events attended by over 2,000 people, he has built a trusted space where audiences can hear the honest stories behind success, identity, ambition and resilience. The Sitdown has welcomed influential guests including Mo Gilligan, Jamelia, Shola Ama, Grace Ladoja, Bianca Saunders and Candice Brathwaite. As an independent founder, leading talent booking, programming, production, partnerships, marketing and audience development, his work gives multicultural audiences greater access to inspiring voices, practical insight and representation helping people see new possibilities for their own lives and careers.

Zeb has transformed his own experiences into a powerful force for positive change. Having once felt the need to hide parts of his identity, Zeb has become a passionate champion for inclusion, empowering others to embrace who they are with confidence and pride. His ground breaking fasting bags initiative demonstrated how one person's vision can create meaningful change for both colleagues and customers. By recognising an unmet need and turning it into a practical solution, Zeb delivered an initiative that not only supported people observing Ramadan but also sent a powerful message of belonging and respect.

Abdul Bangura is an entrepreneur, aviation executive and social-impact leader whose journey embodies resilience, transformation and the power of creating opportunities for others. After serving five and a half years in prison, Abdul was released with just £52 and rebuilt his life through entrepreneurship, going on to establish an award-winning seven-figure business. He later entered the aviation industry and founded ALAC Group, developing international relationships and opportunities across the UK, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with a particular focus on strengthening aviation investment, infrastructure and capability between the UK and Africa. His impact extends far beyond business.

Adonis-Reko White’s journey began in 2018 with one drone, bought with money borrowed through work, and a determination to understand an industry in which few people like him were visible. That curiosity became DEMDRONES® — a recognisable drone brand built around professionalism, access and progression. Since gaining his first professional drone qualification in 2021, Adonis has developed through the UK aviation framework, operated under CAA Operational Authorisation, and progressed to A2 CofC and GVC competency. He then turned that knowledge outward: introducing drone technology into primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and careers events, while creating practical pathways through drone sport.

Anthony Davis is the entrepreneur behind Quick Food Products and The Original Patty Company, taking the Jamaican patties he loved as a child into major national retailers including ASDA, Costco and Iceland. His contribution combines commercial ambition with cultural legacy. In 2025, his business acquired heritage Caribbean company Sunrise Bakery following administration, safeguarding 23 jobs and helping preserve a business with roots dating to 1966. Anthony has taken Caribbean food further into mainstream Britain while demonstrating that entrepreneurship can simultaneously build the future and protect the legacy that came before it.

Antonia Okonma Shittu is the Founder and CEO of A-List Lace Hair, the international beauty brand she built from selling wigs from the boot of her car into a business generating more than £20 million in sales, serving customers in more than 120 countries and operating studios in London and New York. Over almost two decades, Antonia has combined innovation with purpose, developing premium glueless wigs that give women natural-looking, confidence-restoring hair solutions. Her mission became deeply personal after serious health challenges and medical treatment resulted in her experiencing significant hair loss herself. Antonia also lives with multiple sclerosis.

Asha Agarwal is the Founder of Inspire New Homes and an entrepreneur whose journey demonstrates what can happen when you refuse to let where you started determine where you finish. From growing up on a council estate and experiencing homelessness at 16, Asha built a 20+ year career in property before taking the risk of leaving senior employment and establishing her own consultancy in 2020. Today, she has delivered sales across new homes developments with a combined GDV exceeding £250 million and helped more than 1,000 first-time buyers towards home ownership throughout her career. Her influence now extends beyond her.

Danielle Bush is an exceptional example of what determination, innovation and purpose-driven leadership can achieve. While working full time and raising her child as a single parent, Danielle has built Aspire for More, a community dedicated to helping women gain the confidence, knowledge and connections to build businesses and create the life they want. In just four months, she has built a team of 100 women, demonstrating extraordinary leadership and the ability to inspire and bring people together. She has also built an app despite having no previous developer experience, showing remarkable innovation and initiative.

Dominic Othol, known as Smokey, learned to cut hair while serving time in prison. After his release, rejection from a barbershop led him to create his own opportunity, starting with just two chairs. He went on to build Smokey Barbers into a recognised British grooming brand, attracting leading footballers, developing a substantial online community and securing a major partnership with Primark. His journey is about much more than barbering. It demonstrates entrepreneurship, rehabilitation, resilience and the power of creating your own opportunity. Dominic wasn’t handed a second chance. He built one, and then created opportunities for others.

Dominique Bogle transformed the experience of losing her hair at 21 into Hair Anatomy, a seven figure business she started with approximately £500. While working in banking, she built the company before pioneering TikTok LIVE as a sales channel and eventually leaving employment to become a full-time entrepreneur. Today, Hair Anatomy is a seven-figure brand that has sold 25,000+ products, while Dominique has been selected for TikTok’s global 2026 Discover List. She now uses her experience to help other women build businesses. Dominique turned personal adversity into innovation, innovation into enterprise, and enterprise into opportunity for others. Dominique Bogle is an outstanding entrepreneur.

Flavilla Fongang is an exceptional entrepreneur whose leadership, innovation and commitment to opportunity creation make her a highly deserving candidate for Most Inspirational Entrepreneur of the Year. As Founder and CEO of Sixth Hive, she has created an AI-powered platform that reimagines how professionals and organisations build meaningful business relationships. By combining technology, strategic networking and intelligent matchmaking, Sixth Hive helps users access opportunities that drive measurable business outcomes. Her entrepreneurial vision was validated through Sixth Hive's landmark partnership with the Financial Times at Cannes Lions 2026, where the company delivered 34 curated matchmaking sessions designed to turn conversations into partnerships.

Giuseppe Baidoo’s journey represents resilience, creativity and purpose in entrepreneurship. After moving to the UK from Italy with very little, experiencing unemployment and even sleeping on a church floor, he rebuilt his life through hard work, faith and persistence. After his first business failed, Giuseppe started again and co-founded Güsto Snacks, growing it into a recognised UK food brand, launching with Selfridges and WHSmith and supplying workplaces including Google, Meta, LinkedIn, Bloomberg and BlackRock, while reducing food waste. In a landscape where less than 1% of Black founders secure investment, Giuseppe and his co-founders persevered through repeated rejection to successfully building a great business.

Imran Savas is the founder of Tape UK, a business support company he launched in 2019 to give small business owners the accessible, affordable expertise he saw too many talented people go without. Raised in a single-parent household, he built the company around the belief that growth shouldn't come at the cost of humanity. During COVID-19, he told his entire client base not to pay until they could reopen — a decision that helped build Tape UK's 99% client retention rate. One percent of every client fee funds clean water, tree planting and newborn support projects worldwide.

Jamelia Donaldson is the founder of TreasureTress, Europe's first and largest natural hair product discovery box. What began as a solution to the lack of products serving Black women has grown into an international beauty platform, community and vehicle for social impact. Jamelia has challenged an industry that historically underserved Black consumers while creating initiatives that extend far beyond business. Through For Dads Who Can't Braid, including a four-week programme at HMP Brixton, she is using haircare to strengthen relationships between fathers and their children. Jamelia represents entrepreneurship that creates commercial success, community and meaningful change. Jamelia Donaldson is the real deal.

Jason’s journey is a powerful testament to vision, determination and entrepreneurial spirit. Starting FAM Sports from the ground up, he turned a bold ambition into a highly successful commercial sports agency, representing some of the biggest names and emerging talents in football. His achievement is not only measured by the success of the business, but by the trust and reputation he has built within one of the most competitive and relationship-driven industries. Through resilience, hard work and an unwavering belief in what was possible, Jason has established FAM Sports as a significant force in the commercial football landscape.

Joel Gatti is being nominated for his remarkable journey from redundancy to building a successful, award-winning architectural practice in just three years. After losing his job in 2023, Joel founded JNG Architectural Studio and has since grown it from a one-person start-up into a six-figure business with a team of four. Under his leadership, the practice has achieved a 92% planning approval rate, helping families across London and England successfully extend, improve and maximise the potential of their homes. By 2026, JNG had also secured two industry awards recognising the quality and impact of its work.

Still only 35, Jordan has built a seven-figure business portfolio spanning children's care, healthcare, property, sport and education. His entrepreneurial journey has included building and scaling companies, acquisitions, joint ventures and continued diversification into new sectors. Yet what makes Jordan particularly inspirational is the purpose running through much of what he has created. Through his care businesses, Jordan has developed services supporting children and young people, including residential care, supported accommodation, transitional care and specialist provision. His approach recognises that vulnerable young people often need more than somewhere to live, bringing together care, healthcare and professional support to help them.

Kyomi represents the true spirit of inspirational entrepreneurship: she identified a significant gap in Skin of Colour care and transformed it into a purpose-driven business, educational platform and movement for change. A 15-time award winner, global Skin of Colour leader and expert, Kyomi has built The KS Clinic into a respected specialist destination for bespoke, safety-led skin and aesthetic treatments. Her expertise has created demand far beyond Birmingham and the West Midlands, addressing a growing national and global need for specialist Skin of Colour knowledge. Her greatest achievement is arguably founding SOCATA.UK – the Skin of Colour Aesthetics Training Academy.

Madiha is the founder of LYF Cosmetics, an independent skincare brand built around self-care, wellbeing and confidence. Her determination and entrepreneurial spirit have seen LYF grow through wellness events, fitness collaborations and community engagement, while creating a brand with purpose beyond its products. Madiha also founded LYF Glow Run, bringing her passion for fitness and wellbeing into the LYF community. Through women-focused runs and track sessions, she has created a supportive environment where women can move, connect, build confidence and encourage one another. What makes Madiha inspirational is her ability to turn her passions into meaningful action.

Mary Adegoye founded DyliteCare to redefine excellence in children’s care proving compassion, expertise, and courage can transform an entire sector. She designed a premium 2-bed model keeping vulnerable children local instead of placing them hundreds of miles from home. Her "End the Bin Bags" campaign restored dignity to children in care, shifting conversations across the UK. Combining frontline experience with Deloitte and Alstom expertise, she builds standards before opening doors leading by example, mentoring others, and showing that vision inspires even before results are finished. Mary is not just building homes; she is building hope, dignity, and a future where children can thrive.

Matthew Allick is an exceptional example of resilience, entrepreneurship, and community impact. After being clinically dead for 10 minutes, spending three days in an induced coma, and overcoming paralysis, he rebuilt his life against all medical expectations. Rather than allowing tragedy to define him, he transformed it into purpose. Today, Matthew is an internationally published author, entrepreneur, actor, motivational speaker, and blood donation advocate. His memoir, Life After Being Clinically Dead, inspires readers worldwide, while his successful range of card games demonstrates his ability to build businesses that bring people together.

Mike Williams co-founded Flake Bake with his father and helped transform a Peckham-based Jamaican patty business into a rapidly growing national brand. Following victory on Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing, Mike navigated the challenge of scaling production to tens of thousands of patties weekly, contributing to growth from approximately £700,000 turnover in 2023 towards an expected £3 million in 2025. Millions of patties later, Mike is demonstrating that culturally authentic products can achieve mainstream commercial success without leaving their identity behind. Mike Williams represents an inspiring example of British entrepreneurship, taking a family business rooted in Jamaican food and making it profitable.

Monisha Robinson is a remarkable young British designer, entrepreneur and business leader who has turned her passion for design and craftsmanship into MOCARO, a distinctive luxury accessories brand combining contemporary innovation with British heritage. A graduate of the London College of Fashion, Monisha has built MOCARO while establishing herself within the competitive luxury and jewellery sector. Her achievements include being named Inspirational Individual of the Year at the 2024 Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Awards and being recognised in the Professional Jeweller Power List 2025. Her impact extends far beyond her own business.

Moonoon Jawadin is a remarkable entrepreneur, survivor and community advocate whose journey embodies resilience, determination and social impact. From overcoming immense personal challenges to building successful businesses, Moonoon has consistently turned adversity into opportunity. As the founder and director of successful catering and property ventures, he has created employment, generated significant business growth and built brands that serve thousands of people. His achievements include being recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 and being nominated for Small Business of the Year 2025. Beyond business, Moonoon’s greatest impact is his commitment to helping others. Having personally faced blood cancer, he uses his experience to help others.

Naomi Maria deserves the award of Most Inspirational Entrepreneur of the Year because of the determination she has displayed with her brand DETERMINED Streetwear, the determination within her personal life, and the message of hope it gives. She made DETERMINED an acronym; Determination Equals Trying Endlessly Regardless (of) Mountains Individuals & Nonsense Every Day. From the ages of 13-17 Naomi Maria was a suicidal and depressed teenager who tried to end her life many times, but became a Christian at 17 when she realised there must be a reason she's still alive. This is when she found hope and forgiveness.

Nathaniel Mortley’s journey from HMP Brixton to the Michelin Guide is an extraordinary story of second chances and entrepreneurship. After serving two and a half years in prison, Nathaniel rebuilt his life through cooking, developed NattyCanCook and invested his own money to open 2210, a restaurant celebrating his Caribbean heritage and grandmother’s legacy. Within months, 2210 entered the Michelin Guide. Nathaniel has since returned to HMP Brixton to cook alongside students at The Clink, where his own transformation began. His story proves that your worst chapter does not have to become the ending of your story. Nathaniel Mortley, better known as Natty Can Cook has demonstrated that you can achieve your dreams with hard work.

The growth in participants, providing training to help runners, social activities and celebrations Still stood strong throughout the past 3 years despite participation being up and down and never mind a week no matter the weather. The team support each other and provide a safe and comfortable environment for the community as well as providing social gatherings to build friendships and connections. He cares and wants to understand people. He has faced adversity in his life and is now leading the group where people want to come to better themselves and each other. He encourages people to support others to be better version of themselves.

Ryan Panchoo founded Borough 22 after his children’s multiple food allergies repeatedly left them excluded from everyday treats and celebrations. Beginning in his home kitchen, he spent years developing genuinely indulgent doughnuts without gluten, dairy or eggs, refusing to accept that allergen-safe food should be a compromise. His innovation earned Borough 22 Free-From Bakery Product of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards 2025. In 2026, Borough 22 received two Gold Awards and won the overall Product of the Year title at the Free From Food Awards. Ryan has since taken Borough 22 into Selfridges Foodhall, established a dedicated allergen-safe alternative to doughnuts .

The founder of Chix & Dolls Beauty has dedicated over 14 years to transforming not only hair, but the confidence and lives of women. Specialising in bespoke wigs and natural looking hair solutions, she works closely with women experiencing hair loss through alopecia, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other circumstances. Her work provides much more than a physical transformation — it helps women regain confidence, femininity and a sense of themselves during some of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. Through Chix & Dolls Beauty, she has created a private, compassionate space where every woman is treated with dignity, understanding and respect.

Segun Akinwoleola is the founder of The Gym Kitchen, one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent food brands, built on his belief that healthier food should be affordable, accessible and tasty for everyone. Raised in Forest Gate East London, by a Single Mother, Segun overcame years of financial hardship, academic setbacks, and failed ventures. After years of perseverance he went on to build a nationally recognised brand. Today, The Gym Kitchen has more than 40 products across 6,000 stores nationwide and has been recognised as the UK’s fourth fastest-growing challenger brand.

As Founder and Lead Stylist of Hairfyx, Stephanie is approaching 10 years in business and has built a loyal UK and international client base, and an award-winning level of professional recognition, including a feature in Black Beauty & Hair magazine showcasing her salon, work and bridal services. But Stephanie’s greatest achievement is the way she uses her success to create opportunities for others. Stephanie leads with passion, resilience and generosity. She has continued to grow through motherhood, challenge and change while investing in the next generation. She deserves to win because she doesn’t just build a business; she builds people.

Timothy Armoo is one of the UK's most inspiring entrepreneurs and a powerful example of how business success can be combined with meaningful social impact. As founder of Fanbytes, he built a pioneering marketing company that transformed how brands engage with younger audiences, achieving remarkable growth and culminating in a successful eight-figure acquisition. His leadership, innovation and ability to anticipate market trends established him as one of the most influential business leaders of his generation. Beyond commercial success, Timothy has demonstrated a deep commitment to helping others. Through initiatives such as the Fanbytes Fund, mentoring, investing, speaking and authorship.

Tolu Salami is the founder of LetPlant, a UK technology venture making plant care and indoor environments more intelligent, accessible and sustainable. After struggling to care for unexpected houseplants in a low-light apartment, Tolu transformed a personal frustration into an ambitious environmental-technology mission. He has led the development of SDESA, a patent-pending system combining sensor data with AI-led guidance to reduce plant-care guesswork. Under his leadership, LetPlant reported more than 500 active users, joined the Forward·Inc accelerator and completed a carefully scoped three-store Morrisons pilot. Tolu’s progress has received significant independent recognition, including Thames Valley Start-Up of the Year.

Yemi Edun is a visionary entrepreneur, business leader and philanthropist whose journey demonstrates the power of ambition, perseverance and purposeful leadership. As Founder and CEO of Daniel Ford International, he has built a successful London property business from modest beginnings. His wider property group has grown to manage approximately 850 properties in central London, while Daniel Ford International has sourced and acquired nearly £1 billion worth of residential real estate for private clients. Recognised in Britain’s Powerlist for five consecutive years, Yemi’s influence extends far beyond commercial success. Through his charity, Action for Change and Empowerment, he supports vulnerable communities.

Adeshola Akanji is an outstanding advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion whose work has transformed lived experience into meaningful social impact. Through her leadership in healthcare, disability advocacy, public speaking and community engagement, she has challenged stereotypes, promoted accessibility and created opportunities for underrepresented communities to thrive. As Founder of Ultimate Royal UK and Ms London City, she uses her platform to educate, inspire and empower others while championing disability inclusion, representation and belonging. Her work spans healthcare, education, charity and community engagement, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to creating a society where everyone has equal opportunities regardless of disability.

Angela Assor is an inspirational safeguarding and equality leader whose work is creating lasting change across health and social care, workforce inclusion and communities. As Strategic Safeguarding Lead at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Angela provides strategic leadership that strengthens safeguarding practice, governance and multi-agency collaboration, helping protect vulnerable adults and children. Beyond her professional role, Angela is a passionate champion for equality and representation. Through the Advancing Ethnic Minority Network, she supports ethnically diverse professionals through mentoring, networking and leadership development, helping individuals build confidence, increase their visibility and overcome barriers to career progression.

Ann Palmer and Fig Tree International have made an enduring contribution to advancing equality, representation and opportunity across education, leadership and organisational life. For more than three decades, Ann has challenged inequality not simply through advocacy, but by creating practical solutions. Through the RACE Charter Mark, Race to Excellence, REND, executive coaching, leadership development and the Rise Leaders Rise Summit, she has built frameworks, communities and pathways that help organisations change while enabling people from underrepresented backgrounds to be seen, supported, connected and equipped to lead.

Cast is changing who gets to belong in a theatre. Its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded across its work, from Citizens of the World and Theatre of Sanctuary to accessible performances, its Access Focus Group, bursaries and inclusive Youth Theatre. 44% of Cast Youth Theatre participants are D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent or have a long-term condition, while 35% receive bursary support, demonstrating a tangible commitment to removing barriers to opportunity. In 2026, Waiting in the Wings brought around 60 community performers together to tell Doncaster’s 250-year theatre story, putting people from different generations and backgrounds at the centre.

Che Wheatley is an outstanding advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion whose impact extends across the Financial Times and the wider professional community. As Head of Marketing at FT Live and Co-Chair of FT Embrace, she has consistently championed representation, belonging and opportunity for ethnically diverse professionals. Through her leadership, she has helped create initiatives focused on mentoring, professional development, employee engagement and community-building, ensuring colleagues have the support and opportunities needed to thrive. Beyond the workplace, Che has built meaningful partnerships with organisations including EMERGE, CBERG, People Like Us and Sixth Hive, helping connect underrepresented talent with influential networks.

Evernice Dube is an outstanding nominee because she uses her voice, experience, leadership and professional platform to challenge inequality, promote equity and inspire others to build more inclusive and compassionate communities. Evernice uses her expertise as a woman living with a disability Employing people with learning disabilities and autistic people is such an important part of what she does. Evernice has faced a lot of obstacles including being discriminated and victimised, which she managed to overcome. Why Evernice Dube Deserves to Be Nominated for the Outstanding Equality, Equity and Inclusion Award Evernice Dube is a passionate leader, trainer and advocate.

Jade is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&Jade Campbell) leader whose impact reaches beyond her title. For over five years, she has driven change across two of society’s most challenging environments: Children’s Social Care and The Prison Service. As a Black woman with lived experience of inequality, Jade brings authenticity, courage and determination to her work. She does not simply identify inequalities - she challenges systems, opens doors and turns conversations into action. Her impact is innovative and measurable. From tackling disproportionality against people from underrepresented groups and increasing access to opportunities, to advocating for anti-racist practice in Childrens Services.

Jaskaran Soomal, Founder of A Mindful Message (AMM) , is a purpose-driven leader working to make mental-health support more inclusive, culturally responsive and accessible. Through AMM, Jaskaran is addressing cultural and language barriers that can prevent people from finding mental-health support that genuinely fits their needs. Her vision brings together counsellors, therapists, psychologists and organisations to create more culturally responsive pathways to care. Her work extends beyond mental-health access. Through AMMA, she is developing programmes focused on reflection, emotional intelligence, resilience, cultural humility, leadership and wellbeing, helping create more inclusive environments for students, professionals and future leaders.

Jaz Kaur, Co-Chair of the Culture & Ethnicity Network (CEN) UK at NTT DATA, is a passionate champion of equality and diversity. Working voluntarily alongside her full-time role as a Delivery Lead, Jaz has transformed how colleagues think about culture. Her message is simple: everyone has a culture, and everyone has a story. Her "Everyone has a culture. What's yours?" campaign, presented at all-hands meetings, turned CEN into an open invitation to every colleague. She launched the Everyone Has a Story podcast, giving colleagues a platform to share their heritage and journeys in their own words.

Keisha Delpeshe has focused on turning inclusion from an aspiration into practical opportunities for people to progress, develop and lead. As One Team Lead for bp's Positively Ethnic Network (PEN), a UK community of approximately 1,200 members, Keisha Delpeshe helped evolve the network from a predominantly event-led community into a more structured organisation focused on leadership, retention, sponsorship, allyship and career development. A key achievement has been helping establish Career Surgery, a self-advocacy and career-development platform that supported 50 ethnically diverse colleagues in its pilot through career planning, coaching, personal branding and networking.

Le’Siran Edwards deserves this award for transforming her professional experience and lived insight into meaningful, measurable change across the safeguarding sector. She founded Black & Diverse Safeguarding Professionals, creating a national platform that promotes representation, belonging, professional development and leadership for Black and Global Majority practitioners. From an inaugural conference attended by more than 100 professionals, BDSC has grown to approximately 180 attendees, with the 2025 event featuring over 30 expert speakers and 19 workshops\. Her work connects professionals across social work, health, education, policing and other safeguarding fields, while creating space for learning, networking and honest conversations.

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. For 20 years, MAMA Youth Project (MYP) has worked to change that. Since 2005, MYP has opened doors into television and the creative industries for more than 1,000 young people from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds, giving talented people the skills, experience, confidence and connections to build careers in an industry that can be difficult to access without established networks. But MYP's greatest impact is what happens next. Our alumni are now working across the creative industries, changing the industry from within. They are bringing different voices, experiences and perspectives into the rooms.

Michael Harris has made an exceptional contribution to equality and diversity through his leadership as Co-Chair of Oracle Harmony and his commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace culture. Through Oracle Harmony, Michael has helped create meaningful opportunities for employees to connect, celebrate cultural diversity and build stronger relationships across the organisation. His leadership has strengthened representation, belonging and engagement while encouraging open dialogue and greater understanding across different communities. Alongside his professional responsibilities at Oracle, Michael consistently demonstrates that inclusion and innovation can work hand in hand.

Mphango is an exemplary figure in EDI who continues to work towards improving diversity and equity, not only within healthcare but also in workplaces more broadly. She deserves to be recognised and celebrated for the work she does. As a Black woman, she not only puts herself forward to undertake this work publicly, but also demonstrates leadership, compassion and a strong commitment to her community. Her advocacy is an inspiration to other Black women, including Mphango Simwaka, as well as to people from other marginalised communities. Mphango also helps create space for difficult but important conversations, particularly around health.

For almost a decade, We Are Stripes has been committed to making the creative industries more diverse, inclusive and accessible. Founded by Akama Davies, Haydn Corrodus and Nene Parsotam, the organisation created a practical network connecting underrepresented talent with influential organisations including Microsoft, Disney, Meta and Framestore. Its work went beyond representation. We Are Stripes tackled the barriers behind representation by creating access to networks, opportunities, knowledge and decision makers. Its “see it, be it” philosophy recognised that people need both role models and genuine opportunities to progress. Vine Creatives do this by bringing diverse talent and major creative organisations together.

Poggy Murray Whitham is a nationally recognised inclusion leader, engineer, researcher, author, and speaker whose work is helping reshape how engineering, manufacturing and STEM approach DEI. A former senior automation engineering manager, Poggy now operates at the intersection of industry, academia, and social change. As Founder of OutEngineered and COO of Divrsity, they work with organisations and major industry events to turn lived experience, data, and research into measurable action, whilst influencing wider sector practice through roles with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Engineering Council UK, Engineering Professors’ Council, Women in Manufacturing, and other national bodies.

Pointe Black is transforming who gets to see themselves as a ballerina. Founded by Ruth Essel following more than 20 years experiencing racism, microaggressions and underrepresentation within ballet, Pointe Black created the inclusive environment she wished she had experienced as a child. From skin-tone ballet shoes and celebrating Afro hair to affordable classes, diverse body representation and Black cultural influences, Pointe Black allows dancers to participate without leaving their identity at the studio door. Its students have progressed to opportunities including English National Ballet’s Ballet Futures programme. Pointe Black is not asking diverse dancers to fit ballet.

Rachel Cole founded the Black Foster Carers Alliance to challenge racial inequality within fostering and ensure Black and racially minoritised children receive care that recognises their identity, culture and belonging. A former foster carer and registered social worker, Rachel has transformed lived and professional experience into practical change through culturally responsive training, foster-carer recruitment, cultural mentorship, digital support and new standards for fostering organisations. In 2025, she became a Churchill Fellow, taking her research internationally to inform better UK practice. Rachel is working towards a foster-care system where entering care never means leaving your identity behind.

Here are the key reasons why her contributions stand out: • Massive Community Support: Under her leadership, the Jasroop Gupt Seva Team has impacted over 81,000 service users, delivering critical food, aid, and care to vulnerable people both across the islands (UK) and internationally. • True Spirit of Gupt Seva: She champions Gupt Seva (anonymous, selfless service), focusing entirely on the well-being of the community rather than self-promotion. • Advocacy Through Adversity: Alongside her intense charity operations, Roops publically shares her personal journey as an invisible disability advocate living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), inspiring countless others to overcome silent battles.

Shyronie Davis is a psychodynamic psychotherapist, criminologist and founder of Rooted Wisdom CIC, whose work is dedicated to improving outcomes for young people affected by inequality, trauma, exclusion and the criminal justice system. Through Rooted Wisdom, she has created culturally responsive therapeutic and mentoring programmes across schools, communities and HMP/YOI Isis, with a particular commitment to Black, mixed-race and racially minoritised young people. Her approach challenges society to look beyond labels and understand the experiences behind behaviour. Her work explores identity, belonging, racism, trauma and masculinity while helping young people recognise their strengths and potential.

Sofia has set up Aspiring Futures 15 years ago which since its creation has helped over 2000 women in the community. No matter your ethnicity, race, culture or religion any woman is welcomed to be embraced into the Aspiring Futures community. Aspiring Futures have been supporting women in Wolverhampton for 15 years. Over the 15 years they have supported over 2000 women with Health and wellbeing, education, employment skills, digital skills and English classes. This year saw them celebrate 40 women in the city who promote diversity, inclusion and work hard to make the city a great place for everyone.

Thomas Harwell is an outstanding advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion whose impact reaches across corporate leadership, community development and talent engagement. As Head of Talent Engagement, EMEA at Google, he has championed inclusive talent practices while helping create opportunities for diverse professionals across multiple markets. Beyond his professional responsibilities, his leadership as Chair of Spiral Skills has helped young people access the skills, confidence and networks needed to build successful futures. Thomas is also a recognised thought leader on inclusion, contributing to major industry conversations such as SXSW London and supporting initiatives that advance representation, equity and access.

Althea is the founder and visionary behind Reggae Aqua Club (RAC), operating under THIA CIC, an award-winning initiative transforming community health and dismantling deep-rooted racial disparities in aquatics. Recognizing that sterile leisure environments often alienate ethnically diverse communities, Althea created a culturally safe sanctuary that pairs low-joint-impact water fitness with reggae, dancehall, and afrobeats rhythms. Her dual-stream Saturday sessions empower women across generations—from beginners overcoming water trauma to grandmothers rebuilding joint mobility. Beyond local pool sessions, Althea expanded RAC into a holistic wellness ecosystem, offering restorative virtual retreats integrating mindful movement and nervous system regulation.

Christiana Naa Kwarley Hansen – Outstanding Contribution to Health & Wellbeing Christiana Naa Kwarley Hansen is an inspirational health advocate and Founder of HEDUCA Awareness C.Christiana Hansen.C., transforming her personal journey with endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids and hydrosalpinx into a mission to empower women and girls. Despite living with chronic pain, fatigue and ongoing health challenges, Christiana has dedicated herself to raising awareness, challenging stigma and advocating for earlier diagnosis and improved access to healthcare. Her achievements include organising a successful women's health conference attended by 142 people in March 2026 and the September Women, Girls and Youth Conference.

Christina Brown is a passionate maternal mental health advocate who has transformed her own lived experience into a purpose that is changing the lives of thousands of mothers. Following a traumatic birth after the arrival of her second child, Christina experienced depression and anxiety and made the courageous decision to leave her career in investment banking to prioritise her mental wellbeing. She went on to turn what began as a platform celebrating motherhood into The Motivational Mums Club, creating safe, community-led spaces where mothers can connect, heal and access support without judgement. To date, Christina has helped more than 7,000 people.

Advocating for healthy living within the community Amazing contribution to the community Built from encouraging healthy clean living to now opening his own shop Opening a shop Spreading positivity on line Health advocate.

Dr Milad Shadrooh, known as The Singing Dentist, has transformed the way oral-health education is communicated. A practising dentist with more than two decades of experience, Milad combined dentistry, music and humour to create educational content that has generated hundreds of millions of views. Alongside treating patients, he has educated audiences through social media, national television and his book The Whole Tooth, helping make dentistry more accessible and less intimidating. Dr Milad Shadrooh has made an outstanding contribution to health and wellbeing by transforming the way oral-health education is communicated to the public. Known to millions as The Singing Dentist.

Dr Aziza Sesay is a General Practitioner, GP Educator, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, speaker, host, and respected health communicator. She is dedicated to improving public understanding of health through Talks with Dr Sesay, a platform that provides accessible, evidence-based information on topics such as women's health, cancer awareness, mental wellbeing, and health inequalities. Dr. Sesay serves as Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK and is an ambassador for several leading health charities, including The Eve Appeal, Wellbeing of Women, FSRH Hatfield Vision, and Keep It Fax. Through these roles, she advocates for greater health awareness and prevention.

Elizabeth “Mamadinya” Idowu is an NHS nurse, midwife, educator and author transforming how women access information about pregnancy, birth and maternal health. Combining frontline healthcare experience with relatable and culturally relevant education, she has built a community of more than half a million people. Through Mama’s Classes, community events and her HarperCollins book I’m Pregnant... Now What?, Elizabeth gives women the knowledge and confidence to understand their bodies, ask informed questions and navigate maternity care. As a passionate advocate for maternal health, including the experiences of Black mothers, Elizabeth is making vital healthcare information accessible to women far beyond the delivery room.

Banked Running and Banked HQ deserve recognition for making health and wellbeing feel less like an individual pursuit and more like something a whole community can do together. Banked Running has grown from small local runs into a network of 800+ people, with large events attracting over 500 participants. It has welcomed beginners, experienced runners, parents with buggies and families, giving people a reason to get outside, move and connect. Banked HQ has taken that impact further by providing a permanent home for the community. Since opening in August 2026, it has grown to over 100 members.

Hardev Dephu has been nominated for turning his mental-health crisis into sustained action for others. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Hardev experienced suicidal thoughts, hit rock bottom and was signed off work. He reached out to an online men’s network. Its support helped him begin to recover and inspired him to create the workplace spaces he had needed: first “A Safe Space for Men” at Nacro, then Mears Men, which won the 2025 IWFM Impact Award for Wellbeing. Hardev now works at Wates, but his advocacy is personal and cross-industry. He has spoken at the ERG Leader Summit. In 2026, the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys named him among its approximately 100 Men and Boys’ Champions.

Hermen Dange knows first-hand that running can change a life, because it helped change his. He discovered running while serving a prison sentence, finding structure, discipline and a sense of freedom. Following his release, he turned that personal transformation into Made Running. What began with seven runners has grown into a community of more than 3,000 people, with hundreds participating every week. Hermen has since returned to prison to run alongside and inspire serving prisoners, demonstrating that circumstances do not have to determine your future. He transformed his own life through running and now helps thousands transform theirs.

Leading the charity to attain the prestigious Kings award for small charities Jennifer has been CEO of this charity for just over four years. In which time she has lead a team of 12 staff and over 40 volunteers to maintain and support the NHS in a doula service (maternity support to refugees women) and the Rapha listening service ( supporting those in the community with low level mental health challenges). She has navigated the charity through some very challenging and choppy financial waters. Bringing stability and growing relationships with our NHS stakeholders.

Jonathan Luwagga has transformed his deeply personal experience of male infertility into a powerful platform for education, advocacy and support. Following his diagnosis with non-obstructive azoospermia, Jonathan chose to speak openly about a subject many men experience in silence. He has since become a leading voice for male fertility awareness, appearing on BBC News and Sky News, speaking at conferences and specialist panels, and contributing to academic discussions including the University of Cambridge Reproduction Forum. His impact extends beyond awareness. Through Fertility Network UK and initiatives such as Men’s Walk & Talk.

Keeley Timbrell is the founder of Safe 2 Grow, a community wellbeing initiative built on one simple belief: nobody should have to struggle alone. Keeley has transformed her own lived experiences into a determination to create the kind of safe, non-judgemental support she believes every person deserves. Through community workshops, wellbeing resources, family activities and online support, she creates opportunities for adults, children and families to connect, build confidence and feel that they belong. What makes Keeley's contribution special is her ability to turn compassion into action.

I am nominating Kyle Murray, founder and CEO of Funkee Fitness as I believe he is truly deserved of this accolade. From creating fitness classes that are inclusive and engaging for all, to raising over £4000 for Hurricane Melissa relief in Jamaica, Kyle goes above and beyond for his community. He believe that fitness should be fun for all and not something that only the elite can be a part of. He believes in community, group exercise being fun and the nostalgia of music bringing positivity and excitement. If you have ever been to one of Kyle’s classes, you’ll understand immediately why he really is worthy of this award.

Become United is a community-led charity transforming health and wellbeing opportunities for ethnically diverse communities across Greater Manchester. Since starting in 2022, the charity has worked to overcome barriers including social isolation, language, cultural differences, lack of confidence and unequal access to health, wellbeing and green spaces. In 2025 alone, Become United delivered more than 280 activities and engaged over 1,800 residents, supporting women, young people, families and older people. Through guided walks, mindfulness, outdoor activities, youth wellbeing programmes and culturally appropriate community engagement, Become United is helping people become more active, connected and confident.

Omar Junior is creating the conversations many men were never taught how to have. Growing up in inner-city Birmingham, Omar witnessed versions of masculinity shaped by crime, violence and emotional silence. His own experiences inspired him to create The Study of Men, initially bringing men together in his living room. Today, he creates safe spaces exploring mental health, grief, relationships, childhood, identity and masculinity, sometimes alongside qualified psychotherapists. Omar’s work is helping men replace silence with conversation, isolation with community and stigma with vulnerability. Omar has facilitated safe spaces for hundreds of men to talk openly.

Minreet, Pritpal Kaur and Mr Singh are an inspiration as a family. Each person has promoted health and fitness in their own unique ways, not letting age, cancer and any obstacle act as a barrier. What is remarkable is their passion to share their message of hope to the community as a whole. Minreet has set up Asian Women’s Run to encourage and motivate Asian women of all ages to start walking and running for fitness. Asian Wonen’s run has attracted a diverse group of women from all racial and religious groups.

Renée is nominated for her heartfelt commitment to helping women feel seen, heard and less alone. Through LinkUp, she brings women together for welcoming social gatherings, inspiring vision-board experiences and Macmillan Coffee Mornings, creating opportunities for friendship, encouragement and charitable giving. She gives her own time, energy and money to support this work while balancing life as a wife and mother of three boys. From providing drinks and covering unexpected costs to checking on women between gatherings, her kindness extends far beyond organising an event. Having faced personal and professional challenges, Renée brings genuine understanding to supporting others through difficult times.

Sabrina Faulkner's reason behind nominating Sabrina is because she is a single person making a big difference to people who are discriminated against because of colour, gender, age, religion, culture, financial status etc people who think there beyond help she connects with and helps them fe worth and understanding that we can achieve anything when we feel seen, heard and understood. Sabrina is a huge advocate for mental health and wellbeing and has not been recognised for the work that she does. She is a Dr in Psychology, an Amazon best selling author and an integrative Psychotherapist.

Sandra Igwe MBE transformed her own traumatic maternity experience into a national movement for better Black maternal health. Through The Motherhood Group, she has supported more than 18,000 Black mothers, trained healthcare professionals across 40+ NHS Trusts, pioneered Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK and established the Black Maternal Health Conference. Her influence now reaches national policy, research and digital health through Mumbrite. Sandra Igwe MBE has made an outstanding contribution to health and wellbeing by transforming the conversation, support and infrastructure surrounding Black maternal health in the UK. Her work began from deeply personal experience.

Sarah Chitongo is one of the most consequential women working in Black maternal health in the United Kingdom today. A Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives, a Queen’s Nurse and a recipient of the Mary Seacole Award, she has spent twenty years inside NHS maternity services refusing to accept the pattern of Black women dying at nearly three times the rate of white women. She has translated that witness into structural change. She founded Vina, a clinically governed digital women’s health platform closing diagnostic delay for endometriosis, fibroids and chronic pelvic pain. She founded Black Blossom Alliance CIC delivering culturally safe perinatal care to Black women across the UK. She leads a multi million pound UK regulated care business, with two of her children.

Tasha Kathuria is nominating ABC Community CIC – Any Body Can Community for its commitment to making health and wellbeing accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Through Tasha Kathuria's work, Tasha Kathuria has created opportunities for children, families, adults and older people to become physically active through Bollywood, Bhangra, Garba, dance fitness, chair-based exercise and community wellbeing initiatives. Sessions are delivered within accessible spaces including schools, libraries and community centres, bringing physical activity directly to the people who can benefit from it. The impact goes beyond exercise. ABC Community helps people build confidence.

Overcoming challenges Offering gender focused and elite mens classes. Facing challenges with facilities and accessibility. They even went through a stage where they couldn't run any classes. Despite these challenges they have bounced back and developed their classes and structure. They are adaptable and very warm and welcoming. Facing and overcoming challenges with facilities. Classes for everyone and elite mens classes Providing extra classes to make up for no running classes Adaptable exercises.

Anwar Khattak BEM is the founder of Birmingham Youth Sports Academy, a grassroots organisation he established in 2002 with just 10 children. More than two decades later, BYSA supports over 500 young people every week through football, cricket, boxing, basketball and other sports alongside mentoring, tutoring and employment support. Thousands of young people from inner-city Birmingham have benefited from Anwar's commitment to using sport as a vehicle for opportunity, discipline and aspiration. A British Empire Medal recipient, Anwar has dedicated decades to ensuring a young person's background, gender or ability does not prevent them accessing the transformative power of sport.

Charlene Gravesande is being nominated because she continues to go from strength to strength. Her longevity within the sports industry - 18+ years is admirable but as a Black woman, Charlene Gravesande has really broken barriers. Charlene's work isn't just about reporting scores; she consistently uses societal issues to create thought-provoking productions. Whether it's collaborating on financial literacy content to help young footballers better manage their money, or increase visibility of women's sport with London Pulse netball team, to creating a short film to highlight the war in Gaza. Her contributions to sport have seen her work rightly receive top accolades, from a BAFTA win, to being named on the Premier League Football Black List, to having her portrait featured at the National Portrait Gallery, on billboards and in newspapers.

Sport should reflect the communities it serves. For 15 years, Coach Core Foundation has worked to make that a reality. Coach Core has supported approximately 1,200 apprentices and more than 300 employers across sport and physical activity. It is approaching 200 starts annually and expects to exceed 1,500 apprentices by the end of 2027. In 2026, Coach Core reached a landmark £4 million granted directly to employers since its work began. It now commits approximately £500,000 annually, helping grassroots organisations create paid opportunities for diverse young talent. Behind these numbers are lives transformed.

Isaiah James has transformed his lived experience of imprisonment into a powerful mission to change lives through sport. Through Freedom Through Fitness CIC, he uses running, physical training, mentoring and community programmes to support young people, people at risk of offending and those rebuilding their lives after prison. His work includes Miles for Change, prison engagement and the Legacy Unity Cup, which brought together 250+ people through football in 2026. Isaiah James demonstrates the extraordinary potential of sport not simply to improve physical health, but to transform lives, interrupt cycles of offending and create pathways towards purpose, discipline and community.

Jessica Creighton is an award-winning sports broadcaster and football leader who has spent more than 15 years increasing the visibility of sport and championing greater representation. Her career has taken her from the BBC to Sky Sports and across Olympic Games, World Cups, European Championships and Commonwealth Games. Beyond broadcasting, Jessica serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the FA Women's National League, contributing to the growth and sustainability of women's football. In 2026 she was recognised in the Football Black List's Lord Ouseley Leaders category, reflecting a career that has evolved from reporting on sport to helping shape its future.

For approximately 25 years, Leon Mann MBE has worked to make British sport more representative, inclusive and accessible. From beginning his career at Kick It Out to broadcasting for BBC and ITV, Leon has combined personal success with creating opportunities for others. He co-founded the Football Black List, founded BCOMS and co-founded the Sports People’s Think Tank, creating platforms that recognise Black achievement, challenge inequality and develop underrepresented talent. Leon Mann MBE has dedicated approximately 25 years to British sport, not simply building a successful career within the industry, but using his position to challenge inequality and create opportunities.

Louis Gladstone Annan has spent almost a decade using sport to create opportunities for young people, particularly those from underserved communities. Through Let’s Get Active, he has helped engage 2,000+ young people, support 150+ weekly participants, develop coaches and create paid opportunities. His work combines grassroots sport, mentoring, talent pathways and academic research into youth violence, demonstrating how sport can become a vehicle for prevention, confidence and social mobility. Louis Gladstone Annan has spent almost a decade using sport to create opportunities for children and young people, particularly those growing up in communities where talent is abundant but access to sport opportunities is limited.

Maggie Alphonsi MBE is a Rugby World Cup winner and pioneering leader whose impact extends far beyond her 74 England caps. She helped England secure seven consecutive Six Nations titles before becoming a world champion in 2014. Following retirement, Maggie became the first England Women's player elected to the RFU Council and the first former female player to commentate on men's international rugby at a Rugby World Cup. An MBE recipient and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee, Maggie has helped transform perceptions of women in rugby while continuing to use her visibility and leadership to inspire the generations following her.

Mandeep Singh Kundi is being nominated because he represents oneness in sport, and specifically in Sumo. As a multi time International champion and star coach, he continues to lead and follow as he does achieve and give back due to a passion to achieve and see others achieve, as well as to enjoy. He views Sumo as an alternative provision for wellbeing because it is, and hopes that with further support, more people can come to appreciate this wonderful sport, martial art and way of life that actually helps develop our values.

Priscilla Anyabu is a sports presenter, former athlete and founder of Girlz Are Playaz Too, a platform breaking down barriers preventing women and girls from participating in sport. After experiencing her own disengagement from athletics as a teenager, Priscilla turned that experience into a mission to create visibility, access and opportunities for others. From producing a Sky Sports documentary and creating sporting experiences for women to serving on Fulham FC's External Advisory Board and becoming an ambassador for GOALS Girls Hour, providing free weekly football for girls nationwide, Priscilla is helping a new generation see that sport belongs to them too.

The Reggae Aqua Club (RAC) was designed through a memory of the Founder growing up watching her family stay out of the water on childhood trips to the beach in Jamaica. Her parents and three siblings never learned to swim. As a child, a phobia stopped her getting back into the pool. That memory, combined with Sport England data showing 95% black adults and 80% of Black children in England don’t swim regularly, became the starting point for a project built to close that gap. RAC was designed in 2023 grounded in Sandwell’s 5 Ways to Wellbeing, delivering a 12-week pilot that generated 75 referrals. Supported by Smethwick Public Health, Soul Cap (providing suitable swimming hats for all hair types) and Sandwell Aquatic Centre. Funded through British Triathlon and SCVO.

Sam Obaseki has progressed from joining Sky as a production junior in 2018 to becoming an established Sky Sports presenter and reporter covering Premier League and EFL football. During the 2025/26 season alone, he covered 35 matches, conducted 50+ interviews and presented three studio shows. Beyond broadcasting, Sam uses his experience to support the next generation, including delivering media training to Brentford FC academy players and encouraging young athletes to communicate authentically. Sam represents a new generation of British sports broadcasting, bringing credibility, culture and personality to the game while helping others find their own voice within it.

We are immensely proud of Samantha as a multi-sport athlete, and of the example she sets to others. She has shown that sporting excellence does not have to fit into a single pathway and that sometimes achieving your potential means having the courage to forge your own. These achievements are about much more than medals. Sam has demonstrated what can be achieved through trust, resilience, adaptability, determination and teamwork, overcoming significant challenges and consistently demonstrated the professionalism and dedication required to perform at the highest level. Samantha embodies what it means to be an extraordinary woman: talented, determined, resilient, courageous, and willing to advocate for herself and others.

Swimunity directed by Sarraounia Samuels and Oumie Dale have transformed access to swimming for Grenfell Tower fire impacted communities through representation and removing a cost barrier. This has opened up the joy of swimming to both cjhildren and their families. They have also provided training opportunities for young people from our community so that representation in the aquatics industry can change. Swimunity was born following the Grenfell Tower to provide free swimming lessons to children in the local area. Lessons are provided for children from 4 years old and include children with Special educational needs.

Together Tennis is changing who feels tennis is for them. The Birmingham organisation has introduced more than 650 women and children to tennis, with over 80% of participants from ethnically diverse communities. Through free sessions, female coaches and culturally responsive provision, it removes barriers that can prevent women from participating in sport. Its impact extends beyond the court, with participants reporting improvements in fitness, confidence, wellbeing and belonging. Together Tennis is helping to change who gets to participate in tennis by removing cultural, financial and confidence-related barriers that have historically prevented many women and families from engaging with the sport.

Vitor Hugo Monteiro (Coach V), is being nominated for his dedication to grassroots football and his commitment to making sport accessible to every child. What makes Coach V stand out is his belief that every child is different. He takes the time to assess each player individually, understand their strengths and areas for development, and create personalised plans to help them progress. He continually works to learn, improve his knowledge and develop his coaching approach so he can better support the children he works with.

Afua Hagan is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and commentator whose work spans British, African and international media. As Senior International Correspondent for News Central and Royal Commentator for CTV News, Afua reports and analyses some of the world’s biggest stories, bringing clarity, context and a distinctive global perspective to audiences across Africa, the UK, Canada and beyond. Her work has appeared across major platforms including the BBC, ITV, Sky News, CNN, NBC and Channel 5. Alongside her journalism, Afua is a passionate advocate for greater representation in media. Her TEDx talk, “Too Dark for Daytime TV”, challenged colourism and discrimination n broadcasting and sparked important conversations about who gets seen, heard and valued on screen.

Ahmed Hussain has made an outstanding contribution to British media through his leadership, innovation and unwavering commitment to representation. As Head of BBC Asian Network, he has transformed the station into a thriving national platform that reaches more than half a million weekly listeners and millions more through digital channels. Under his leadership, the network won Gold at the 2024 ARIAS and has continued to champion British Asian stories, music and culture while nurturing the next generation of talent. Throughout his career, Ahmed has remained committed to widening access to media, supporting emerging creators and ensuring that underrepresented communities have a voice within the broadcasting industry.

Aleesha Hansel is an award-winning drinks writer, broadcaster and founding editor of Slake magazine. The first wine writer of Black heritage in the UK, she has built a career challenging traditional ideas about who drinks expertise is for and what drinks media can cover. A regular drinks expert on Channel 4's *Sunday Brunch*, Aleesha champions sustainable drinks, considering environmental, social and financial sustainability. She is also an Ambassador for the Fairtrade Foundation and a Patron of The Drinks Trust. In 2026, she founded Slake, an independent drinks and culture magazine exploring people, places and ideas through what we drink.

Àrèmúorin is a multi-award-winning artist, songwriter, producer, writer and humanitarian advocate whose career demonstrates the cultural power of independent creativity. Through MercyfulGrace Records and the long-running MercyfulGrace blog, he has built a distinctive platform connecting music, literature, social reflection and charitable awareness. His catalogue of more than 600 registered musical works spans Jazz, Soul, R&B, Gospel and Inspirational music, with performances at venues including Ronnie Scott’s, Knebworth and The O2. His creative projects have supported or highlighted organisations including Epilepsy Action and St Mungo’s, while his book, Follow Your Dreams: The Book of Inspirational Quotes, Volume 1, offers accessible reflections on hope, resilience, faith and self-worth.

Audrey Akande is being nominated in recognition of her outstanding contribution to British media, podcasting and entertainment. Audrey has developed from an influential podcast host into a versatile media personality whose work combines entertainment, representation, authenticity and meaningful community impact. As co-host of The Receipts Podcast, Audrey has helped create a culturally significant platform for honest conversations around relationships, identity, culture and everyday life. Her growing influence was recognised with a Best Media Personality nomination at the 2025 MOBO Awards, demonstrating her impact beyond podcasting within the wider entertainment industry.

Bernard P Achampong has made an extraordinary contribution to media and entertainment through his leadership, creativity and commitment to representation. As Chair of AudioUK and Founder of Unedited, he has helped shape the future of British audio while creating award-winning content that reaches audiences across the UK and internationally. Through his work with BBC, Spotify, Amazon and other leading platforms, Bernard has consistently elevated underrepresented voices and broadened access to authentic storytelling. Over the last 12 months, his leadership has continued to make a significant impact through initiatives including BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave and projects celebrating the cultural legacy of BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Bright and Shivon are natural encouragers and motivators who have transformed their own extraordinary journey of faith into a platform that inspires others. Through their podcast, Reelz of Faith, they celebrate ordinary people who have overcome extraordinary challenges, giving a voice to stories of resilience, hope, faith and triumph over adversity. Their passion comes from lived experience. When their son, Zechariah, was diagnosed with a severe congenital heart condition and given just two weeks to live, they fought tirelessly for his life, holding on to their faith through a 10-month hospital journey and two major heart operations. In just 16 months, Bright and Shivon have launched a high-quality podcast and shared the stories of more than 24 inspirational individuals, all while balancing work, business and family life with young children.

David Olawale Ayinde has done an outstanding job by networking and promoting himself as an actor, presenter, voice-over artist, and author. He has been resilient, practical, resourceful, and unwavering. David Olawale Ayinde creates meaningful and engaging social content on his You tube and Instagram Page. David Olawale Ayinde has been to the NAACP Awards, Screen Nation Awards, National Television Awards, and various red carpet events where he has promoted himself as an actor and his brand. David Olawale Ayinde deserves to be nominated for his achievements.

DeJonna Williams is an award-winning film producer and industry leader whose work has achieved national recognition and reached millions of viewers. A defining achievement of her career was producing Conrad Studios’ Wedding Runner, winner of the 1917 One Shot Challenge, selected by Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes from more than 100 submissions. DeJonna is also a three-time 48 Hour Film Project-winning producer and received Best Producer recognition for The Balloon at the 2025 Berlin Women Cinema Festival. Her producing portfolio includes Mudblood: Part One, which has surpassed 2 million views on YouTube, while her work has contributed to more than 50 million views across social media, particularly TikTok.

Fredi Nwaka should win the Outstanding Contribution to Media and Entertainment Award in recognition of his achievements as a writer, director, filmmaker and advocate for diverse and emerging creative talent. He successfully brought independently produced British films to national and international audiences. As the writer and director of Jafaican, he took the film from concept to its world premiere at the Gold Coast Film Festival, an Australian theatrical release and a nationwide UK screening across more than 100 cinemas. His wider body of work, including On the Other Foot and Jingle Hellz, places multicultural characters, communities and experiences at the centre of engaging, accessible entertainment.

Lorna Clarke is one of the most influential leaders in British media and entertainment. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, she has transformed music broadcasting, championed innovation, developed future talent and expanded opportunities for diverse voices across the industry. As Director of Music at the BBC, she oversees the corporation's music strategy and some of the UK's most significant cultural platforms, including Radio 1, Radio 2, 1Xtra, BBC Asian Network, 6 Music, the Proms and Glastonbury coverage. Her leadership has helped shape how millions of people discover music, engage with culture and connect with artists. From creating Electric Proms to commissioning groundbreaking programmes and championing emerging talent, Lorna has continually demonstrated excellence, innovation and cultural influence.

Lyttanya Shannon is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has taken her journey from Walsall to an international audience, telling powerful stories that challenge perceptions and amplify voices too often overlooked. A BAFTA Breakthrough UK Director, her work has been recognised by the Grierson Trust, Royal Television Society, Sheffield DocFest, One World Media and the British Journalism Awards. You will have seen her documentaries, perhaps without knowing that behind them was a local Midlands woman who grew up in Walsall. Her work includes Subnormal: A British Scandal and The Black Maternity Scandal, tackling racism, inequality and institutional failings. The Black Maternity Scandal won a British Journalism Award, while her work has been discussed in both the UK Parliament and US Congress.

Natalie Edward-Yesufu is a multi-award-winning producer, filmmaker and founder of Transition Stage Company who has spent a decade finding stories the entertainment industry might otherwise miss. Through Enter.Stage.Write and her wider initiatives, Natalie has supported grassroots writers, developed new intellectual property and created pathways connecting emerging talent with audiences, producers, commissioners and broadcasters. Her model is simple: discover locally, develop professionally and showcase globally. That philosophy can be seen in Indignitas, which originated with writer Jonathan Skinner through Enter.Stage.Write before becoming a professional film starring Mark Addy and Bethany Antonia and reaching festival audiences from London to New York.

Rakeem Omar is an award-winning investigative journalist and broadcaster whose career spans BBC television, BBC Radio 1Xtra, Channel 4 and major cultural and sporting events. After leaving banking to pursue journalism, he won national recognition for reporting underserved communities and became the first Black presenter of BBC Radio WM’s Breakfast Show. Today, his contribution extends beyond his own success through Black Boy Journos, supporting greater representation of Black men within journalism. Rakeem Omar has built an impressive career across British television, radio and investigative journalism while consistently using his platform to amplify communities and perspectives that have historically been underrepresented.

For more than 15 years, Remel London has built an outstanding career across British television, radio, music and entertainment while creating opportunities for others to follow. Her credits span Capital XTRA, Sky, the MOBO Awards, BRITs coverage, Notting Hill Carnival and major entertainment events. In 2017, Remel founded The Mainstream, providing aspiring creatives with networking, workshops, industry insight, podcasts and opportunities to develop their careers. She has since created The Mainstream Ones To Watch Awards, celebrating emerging creative talent.

The most powerful stories are not always the loudest; sometimes they are the stories that risk being forgotten. Rob Singh recognised that Asquith Xavier's fight against racial discrimination was not just a railway story, but a British story. Through exceptional leadership, storytelling, and unwavering allyship, he ensured that a vital piece of history was not only remembered but celebrated. His work demonstrates the extraordinary impact one person can have when they choose to use their platform to amplify the voices of others. In doing so, Rob has not simply informed audiences; he has inspired them, challenged them to think differently, and helped shape a more inclusive understanding of our shared history

Sabir Esa is the founder and editor of SabirEsa.com, an independent, self-funded public-interest platform based in Blackburn. Since 2014, he has used Freedom of Information requests, public records and plain-English reporting to help residents understand decisions on housing, public spending, SEND, deprivation and local services. SabirEsa.com publishes editorial standards, offers a right of reply and records corrections. Sabir follows issues beyond the first announcement and seeks evidence from the organisations responsible. His recent Meadowbrook Rise investigation brought together resident accounts, planning and company records, information requests and questions to public bodies about unfinished infrastructure and responsibility.

Shakira Lueshing has spent over two decades breaking barriers and championing diversity within media and entertainment. As the first rapper to appear on The Voice UK, she helped challenge perceptions and create space for diverse talent on mainstream television. Her impressive career spans music, acting, Disney and Reprezent Radio. Beyond her personal achievements, Shakira is passionate about creating opportunities for others. Through Verve Talent and her talent school, she mentors, represents and develops emerging creatives, helping the next generation realise their potential. Her resilience, innovation and commitment to opening doors make her an inspirational figure within the entertainment industry.

Shantania Beckford has transformed extraordinary adversity into an influential career within digital media. After arriving in Britain from Jamaica as a teenager and experiencing homelessness, she built her own platform, growing her YouTube community to more than 300,000 subscribers and 11 million views. Across more than a decade, she has created representation for Black women while speaking openly about identity, confidence and self-worth. Now, through 3LF Project, Shantania is using her experience to create opportunities for emerging creatives. Shantania Beckford has spent more than a decade building an influential career within digital media and entertainment, creating visibility for Black women.

Shiva Talwar has made an outstanding contribution to media and entertainment through his pioneering work in inclusive production, accessibility, representation and cultural storytelling. As a Production Manager at BBC Studios, Shiva has earned industry recognition for transforming production practices, most notably through his work on Inside Our Autistic Minds, where he introduced innovative accessibility measures that improved experiences for neurodivergent contributors and production teams alike. His work earned both a BBC Outstanding Contribution Award and RTS recognition. Alongside his production achievements, Shiva serves as Co-Chair of BBC Studios & UKTV Embrace, helping create meaningful opportunities for inclusion, cultural awareness and employee engagement.

Susan Karanja has made an outstanding contribution to media and entertainment through her work as a journalist, producer and storyteller. Over a career spanning BBC News, BBC World Service, BBC Africa and BBC South East, she has consistently delivered journalism that informs, educates and engages audiences while maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity. In addition to her newsroom achievements, Susan has helped influence the future of broadcasting through her involvement with the BBC One TV Commissioning Under 30s Panel, ensuring that content better reflects younger and more diverse audiences. Her commitment to representation and public service has helped create a stronger connection between media organisations and the communities they serve.

Adrian J Moore is an accomplished musician, musical director, producer and community leader whose contribution to music spans more than two decades. A self-taught drummer and keyboardist from Nottingham, Adrian has progressed to the highest levels of the industry, serving as Music Director for global artist Wizkid and working with major names including Stormzy, Sugababes and Gabrielle. Through his company, Mooresound, he continues to contribute his expertise as a producer, arranger and creative leader. What makes Adrian’s contribution particularly inspiring is his commitment to using music to empower others. Alongside Melissa Moore, he co-founded Sing It Bold Community Gospel Choir which grew from just six members to more than 65 across Nottingham and Derby and became a finalist in BBC Gospel Choir of the Year 2024.

Alexandria Carr has progressed from launching grassroots Birmingham platform Amplify Sounds in 2020 to becoming Head of Music at KOKO just six years later. Along the way, she has programmed music at B:Music, Southbank Centre and Cheltenham Jazz Festival, supported emerging artists and become the first Black person elected to the European Jazz Network board. Her career has remained rooted in widening opportunity and representation. Alexandria began by creating a stage for artists who weren’t getting enough opportunities. Today, she is helping decide who stands on one of London’s most iconic stages.

Andrew Smith is an accomplished musician, musical director and dedicated mentor whose contribution to music extends beyond the stage. He has performed with The Jacksons, Heather Small and Blue, and serves as musical director for Jocelyn Brown. Throughout his career, Andrew has invested in others, mentoring young people and musicians and helping emerging talent secure opportunities to perform at major gigs. He cares about their personal wellbeing as well as their professional progress, offering encouragement and guidance as they develop their own paths. A committed Christian Husband who volunteers in his church, Andrew puts his faith into practice through generosity, service and care for his community.

B:Music is the Birmingham charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall, welcoming more than 500,000 visitors to over 700 concerts each year while providing paid opportunities for more than 3,000 artists and supporting staff. Its contribution extends far beyond its stages. Through talent development, bursaries, education, community programmes and pathways into the industry, B:Music is working to ensure that live music is accessible to the next generation. B:Music doesn’t simply ask who should perform on Birmingham’s great stages today. It is helping create the artists and music professionals who will stand on them tomorrow.

Carla Marie Williams MBE is an acclaimed songwriter, producer and changemaker whose credits include Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Sean Paul, Girls Aloud and Craig David. Her contribution extends beyond an extraordinary songwriting catalogue. In 2016, she founded Girls Carla Marie MBE Rate to create opportunities, representation and pathways for women across music and the creative industries. Through mentoring, development programmes and industry partnerships, Carla now uses the access her career created to open doors for others. Awarded an MBE for services to music, Carla has not only written songs heard around the world, she is helping the next generation write their own.

Coryell Hyatt is a Grammy nominated music producer and founder of Hya Sounds audio production company specialising in Music production, sound design and has composed scores of music for theatre productions, advertising campaigns and the award winning documentary Darcus Beese : In his own words music documentary for Paramount and Channel 5. Coryell received a Grammy nomination for Best Remix in 2025 and has since lead keynote talks, mentored music students and dedicated countless hours to the next generation of musicians to inspire their own music journeys with his 20+ year experience. Coryell Hyatt is the founder of Hya Sounds.

For more than two decades, Despa Robinson has helped shape Birmingham’s grime and rap story. From StayFresh to founding BE83 Music Group, he has developed artists, managed careers and built music infrastructure outside an industry traditionally centred on London. His work has supported talent including Jaykae and Dapz On The Map, while BE83 secured global distribution with Sony Music-owned The Orchard. Despa has also served on influential music industry boards and championed the Midlands nationally. For more than two decades, Despa Robinson has played an important role in the development, visibility and commercial growth of Birmingham’s Black music scene.

DJ Ace has spent more than two decades championing R&B and Black British music. After 21 years and approximately 10,000 hours on BBC Radio 1Xtra, he continues that mission through KISS and Everything R&B, creating showcases, tours, development opportunities and international platforms for emerging artists. From helping shape national R&B radio to taking UK talent to SXSW and leading a celebration of British R&B at the MOBO Awards, Ace has not simply documented the story of UK R&B. He has helped write it. Ashley “DJ Ace” Asomani has made an outstanding contribution to British music for more than two decades.

DJ Trey is an internationally recognised Birmingham DJ whose journey from an immigrant, single-parent household and a high-crime area to major festival stages is a powerful example of resilience, ambition and achievement. He has performed at Wireless, MADE Festival and Boxout Festival, held prominent residencies, and DJed alongside global artists including Chris Brown, Cardi B, Tyga and Skillibeng. He has also worked with major brands and organisations including Foot Locker, Wingstop, EY and Birmingham City Council. Beyond his achievements in music, Trey is committed to giving back. He delivers music workshops for young people within the school-to-prison pipeline, using his experiences to inspire positive choices and creative opportunities. Alongside his music career, he works as a Social Worker for Birmingham City Council, supporting older adults in the community.

Founded by singer, vocal coach and SEND music specialist Gemma Mills in 2005, Born2Sing has spent over 20 years helping people find their voice. What began as private vocal coaching has grown into B2S Creative Arts, a fully inclusive performing arts community offering singing, dance, drama, musical theatre and dedicated SEND provision. At its heart is a simple belief: everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the power of music and the arts, regardless of disability, additional needs, anxiety or the barriers they may face. Born2Sing combines inclusion with high-quality music education, achieving a 100% examination pass rate, delivering specialist music provision within schools and communities, and extending its teaching internationally to the UAE.

Joseph Ross is an award-winning musical director, guitarist and bandleader whose career demonstrates the extraordinary contribution musicians make both on stage and behind the scenes. His professional journey has included playing for internationally recognised artists including The Jacksons and James Brown, while as co-founder and bandleader of Lyrical Souls he has created a platform celebrating talented singers and musicians. Joseph’s career reminds us that some of music’s most important contributors are not always standing centre stage.

KAMILLE is an award-winning songwriter, producer and artist whose creativity has helped shape modern British music. Her extraordinary catalogue includes hits for Little Mix, Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Mabel, Clean Bandit and David Guetta, generating billions of streams and multiple UK number ones. In 2023, she became the youngest Black woman to receive the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection. In 2026, she received the Music Producers Guild Inspiration Award for her influence on generations of writers and producers. From leaving finance to becoming one of Britain's most successful songwriters, KAMILLE's contribution to music reaches far beyond the spotlight.

Matty Brown is an award-winning drummer, musical director and founder of Brown Music Live whose journey from playing drums in his Hackney church community to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages is truly inspiring. After winning Young Drummer of the Year in 2013 at just 16, Matty built an exceptional career working with leading artists including Stormzy, Sugababes, Ellie Goulding, Dave, Little Simz and many others. A career highlight saw him perform as drummer for Stormzy’s landmark headline set on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage. Matty’s contribution to music, however, extends far beyond his own success. Through Brown Music Live, he creates professional opportunities for musicians while providing musical direction and band-fixing for major artists and productions.

Melissa Moore is a strong, confident woman in all areas of her life. Her Sing it Bold family would love to see her receive this award. She never fails to put others first. She is a wonderful wife, mother, sister aunt. She is so many things to so many people. She never stops to think about herself. If someone else needs uplifting, an ear, a word of prayer, Mel will juggle whatever she is doing, or make sure that someone is available for you. Throughout singing she has opened doors for so many; encouraged and given confidence to people who had never thought they would fit in to a choir through lack of confidence or believing that they could not sing.

Olivia “Livi Lovez” Williams is a vocalist, vocal director, producer and contractor whose work has supported artists including Tems, Stormzy, Dave, Little Simz, SAULT and John Legend. Her career has taken her from Glastonbury and Coachella to Tiny Desk and major international television performances. As founder of The Music Confectionery, Olivia now uses her expertise to assemble exceptional vocal talent for recordings, performances and tours. She has built a career using her own voice, and is now using her position to create opportunities for other voices to be heard.

For 30 years, Punch Records has championed music, culture and emerging creative talent from Birmingham and beyond. The organisation reports supporting more than 3,000 artists, delivering 75+ tours and 18 talent programmes, commissioning 84 artists and investing more than £500,000 into emerging talent. Through initiatives including Gallery37 and BASS Festival, Punch has created pathways for young creatives while providing an enduring platform for Black music and culture. Punch has not simply celebrated music. It has invested in the people creating it and built stages for the next generation to take it forward.

For more than two decades, Riki Bleau has helped shape British music from behind the scenes. From Channel U during the formative years of grime to co-founding Since ’93, his career has helped develop artists, build businesses and create opportunities across management, publishing and recorded music. His work has connected him with talent including Krept & Konan, Labrinth, Aitch, Fredo, Cat Burns, Tems and Tyla, and in 2026 he was named a Billboard Global Power Player. For more than two decades, Riki Bleau has helped shape the direction of British music, working behind the scenes to develop artists and build businesses.

Stephen Asamoah-Duah is an award-winning drummer, producer and member of The Compozers who has spent more than a decade championing live musicianship. From winning UK Young Drummer of the Year to performing with artists including Davido, Asake, J Hus, Tems and Wizkid, his journey has taken him to the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena and stages around the world. Alongside his own career, Stephen established Future Music Services to mentor and create opportunities for emerging musicians. Stephen Asamoah-Duah has spent much of his life behind a drum kit, but his contribution to British music has reached far beyond it.

Terry King is being nominated for the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award because at just 30 years old, Terry has built an exceptional career as a Musical Director, show producer and creative entrepreneur, contributing to performances for an impressive array of some of the world’s most recognised artists and stages. To note a few; Momo Boyd, Amma, Gibran Alcocer, Mis-Teeq, Fantasia, Giveon, Jason Derulo, TEMS, Justin Timberlake, GloRilla, Coco Jones, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Ari Lennox, Leon Bridges, TLC, Snoop Dogg His recent work demonstrates his ability to cross genres and push the boundaries of the spaces in which young Black musical directors are represented.

Trevor Nelson MBE is one of the most important and influential figures in British music. Over more than 30 years, he has helped shape the UK's music landscape through his work as a broadcaster, DJ, A&R executive, curator and mentor. From helping establish Kiss FM as a major force in British broadcasting, to launching the UK's first national R&B show on BBC Radio 1, Trevor has consistently championed Black music, diverse voices and emerging talent. He has helped introduce generations of listeners to new artists while creating opportunities for musicians, creatives and broadcasters to succeed. Trevor has influenced careers, transformed representation within music media and helped ensure Black music receives the recognition and respect it deserves within British cultural life.

A-List Lace Hair is a British-founded luxury hair company that has grown from its founder selling wigs from the boot of her car into an international business generating more than £20 million in revenue, with studios in London and New York and customers around the world. Founded by Antonia Okonma Shittu in 2008, A-List has helped transform the wig-wearing experience through ultra-natural, glueless human-hair wigs designed to be fitted in minutes without adhesive. Its products serve women who wear wigs for beauty and convenience, as well as women experiencing alopecia, chemotherapy-related hair loss and other forms of hair loss.

BLD Bro deserves recognition for its exceptional growth, innovation and disruption of the men’s grooming industry. Founded in Birmingham in 2021 by Tariq Kazemi, Benjamin Saunders and Richard Boazman, the business identified an underserved market by developing specialist skincare products for bald men. With reported annual turnover of £3.5 million, over 73,000 customers and expansion into international markets including the US and Canada, BLD Bro has demonstrated remarkable entrepreneurial ambition. Its success highlights how identifying a niche, challenging industry conventions and building a distinctive brand can transform an innovative idea into an inspirational British business success story.

COAT Paints deserves recognition for transforming the traditional paint industry through innovation, sustainability and exceptional commercial growth. Founded in 2020 by friends Rob Abrahams and Rob Green, who initially raised £150,000 from family and friends, COAT has grown into a multimillion-pound business generating £12.8 million in annual sales, a 71% increase year-on-year. Ranked 87th in The Sunday Times 100 Fastest-Growing Companies 2026, the B Corp-certified business champions sustainable manufacturing, reduced waste and environmentally responsible products. COAT demonstrates how entrepreneurial vision, innovation and a commitment to sustainability can disrupt an established industry while building an inspirational British success story.

D. Louise deserves recognition for its remarkable growth, innovation and impact within the jewellery industry. Founded by Olivia Jenkins in 2021 in memory of her late mother, Deborah Louise, the business has grown from a £1,000 investment into a multimillion-pound brand. Offering affordable, durable jewellery, D. Louise has reportedly sold over 650,000 products, generated £8.7 million in annual turnover and expanded internationally. Ranked 46th in The Sunday Times 100 fastest-growing companies for 2026, D. Louise demonstrates exceptional entrepreneurship, commercial success and resilience, proving how a deeply personal vision can become an inspirational British business success story.

First Class Athletics has achieved remarkable growth while staying true to its purpose and six core values: respect, pride, creativity, power, leadership and kindness. These Six Stripes are embedded into everything we do, from how athletes and coaches treat one another to how we develop confident, ambitious young people. Respect and Kindness create an inclusive environment where every athlete feels valued and supported. Pride and Power encourage athletes to celebrate their achievements, overcome challenges and believe in themselves. Creativity drives innovative programmes, performances and opportunities, while Leadership provides pathways for athletes to become coaches, mentors and role models.

Flake Bake has grown from a father-and-son business in Peckham into one of Britain’s fastest-growing founder-led food companies. Founded by Paul and Mike Williams, the Jamaican patty brand achieved national recognition through Aldi’s Next Big Thing and now reports selling more than 40,000 units weekly, with millions of patties sold overall. Published figures indicate turnover grew from approximately £700,000 in 2023 towards an expected £3 million in 2025. Flake Bake is an outstanding example of a culturally authentic British business successfully moving from grassroots entrepreneurship into mainstream national retail while delivering exceptional commercial growth.

Foundervine is transforming access to entrepreneurship by helping ambitious founders start, grow and scale sustainable businesses. Over eight years, it reports accelerating 1,837 businesses, supporting 4,413 leaders, contributing to 4,000+ jobs and helping founders raise more than £105 million. Through partnerships with organisations including Lloyds, Barclays, Google and the London Stock Exchange, Foundervine is connecting entrepreneurs with expertise, networks and capital. Foundervine’s success is ultimately measured by the success it creates for others, widening access to entrepreneurship and helping the next generation of founders build businesses capable of scale.

Founded by sisters Fleur East and Keshia East, Kurl Kitchen has transformed their experiences with textured hair into a nationally stocked British beauty business. Inspired by their Ghanaian heritage, the brand incorporates West African ingredients including okra, baobab, yam and plantain and is now stocked in more than 300 Boots stores. Its products have also received recognition from Get The Gloss and Marie Claire. Kurl Kitchen demonstrates that cultural authenticity and commercial ambition do not have to compete. When combined successfully, they can become the very foundations on which an outstanding business is built.

MyoMaster began when injured England rugby player Joe Gray created a homemade recovery device from a drill and stool leg at his kitchen table. Together with Lottie Whyte, that prototype became one of Britain’s fastest-growing wellness businesses. After securing investment from Sara Davies and Gary Neville on Dragons’ Den, MyoMaster accelerated from seven-figure sales to revenues now reportedly approaching £15 million. Today its products support everyone from everyday consumers to elite sporting environments, while the company ranks 9th in FEBE’s 2026 Growth 100. MyoMaster is an extraordinary example of adversity, innovation and founder determination becoming exceptional British business growth.

Premium Fuel Club is a Birmingham-born business challenging the traditional petrol station model by bringing fuel directly to the customer. Founded by Myles Morris, the company has developed what it describes as the UK’s first mobile petrol delivery service of its kind, combining convenience with technology to rethink how motorists refuel. Since incorporating in 2025, Premium Fuel Club has progressed from concept to operational business and developed a franchise model, with expansion already beginning under separate ownership. Premium Fuel Club is an innovative Birmingham business challenging one of the most established consumer models in the UK: the traditional petrol station.

What started as a father making traditional Caribbean sorrel for his family has become a father-and-son business reaching national shelves. Ivor and Eugene Patterson built Revibed Drinks from home during lockdown and have since secured relationships with Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Virgin Atlantic, alongside expanding internationally. In 2026, Revibed won £15,000 investment through Venturefest West Midlands before entering Dragons’ Den and securing £50,000 investment from Steven Bartlett. Revibed is demonstrating what can happen when heritage meets entrepreneurship, transforming something rooted in family and Caribbean culture into an ambitious British challenger brand.

Simmer Eats has grown from approximately £10 of ingredients in a university kitchen into one of Britain’s fastest-growing businesses. Founded by brothers Simmy and Jhai Dhillon and built alongside their mother Kal, the bootstrapped meal delivery company has grown to a reported £79.1 million in annual revenue and achieved consecutive appearances in The Sunday Times Hundred. Yet its success remains rooted in family. The brothers have used the business to retire their hardworking parents and pay off their mortgage. Simmer Eats represents an extraordinary example of British entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable business growth. Its beginnings could hardly have been smaller.

The Indian Brewery has grown from a small microbrewery founded by Jaspal Purewal in 2014 into one of Birmingham's distinctive independent brewing and hospitality brands. Combining craft beer with modern Indian food, the family-led company has expanded its brewery, developed successful hospitality venues and taken its brand into Birmingham Airport. Named Brewery/Distillery of the Year in 2025 and a 2026 Birmingham Business of the Year finalist, The Indian Brewery demonstrates how culture, innovation, family and commercial ambition can come together to build a business that is proudly Birmingham and increasingly recognised beyond it.

The KS Clinic, founded by CEO Kyomi Sayce, is the UK’s leading specialist clinic for Skin of Colour. Built on over 20 years of clinical expertise—including a decade on London’s Harley Street—The KS Clinic was created to solve a vital healthcare gap: providing safe, dedicated, and effective aesthetic care for melanin-rich skin. Having secured an extraordinary 12 industry awards this year alone and recently crowned a winner at the prestigious Lloyds Bank Black Business Awards, The KS Clinic represents the pinnacle of operational excellence, safety, and inclusive healthcare. Kyomi’s impact extends far beyond her clinic doors.

Wingstop UK, operated by Lemon Pepper Holdings, is one of the UK's most outstanding business success stories. Since launching in 2018, the company has achieved exceptional growth, expanding from a single restaurant to almost 100 locations across the UK and Ireland while generating record revenues of £216.4 million and creating approximately 3,000 jobs. Its innovative approach to branding, customer engagement and operational excellence has established Wingstop UK as one of the country's fastest-growing hospitality businesses. The company's success extends beyond financial performance. Through job creation, investment in people, expansion into new communities and a commitment to career development, Wingstop UK.

Explode Social Media is a Birmingham-born social-first agency proving that world-class creative businesses can grow outside London. Founded by Lindi Mngaza and incorporated in 2017, Explode has developed a client portfolio featuring brands and destinations including Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Bullring & Grand Central and McArthurGlen, alongside delivering campaigns capable of generating significant online reach. The business also invests in emerging talent through student placements and industry education. Explode Social Media is a Birmingham-based social-first marketing agency that has grown from an entrepreneurial idea into a business trusted by major national and international brands.

Anne Mensah is one of Britain's most influential creative leaders, with more than two decades of leadership across the BBC, Sky and Netflix. As Vice President of UK Content at Netflix, she leads the team behind globally recognised British productions including Adolescence, Baby Reindeer, Supacell and Black Doves. Beyond commercial and creative success, Anne has consistently championed diverse talent and worked to create stronger pathways into the screen industries. An RTS Judges' Award recipient and RTS Fellow, Anne represents leadership that combines vision, influence and achievement with a commitment to opening doors for the next generation.

Asha Agarwal is a housing and real estate leader with more than 20 years' experience whose leadership combines results with a commitment to creating opportunities for others. From growing up on a council estate and experiencing homelessness at 16, Asha progressed into senior leadership and has helped more than 1,000 first-time buyers towards home ownership throughout her career. Today, she leads major new homes sales and marketing programmes, serves on the board of Women in Social Housing (WISH) London and judges leading real estate industry awards, including the RESI Awards and Property Week's Inspiring Women in Property Awards.

Charlotte Mensah is a pioneering British-Ghanaian leader who has spent 40 years transforming the position of Afro and textured hair within Britain's beauty industry. Founder of Hair Lounge and the Manketti Oil range, Charlotte became the first Black woman inducted into the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame after winning Afro Hairdresser of the Year three times. Her leadership extends beyond personal achievement through education, apprenticeships, mentoring and academies in London and Accra. As she celebrates 40 years in hairdressing, Charlotte's greatest legacy is not simply what she has achieved, but the opportunities, knowledge and representation she has created for those following her.

Chinwendu (Wendy) Nwaozuzu is a technology product leader with over 12 years of experience in product management, data, cloud, and digital transformation. She has led complex projects like enterprise SaaS, cloud migration, and data-platform initiatives, turning technical challenges into solutions that boost customer experience, operations, and business value. Wendy’s leadership goes beyond her day-to-day work. She has judged competitions like Young Coders, The Big Bang Competition, Technovation Girls, and Enactus. She also volunteers as a STEM Ambassador and mentor, and has shared her unique career story as a keynote speaker at One Tech World.

Dr Charlene Makita, PhD, is an academic turned clean beauty entrepreneur and scientific policy leader. Building directly on her PhD research in bioactive extraction, she created Natural Aura, a clean haircare brand advocating for non-toxic formulations targeted at Black women and children. She pioneered a patented Pressurised Hot Water Extraction methodology, winning the GAP Biosciences Award and securing Technology Innovation Agency grant funding to construct a mass-scale facility to bring unique moringa food based products with enhanced nutritional value, such as yoghurts and iced teas, to the UK. Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine UK under Women Leading in Innovation and spotlighted during a CNBC Africa side event, Dr Makita served as a Judge for the Global Queens Leadership Awards and moderated at the BWIBAAD Conference.

Eddy Datubo is an exceptional leader whose influence, expertise and commitment to developing others make him a highly deserving recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Award. As Director of Transformation at the BBC, Eddy leads one of the most important transformation portfolios in the UK media sector, ensuring that the organisation continues to evolve and deliver value for audiences in a rapidly changing environment. His leadership combines strategic vision, operational excellence and a deep understanding of how to lead people through change. Across a distinguished career spanning more than 28 years, Eddy has successfully delivered transformational change in some of the world's most complex organisations while maintaining a strong commitment to mentorship, learning and leadership development.

Eliot Kelly is recognised for his outstanding leadership in education, international collaboration, and strategic innovation. For more than 25 years, he has combined academic leadership with a commitment to creating opportunities that empower individuals, strengthen institutions, and build partnerships across Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider Commonwealth. As Programme Director at Global Banking School, he has led initiatives that enhance teaching quality, student success, and employability. As Founder of the Pan-African Caribbean Gateway, he has championed collaboration between governments, educational institutions, and the private sector to advance education, human capital development, and cross-regional cooperation.

Ete Davies is an internationally respected business leader with more than 25 years of experience leading people, organisations and transformation across the creative industries. His leadership has included directing more than 3,000 people across 31 markets at Dentsu Creative, serving as CEO of Engine Creative and becoming Global COO of LePub. Beyond executive leadership, Ete serves on the Guardian Media Group board, is Vice-Chair of Media Trust and co-founded CultureHeroes to create opportunities for underrepresented talent. Recognised as the 2025 Black British Business Awards Arts & Media Senior Leader, Ete represents leadership that combines commercial excellence, cultural influence and opportunity for others.

Gary Laybourne has spent 15 years changing who receives opportunities, who is represented and who gets to lead within sport. He helped launch Coach Core in 2012 and has developed it into a national charity supporting young people facing poverty, discrimination, disability, homelessness, care experience and limited networks. Under Gary’s leadership, Coach Core has supported approximately 1,200 apprentices and more than 300 employers. It is approaching 200 starts annually and expects to exceed 1,500 apprentices by the end of 2027. Gary has also led more than £4 million of direct grant investment into employers, turning ambition into paid opportunities for diverse young talent.

Hayley Cole is an exceptional leader whose impact spans global business, education, community development and inclusion. As COO of Bloomberg's International Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs division, she has demonstrated outstanding strategic leadership and operational excellence within one of the world's most influential organisations. At the same time, she has consistently used her leadership profile to support others, champion inclusion and create positive change. Throughout her career, Hayley has actively invested in people and communities. From leading employee resource groups at BlackRock to serving as a charity trustee, school governor and advocate for diversity and inclusion, she has continually demonstrated leadership in all aspects.

Holds Empathy compassion and elegance to the most deprived areas of oxford and wants everyone to feel confidence and excell and achieve, Iram Woolley is a true leader who does not simply lead from the front, she brings others with her. Through her work with The Brilliant Club and beyond, Iram has empowered countless women by giving them the courage to believe in themselves, the confidence to use their voices and the opportunities to progress. Her leadership is about opening doors for others. She sees potential in people, often before they see it in themselves, and encourages women to step up.

Jemimah Magit is a PhD researcher, STEM advocate, mentor, and role model who is passionate about creating opportunities for others. Through her academic achievements, STEM outreach, mentoring, and commitment to inclusion, she has inspired students, young people, and aspiring engineers to pursue their ambitions with confidence. Alongside her research at the University of Nottingham, she supports engineering students by guiding them through laboratory experiments and practical learning activities, supporting students with additional learning needs, mentoring women in STEM through STEMAZING, and contributing to initiatives that promote greater representation in engineering. Her leadership is driven by service, resilience, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.

Jermaine Balfourth is a creative leader, community builder and founder who uses his influence to create opportunities for others. With more than 20 years in the creative industry, Jermaine has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands while championing greater representation and opportunity. In 2024, he founded BLACQ Space, a global community connecting more than 3,000 Black creatives and professionals across creativity, culture and business. What began as an idea has become a platform for connection, collaboration and opportunity. Through events, partnerships, introductions, industry conversations and shared resources, Jermaine has created a space where people can build relationships, discover opportunities and feel seen.

Jonathan Miller has progressed from graduate trainee to Chief Client Officer while consistently using his leadership to create opportunities for others. Alongside executive leadership at Partners & Advisory Academy, he co-founded the BFPS Black Leaders Network, chairs the Working Options in Education advisory board, contributes to Aston University as a Visiting Professional Fellow and helps develop emerging insurance professionals through the Partners & Advisory Academy. His career demonstrates that leadership is not only about occupying a seat at the table. It is about developing people, widening the table and helping others become leaders in their own right.

Joy Adams is Chief Operating Officer for Digital Assets Transformation at Deutsche Bank and an accomplished leader spanning finance, technology, cybersecurity, innovation and public policy. Her leadership has included transformation initiatives reaching thousands of colleagues, supporting complex technology programmes and championing greater representation within financial services. A Harvard Kennedy School graduate, Certified Information Security Manager, Oxford Fintech Programme alumna and Money20/20 RiseUp alumna, Joy combines continual learning with practical leadership. She is helping shape the future of financial services while creating greater visibility for those who have historically been underrepresented within it.

Kelsey-Rae Williams is an exceptional diversity and inclusion leader whose career has been dedicated to creating fairer, more inclusive workplaces and improving opportunities for underrepresented communities. From leading the Department for Education's award-winning Project Race, to developing global DE&Kelsey Rae Williams strategies at Burberry, strengthening inclusion at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and now leading Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at the BBC, Kelsey has consistently delivered meaningful and measurable change. Her work has improved representation, strengthened employee networks, increased access to opportunities and embedded inclusion into organisational culture and decision-making. She has championed innovative initiatives, created pathways for diverse talent and helped major institutions move from commitment to action.

Lisa Smith is an exceptional leader whose influence extends across business, technology, innovation and inclusion. As a Partner at Kearney and an internationally recognised advocate for diverse talent, Lisa has consistently demonstrated that leadership is about both achieving results and creating opportunities for others. Throughout her career she has championed women in technology, sponsored employee resource groups, mentored future leaders and used innovation to increase representation and visibility for underrepresented communities. Her leadership combines commercial excellence with social impact. Whether pioneering innovative technology campaigns, supporting diverse talent pipelines or creating opportunities through initiatives such as EMERGE's Power of 3 Programme, Lisa has built a legacy centred on empowerment, inclusion and progress.

Lord Simon Woolley has spent almost three decades not simply leading, but creating pathways for others to lead. After growing up on a council estate and leaving school without A-levels, he went on to lead Operation Black Vote for more than 25 years, helping transform Black representation within British public life. His influence has extended from grassroots communities to government, the House of Lords and education. In 2021, he made history as the first Black man to lead an Oxbridge college, becoming Principal of Homerton College, Cambridge. His greatest leadership legacy is the doors he has opened for others.

Martin Onyeador is an exceptional leader whose impact spans innovation, talent development and financial services transformation. As a leader within NatWest Markets' Digital Capital Markets team, he has played an important role in advancing the adoption of emerging technologies and helping shape the future of digital finance. His expertise and leadership have earned him recognition as a respected voice within one of the most exciting areas of modern banking. Beyond his professional achievements, Martin is deeply committed to developing the next generation of talent. Through programmes such as Bright Network's Black Talent in Banking initiative, he has helped aspiring professionals gain insight, confidence and access to opportunities within financial services.

Monica Meade is a global technology leader who believes leadership should create opportunities for others. As Global Head of Audit for Technology, Real-Time Payments and Transfer Solutions at Mastercard, she has built an exceptional career spanning more than two decades. Yet her impact extends beyond her title. Monica mentors emerging talent, champions employees of African descent through Mastercard’s LEAD network, serves the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust and contributes her expertise to the cybersecurity profession. Named to the Powerlist 2026, Monica represents leadership with purpose. She has climbed the ladder, but importantly, she continues reaching back to help others climb too.

Natalie Diana Busari is the Founder and CEO of The Nerve of Natalie Diana Busari's Multiple Sclerosis CIC, a Black-led patient organisation supporting Black heritage communities affected by MS, NMOSD, MOGAD, CIS and related neuroimmune conditions. Natalie is an exceptional leader because she has built what was missing. She created a platform for Black patients who were underrepresented in research, clinical trials, healthcare data, patient support and public awareness. Her leadership has grown from the UK to Ghana and Nigeria, creating a wider Black neuroimmune patient voice across African and diaspora communities. She is also contributing to MS inequalities work, clinical research inclusion, AI in clinical neurology, Ethnicity Scan and the Black Heritage MS Register UK.

Natasha influences a large group of teens to do great things. Creating change and demonstrating that trusting teens can lead to success. Natasha supports and nurtures a group of youth councils and goes the extra mile constantly. Her leadership is incredible she guides, mentors and leads a youth council to a high standard, creating opportunities with care and nurture. Haringey Youth Council Enabling youth leaders to stand on the London Youth Assembly Changing change within Haringey council alongside senior leaders.

Professor Gurpreet Singh Jagpal OBE has spent more than two decades using leadership to create opportunity for others. His work has empowered thousands of students, supported more than 1,000 graduate entrepreneurs, helped 120+ international innovators, contributed to 240+ jobs and secured over £6 million in investment. Today, as Chief Commercial Officer at Aston University, he is helping drive enterprise, partnerships and economic growth across Birmingham and beyond. Awarded an OBE in 2026 for services to enterprise, entrepreneurship education and policy, Gurpreet demonstrates that great leadership is not simply about progressing yourself, but creating pathways for others to progress too.

Sarah Chitongo is a Zimbabwean-born midwife, healthcare leader and entrepreneur transforming outcomes for the communities the system has historically failed. As Co-Founder and Responsible Individual of Highlands Care Solutions, she leads a multi-million pound organisation employing over 400 people across children's residential, supported living and domiciliary care, whose flagship home was graded Outstanding by Ofsted across every domain in 2026. Ofsted described her leadership as inspirational, brave, and innovative. Sarah is a Mary Seacole Award recipient and Queen's Nurse whose research on Black maternal inequality shaped national policy, and she has received fourteen further awards for this work.

Scot Bowman is an outstanding leader who has successfully combined commercial excellence, creative vision and community impact throughout his career at Lyle & Scott. As Head of Brand, he has helped drive the evolution of one of Britain's most iconic fashion brands while delivering campaigns and partnerships that connect meaningfully with consumers and communities. His leadership has strengthened the brand's global presence while ensuring it remains authentic, culturally relevant and purpose-driven. Most notably, his leadership of the Kits for Clubs initiative demonstrates how business leadership can create positive social impact. By helping grassroots football teams overcome financial barriers, Scot used the influence of a global brand to support local communities and create opportunities for participation in sport.

Shantel is a nationally respected advocate, executive leader, and Commissioner for the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Program whose life's work is dedicated to transforming systems and creating opportunities for justice-involved youth, survivors of exploitation, and underserved communities. A survivor of child sexual exploitation, she has turned personal adversity into a powerful platform for advocacy, influencing policy, developing innovative trauma-informed programs, and championing evidence-informed practices that promote healing, rehabilitation, and long-term success. As a licensed therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, and Certified Human Trafficking Investigator, Shantel has trained professionals, strengthened community partnerships, and inspired meaningful systems change.

Shaun Davis is being nominated for his outstanding contribution to social change through housing, entrepreneurship and hands-on mentorship. Through his Social housing organisation , Shaun has helped provide safe and secure accommodation to hundreds of people facing homelessness and housing insecurity, using business as a vehicle to create genuine social impact. Through The High Performance Academy, he has also educated and supported hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs, helping people build confidence, develop practical skills and create new opportunities for themselves and their families. His commitment to helping others goes far beyond traditional business mentorship.

Stephen Akinsanya OBE has spent more than three decades demonstrating that leadership is about more than professional success. Alongside a distinguished career as a criminal barrister, he has chaired a major legal network, trained and mentored aspiring lawyers and dedicated decades to supporting young people. Through Life of Focus, he uses lessons from the courtroom to reach young people before they enter it, advocating for mentorship, hope and early intervention. In 2026, this contribution was recognised with an OBE for his work addressing youth knife crime. Stephen’s leadership is defined by reaching back and helping others rise with him.

Stephen Bell OBE is an outstanding leader whose 30-year contribution to Changing Lives has transformed the organisation and the lives of thousands of people experiencing homelessness, poverty, addiction, mental health challenges and social exclusion. Under Stephen’s leadership, Changing Lives has grown from a small local organisation with around 25 staff to a national organisation employing over 600 people. His vision has enabled the organisation to support people across the country while remaining focused on dignity, opportunity and lasting change. Most importantly, Stephen has challenged perceptions of people with lived experience. He has championed employment opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness, addiction, poverty and social exclusion, with approximately 20–25% of Changing Lives’ workforce bringing that lived experience to their roles.

Tove Okunniwa MBE is an exceptional leader whose influence spans media, sport, partnerships, social impact and talent development. As Group Partnerships Director at the BBC, she plays a crucial role in building strategic partnerships that help maximise the BBC's impact across the UK. Alongside her executive leadership responsibilities, she has consistently used her expertise and influence to support charitable organisations, develop future leaders and strengthen communities. Her career includes leading major international agencies, serving as CEO of London Sport and holding prominent board positions across some of the UK's most respected organisations. Through these roles, she has delivered significant organisational success while creating opportunities for others and championing social impact.

Aaliyah D’Souza is being nominated because her journey with Foundations4thefuture represents everything that effective mentoring and opportunity should achieve. Aaliyah began her journey with us as a young person receiving mentoring support in school. Through her determination, commitment and willingness to develop, she progressed into an apprenticeship with our organisation, where she achieved a distinction. She has since continued to progress professionally and has earned responsibilities that at times forgo her age. What Aaliyah D’Souza believe makes Aaliyah particularly deserving of this award is not simply what she has achieved, but the journey she has taken to get there.

Abdur-Rahman Iyiola is an exceptional young leader who has transformed his own experience of limited access to opportunity into a commitment to expanding it for others. During secondary school, sickle cell significantly disrupted his education and limited his access to opportunities many of his peers could take for granted. Two teachers, Ms Filipova and Ms Matthews, recognised his potential and helped him access opportunities that changed his trajectory. He has since turned that experience into a clear mission: ensuring a young person’s circumstances do not determine the opportunities available to them. Through NetworKING UK, Abdur-Rahman has helped build a social mobility organisation that has reached 3,000+ young people across 20+ cities in the UK. 95.7% of those reached are from state schools, more than 50% are first-generation students, and 52% are female.

Ahyeesha Dembele is a remarkable young leader whose work demonstrates the transformative power of technology, mentorship and community impact. Through her leadership in employability, AI education and social mobility, she has dedicated hundreds of hours to helping individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds access meaningful careers and opportunities. Her work has directly supported carers, refugees, care leavers, veterans, prison leavers and aspiring professionals seeking pathways into technology and innovation. Recognised through the Foundervine Future 40 List and as a STEM Champion Finalist, Ahyeesha has built a reputation as a leader who combines technical expertise with genuine social purpose.

Anah Zakeer is a First Class LSE graduate and incoming Associate Consultant at The PSC, passionate about accessibility in social impact careers. She serves as the youngest Governor ever appointed to Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, representing the 233,000 children and young people the Trust serves. She has worked with international organisations including the UN FAO, UNDP, and Spring ACT, a UN AI for Good Award-winning nonprofit tackling domestic violence through AI-powered survivor support. She has balanced this with an unwavering dedication to her academic discipline of behavioural science: a full-time degree spanning psychology to data science, original research presented at academic conferences, and Co-Directing London Nudgeathon 2026, growing the UK's largest student-led behavioural science hackathon into a five-university team backed by Save the Children.

April Lamai is a barrister, TEDx speaker and leader committed to using her voice, knowledge and experience to empower others. As one of the 3.6% of black practising barristers, April overcame several challenges on her journey to the Bar, but now prosecutes and defends criminal cases and represents clients in personal injury claims. Beyond the courtroom, April founded ‘Life Lessons From A Lawyer’, a global community of over 40,000 people across all platforms, focused on educating, enlightening and empowering others. Through content, mentoring and advocacy training, April helps people understand their rights, build confidence and pursue their goals.

Bilal is an ambitious young entrepreneur, marketer and creator who has already begun building meaningful projects at just 18 years old. He co-founded Auxein Group, working with businesses and personal brands across content, branding, strategy and digital marketing, while developing practical commercial experience far beyond what is typical for someone at his stage of life. He is also the founder of P90, a growing football media platform focused on football culture, entertainment and storytelling. Through P90, Bilal has not only created original content and delivered his first live event, but has also given other young and ambitious creators opportunities to appear on the platform, develop their confidence and build their own profiles alongside the brand.

Caleb Alabi is a exciting 20-year-old apprentice studying for a degree in Digital and Technology Solutions at Mondelēz International. Caleb is currently helping lead innovation in a Agentic AI Technology Team and his work has seen him championing "inclusive by design" technology by successfully spearheading a global passwordless login initiative to address the digital divide for senior factory workers. Besides his technological abilities, Caleb is passionate about tearing down obstacles that limit opportunities for minority youths. Caleb is known to mentor underrepresented groups in his local church and schools to dispel the cultural stereotypes around vocational education.

At just 28, Cartier Charles is not waiting to become a leader – she is already helping shape the future of an industry that shapes the world around us. The built environment creates and manages the homes, hospitals, schools, workplaces, infrastructure and communities fundamental to everyday life. Yet those influencing it have not always reflected the diversity of the people they serve. Cartier is a Chartered Surveyor and the youngest-ever member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Governing Council, holding its Next Generation seat and representing emerging voices within a global profession of more than 140,000 people.

Chauncey Taylor knows how quickly a young person can lose their way—and how powerful the right opportunity can be. A talented teenage rugby player, Chauncey struggled after being dropped from a professional academy at 16. He became involved in crime and went to prison in 2020. Determined to change, he volunteered with Project Turnover, now RE N-GAGE, became its first apprentice and progressed into his current role as Youth Development Lead. Today, Chauncey uses sport, mentoring and his lived experience to support young people at risk of exclusion, exploitation and offending. He speaks honestly about his past while helping them recognise their potential and make different choices.

DominionOjeli is a young leader committed to turning access into opportunity for others. DominionOjeli was elected BME Officer at Brunel University London with more than 500 student votes and also serve as Head of Student Assembly, President of the Black Students Network and an elected member of the Board Level Appointments Committee. Across these roles, DominionOjeli work to strengthen student representation, widen access to opportunities and ensure underrepresented voices are heard in decision making spaces. DominionOjeli's work contributed to 3 Student Voice Awards in one night. The Black Students Network received Student Network of the Year and Campaign of the while he personally received the Gold Union Citizenship Award.

Dr. Haris Kiani is an exceptional trailblazer whose journey from one of London’s top 5% most disadvantaged postcodes to an executive commercial leader embodies vision, resilience, and purpose. As the first in his family to enter the City, he completed 13 university internships across private equity, venture capital, and asset management before joining Oxford Data Plan (ODP) at 26, where he leads revenue partnerships for the Tech Nation Future 50 fintech.Driven by a commitment to social mobility, Dr. Kiani founded Jaago, a microfinancing fund empowering women in rural communities to build sustainable businesses, alongside Bubl Venture Studios to support underrepresented founders.

El shaddai is a highly motivated, passionate and committed young person who is leader of Haringey Youth Council. His genuine and sustained interest and unwaning commitment for public service is exemplary. Coming from immigrant family from Ethiopia, he has shown resilience and optimism radiating positivity for people who come accross him. He is a dedicated Volunteer Police Cadet taking part in various vvolunteering duties of policing priorities. He represnts Haringey at the London Youth Assembly at City Hall. He makes inspirational speeches at youth events and key national ceremonies representing young people of Haringey. He has won the prestigious Jack Petchey Foundation Award and Public Services Ambassador Award. He continues to serve his community and young people of Haringey and London with utmost dedication, passion and high sense of public duty. El Shaddai is a great role model for young people of all backgrounds. He is a source of pride fro his school and local community. Winning this award will surely motivate him to work even harder; and this will radiate wider and inspire more young people to take part in community initiatives, develop a sense of achievement and a sense of good citizenship..

Gagan Mopuri is a young student leader who has turned student voice into practical and lasting change. As President Wellbeing & Inclusion at Aston Students’ Union, he led the “Gagan Mopuri Can’t Afford to Study” campaign, gathering 1,078 responses and exposing the impact of financial pressure on food security, wellbeing, academic participation and students’ ability to continue their studies. He used this evidence to advocate for change and contributed to practical interventions including a £5 meal deal, Free Breakfasts and Wellbeing Packages. His wider leadership helped establish a permanent Welfare Committee, strengthen student involvement in wellbeing decisions and deliver community initiatives including Intercultural Café, Neurodiversity Café, Men’s Mental Health and Belong.

Starting her hair-braiding journey from her bedroom at just 15 years old, Giselle has transformed her passion into a thriving salon by the age of 20. Through determination, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, she has built a successful business while creating opportunities for others. Today, she not only provides exceptional hair services but also mentors and trains aspiring braiders, helping them develop valuable skills and work towards full-time careers in the beauty industry. Her leadership has created employment opportunities and inspired other young people to believe in the power of entrepreneurship.

At just 24, J Grange has transformed personal adversity into a powerful platform for positive change. After being excluded from two mainstream schools and experiencing Alternative Provision, J turned his experiences of being misunderstood into a mission to empower others. Today, he is an award-winning entrepreneur, international public speaker, mentor and neurodiversity advocate. He has worked with schools, colleges and educational organisations across the UK, helping young people build confidence, recognise their strengths and see that their past does not have to determine their future. He also works with major organisations including McCain, Trustpilot, Metro Bank, Vistry, Harvey Nichols and GXO, bringing lived experience of neurodiversity into workplaces and professional environments.

Jahdia Spencer represents a new generation of civic leadership: ambitious, internationally minded, and deeply committed to public service. A Bermudian communications professional and elected Greenwich Councillor, she became the youngest person ever elected to Greenwich Council and has since taken on senior responsibilities including Chair of Licensing and Chair of the Local Economy and Culture Committee. Her impact extends far beyond local government. She has contributed to Bermuda's democratic development as one of five peers selected for an Electoral Reform Working Group, engaged with diplomats and parliamentarians through her international relations work, and helped strengthen the links between Bermuda and he United Kingdom through the Bermuda Junior Society.

At just 17 years old, Jayden Cad is already building his own property clearance, exterior cleaning and garden maintenance business. Through JC Property Services, Jayden serves customers across London while documenting the realities of entrepreneurship, from physically demanding clearances to dramatic garden transformations. He has also built an online community of more than 21,000 followers, using social media to showcase his work and grow the business. At an age when most young people are being asked what they want to become, Jayden has already started building his future.

At just 26, Jaylan Joseph has progressed from graduate and new employee-network volunteer to Serco Embrace’s youngest-ever Co-Chair and its member-voted Rising Star of 2025. As a young Black man entering a highly corporate environment where he was often the only person who looked like him, Jaylan has faced isolation and microaggressions with grace, confidence and determination. He now uses those experiences to build belonging, challenge assumptions and create opportunities for others. Jaylan leads Serco Embrace’s relationship with DKMS, expanding two initial stem-cell donor-registration events into a growing campaign across corporate offices, operational contracts and public-service locations.

Few people can say their story holds as many different chapters as Jessica's does: she's competed in the WNBL, built a hair business from a chair in her mum's living room, and worked her way up through companies including the Financial Times and Salesforce. Now she runs her freelance business, while still giving time to charity work and mentoring. Most advice tells you to pick one lane. She never has. That's made her path a lonely one at times. It's also made her determined to be the person she never had, someone who proves you don't have to choose. She's led Multiverse's Women's Network as Chair and Co-Chair, spoken on public panels and live on TalkRadio about widening access to tech careers, and brings charities and small businesses the same calibre of digital strategy that corporate clients pay for.

Joel Mordi is a humanitarian, refugee advocate and social entrepreneur whose leadership has transformed lives across Nigeria and the United Kingdom. After founding the Mordi Ibe Foundation at just 16, Joel led initiatives promoting inclusive education, anti-bullying, menstrual equity and disability inclusion, reaching thousands of young people. Forced to flee persecution as a gay human right activist, he rebuilt his life in the UK and co-founded Minority Inclusion Front (MIF UK), a refugee-led organisation supporting LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers through leadership, wellbeing, advocacy and community support. A recipient of the Diana Legacy Award, Joel has become a powerful voice for refugee rights, LGBTQ+ equality and youth empowerment, working with leading charities, influencing public conversations and inspiring others through his lived experience.

Lashonte Royal’s impact is measurable through the recognition, initiatives and professional milestones she has achieved in a remarkably short period. In 2025, she won Newly Qualified Social Worker of the Year at the Social Worker of the Year Awards, providing national recognition of the quality and impact of her frontline practice. She successfully completed her ASYE, while her contribution was also recognised across children’s social care by the Learning and Development Team. Lashonte has translated individual success into wider impact by founding Dear Social Work, creating a dedicated platform for students and newly qualified practitioners.

Levi Dawson is an inspiring community leader whose dedication to improving lives through health, wellbeing, and inclusion has made a lasting impact across Birmingham. As the founder of Life Transforming Fitness, he has created accessible programmes and community initiatives that empower people of all ages and backgrounds to improve their physical and mental wellbeing while building meaningful social connections. Through innovative partnerships with community organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, Levi has expanded opportunities for local people and demonstrated how fitness can be a powerful tool for positive social change. His commitment to creating inclusive, sustainable programmes has resulted in a trusted organisation that continues to grow and transform lives.

At just 23, Louis Modeste is already a Director, Chartered Financial Adviser and responsible for advising on more than £11.2 million in client assets. A First Class University of Manchester graduate and one of Britain’s youngest Chartered Financial Advisers, Louis is challenging traditional perceptions of what leadership and expertise in financial services look like. His ambition extends beyond personal success. Louis wants to modernise financial services and inspire the next generation through education, innovation and authentic leadership. He is not waiting until later in his career to lead. He is demonstrating what young leadership can look like now.

Maisha Sumah is an award-winning leader, speaker, advocate and Founder of She Walks in Value, empowering thousands of young people and women to recognise their worth, build confidence and create safer futures. Drawing on her own lived experiences of trauma and its impact on mental wellbeing, Maisha has transformed adversity into purposeful leadership. She has championed young Black women and girls, young mothers, care-experienced young women and those affected by domestic abuse and exploitation. As a VAWG forum chair across Wandsworth and Richmond, she has brought together more than 200 organisations and individuals to drive collective action for safer communities.

In May 2025, Martin Lin was honoured to win the BPP Suzanne Finch Award based around the championing of apprenticeship advocacy – showcasing the strong work Martin Lin did at the time though facilitating workshops and promoting apprenticeships in schools, online and in the workplace. Since then, the recognition of this award has allowed Martin Lin to both strengthen Martin Lin's apprentice-specific initiatives whilst also focusing on curating wider opportunities in career development, languages and sports – enabling Martin Lin to support and inspire many people from a variety of different backgrounds, as a co-worker, community leader and a public speaker.

Mayomikun Ladipo is an outstanding young leader whose achievements in education, professional development, community service and youth empowerment make her a highly deserving recipient of the Inspirational Young Leader of the Year Award. As a First-Class graduate from the University of Warwick, Customer Success Graduate at Adobe and World Vision UK Youth Ambassador, Mayomikun has consistently demonstrated excellence while using her success to create opportunities for others. Through her leadership within Warwick Africa Summit, she has helped shape one of the UK's leading student-led conferences focused on Africa's future.

Mphango Simwaka is being nominated because, at just 28, she is an exceptional young leader whose impact spans health, housing and higher education. She challenges injustice, empowers others and turns lived experience and professional expertise into meaningful change. She is the type of leader who understands how precious life truly is. She lives authentically, pursues joy and purpose, aims high and continually shows up for her communities. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at 24 following repeated misdiagnoses, Mphango now challenges health inequalities and raises national awareness through Blood Cancer UK, Young Lives vs Cancer and Black Women Rising, including helping inform EastEnders’ AML storyline.

Ronah Pulle is an inspiring young leader who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, resilience and impact in both her professional and community-focused work. As an EU Influencer Media Manager and Lead of the WPP Black Employee Network, she has successfully combined career progression with meaningful community leadership, creating opportunities for others while helping build a more inclusive media and advertising industry. Through initiatives delivered via the WPP Black Employee Network and her own platform, Cultra Collective, Ronah has created spaces for learning, networking, mentorship and representation. Her work has connected people to opportunities, amplified diverse voices and strengthened professional communities across the sector.

Sabrina is an outstanding young leader who is using storytelling, journalism and community-building to create meaningful change across the creative industries. As an arts and culture journalist, digital storyteller and emerging creative leader, she has consistently championed representation, amplified underrepresented voices and created opportunities for aspiring creatives. Through her award-winning Third Spaces project, she has actively worked to remove barriers that prevent early-career talent from accessing networks and mentorship opportunities. Her growing influence has been recognised through her selection for the EMERGE Power of 3 Cannes Lions 2026 Cohort, acknowledging her ability to shape how culture is communicated and experienced through innovative digital storytelling.

Susuana “Suzy” Gyampoh-Senghor is an inspirational emerging leader whose achievements demonstrate an exceptional commitment to social work, youth empowerment, representation and community leadership. In 2025, Suzy was nationally recognised as Social Work Student of the Year at the Social Worker of the Year Awards, celebrating her outstanding contribution and potential within the profession. She continued this success as a Gold Winner at the Community Corporate & Culture Awards 2026, demonstrating the growing recognition of her leadership and social impact. Beyond awards, Suzy is already using her influence to create opportunities for others. As a BASW Student Ambassador, she represents emerging social workers and helps amplify student voices.

Téja Renée, the founder of Dear Little Sister, is a visionary young leader who has built a life-changing support network for the next generation of women. Affectionately known as the "Online Big Sister," Téja bridges the gap between digital advocacy and real-world impact by providing teenage girls with safe spaces to navigate identity, self-esteem, and mental health. Among her key achievements is founding her own independent publishing house, Truehouse Publishing. Through this, she wrote and released the acclaimed coming-of-age novel Starting High: Letters to Amara and a line of self-care journals. Furthermore, Téja takes her mission directly into communities through her empowering school workshops and her live "Sister Sleepover" panel series, which provide vital, real-talk environments where young girls feel entirely safe, heard, and supported.

Tiegan Williams is a 27 year old property professional, mentor and Founder of Maroé Élan, an international platform empowering students, school leavers and young professionals through property, branding and professional development. After moving to London alone at 17 to pursue a career through an apprenticeship, she built an 11 year career spanning Prime Central London, luxury residential and Build to Rent, working with clients from across the UK and internationally. Today, alongside her role as Leasing Manager at The Octagon, Tiegan creates opportunities for the next generation through education, mentoring, work experience and advocacy for greater diversity and representation within the property and corporate sectors.

Zoraez Imran is a 17-year-old founder, speaker, content creator and youth advisor who is proving that young people do not have to wait until adulthood to bring change. Since beginning his journey at just 11, Zoraez has founded initiatives including The Ilm Project, Project Decode One and Z Media Group, while becoming COO at Talentix and Head of Marketing & Communications at VestorGrow, supporting young people with education, careers, skills and access to opportunity. Beyond entrepreneurship, Zoraez champions youth voice nationally through The Careers & Enterprise Company, FT FLIC and Futures for All, contributing young people's perspectives to conversations around careers education, financial literacy and social mobility.

Adrian Mclean is being nominated because his story represents far more than an accomplished career in education; it represents **authenticity, integrity, representation and service**. Growing up in a deprived area of Birmingham, Adrian experienced the transformative power of education and went on to dedicate more than 20 years to creating those same opportunities for others, progressing to Executive Headteacher and influencing countless pupils, families, educators and aspiring leaders. As a Black educational leader who proudly wears his dreadlocks, Adrian has challenged traditional perceptions of what leadership should look like. He has demonstrated that professional success should never require someone to compromise their cultural identity, morals or principles.

Agnes Anuka is an inspiring educator, chemical engineer, researcher, author, and mentor whose journey demonstrates the transformative power of education. Raised in hardship in Calabar, Nigeria, Agnes was encouraged by her mother to believe that her circumstances did not have to define her future. She pursued that belief through education, becoming a chemical engineer, completing an MSc in petroleum engineering, and earning a fully funded PTDF scholarship to undertake her PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Nottingham. Her commitment to education extends far beyond her own academic journey. From teaching chemistry and working in primary education to lecturing in petroleum engineering, Agnes has consistently used education to empower others.

For more than three decades, Ann Palmer has dedicated her career to one powerful belief: education should expand what people believe is possible for themselves. From classroom teacher and outstanding Headteacher to system leader, CEO of Fig Tree International, author, international consultant and educator, Ann has continued to evolve while helping others do the same. Her contribution now spans generations. She has created opportunities for children and young people, developed teachers and aspiring executives, coached leaders into promotion, supported parents, advised schools and organisations, and created innovative frameworks addressing racial equity, leadership and the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.

Core Counselling Academy is a leading training provider in Bromley, London, that transforms therapeutic education. Founded by Belinda Smith, this Black female-led academy stands out by providing an in-house, low-cost counselling agency via The Yakira Centre, supporting local women. This model bypasses public healthcare waitlists and provides affordable therapy for vulnerable residents. They deserves to win because it successfully merges professional rigor with social purpose, shaping self-aware, ethical therapists who actively heal their community Belinda shattered the trauma Loop, depression thrives on isolation, guilt, and a sense of helplessness. Turning her struggles into a structured curriculum and business completely rewrote her internal narrative.

Catherine Boakye is an inspirational pioneer in inclusive early-years education and a courageous advocate for independent businesses. In 2001, she established Mangotree Kids to address the severe lack of diversity in children’s toys, books, and learning tools. Over the past two decades, her brand has empowered thousands of black and brown children to see themselves positively reflected in their early learning environments. Her resilience was put to the ultimate test when retail fashion giant MANGO challenged her trademark application. Refusing to back down or accept restrictive corporate settlement terms, Catherine took on a 17-month legal battle and won her UKIPO trademark case in full on March 2022.

Chantel Brooks has turned her own educational struggle into more than 24 years of creating opportunities for other young people to succeed. After leaving school with only one passing qualification and retaking GCSE Mathematics four times, Chantel went on to become a qualified teacher and graduate. She has since taught and worked with approximately 20,000 young people, delivered talks across 20 schools, and used her lived experience to reach students who may believe their academic performance has already determined their future. Her book, The Pursuit of Success: Your Grades Don’t Define You, has reached approximately 1,000 people, while around 500 young people have completed her Resilience programme.

Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Coach Core Foundation exists to change that. Through sport and apprenticeships, Coach Core helps young people who have faced poverty, discrimination, homelessness and limited access to opportunity build confidence, gain qualifications and begin meaningful careers. These careers span coaching, events, administration, marketing, communications and operations. Behind every statistic is a life changing story. Louis moved into full-time employment and now supports another apprentice. Anisa is showing Muslim girls that sport and leadership can be for them.

Professor David Mba is Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University and an influential leader across higher education, engineering and civic life. He leads BCU's Strategy for 2030 and Beyond while also serving as Chair of Birmingham Cultural Compact, Co-Chair of the Black Leaders in HE network and a member of the Advance HE Board. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering with more than 300 academic publications, Professor Mba combines academic excellence with purposeful leadership. His commitment to student opportunity, developing talent and increasing Black representation demonstrates leadership whose impact extends beyond one institution to Birmingham and the wider higher education sector.

Eliot Kelly is nominated for his outstanding contribution to education through more than 25 years of academic leadership, curriculum innovation, and commitment to student success. As Programme Director at Global Banking School, he has led initiatives that enhance learning and teaching quality, strengthen employability, improve academic standards, and support inclusive educational outcomes. Beyond the classroom, Eliot has expanded the reach of education through international knowledge exchange, founding the Pan-African Caribbean Gateway to promote educational collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean. His work on the Nigeria–The Bahamas Educational Partnership Initiative demonstrates his commitment to using education as a bridge for professional development, institutional cooperation, and global learning.

Gloria Spence established the Hair and Beauty department at the former Handsworth College Handsworth site now known at South and City College. As a former Curriculum Manager Gloria Spence, ensured that the learners studying Hair dressing would have experience of training on African Type Hair. Handsworth College was the first Further Education College to offer this as part of the NVQ Level 2 Hairdressing qualification. Learners gained invaluable knowledge and hands on experience. Gloria Spence also ensured that many of us had the opportunity to develop as Further Education Lecturers, utilising our qualifications and work based skills.

For more than 24 years, Simeon Gordon has quietly helped make education possible for young people facing significant barriers to learning. Since joining Harborne Academy in April 2005, he has spent 21 years supporting pupils aged 11 to 16 through pastoral education, mentoring and behaviour support during formative and challenging periods of their lives. Simeon's impact is rooted in relationships. He is the trusted adult pupils confide in, the role model who offers encouragement or tough love when needed, and the colleague who helps teachers understand the young person behind the behaviour. He also acts as a bridge between pupils, families and school.

Jeffrey Boakye is an inspirational educator, author and advocate whose career has been dedicated to helping young people and educators learn, grow and recognise their potential. After approximately 15 years teaching English in secondary schools, Jeffrey has extended his impact through teacher education, mentoring, school engagement and writing. His innovative, award-winning book *Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs* uses music to make history accessible and engaging for young people, while *Jeffrey Boakye Heard What You Said* draws upon his classroom experiences to encourage important conversations about race, representation, belonging and equality in education.

Julian Hall has spent over a decade turning a personal insight into a national movement — one built specifically for young people the traditional system too often overlooks. His work doesn't just teach business skills; it hands young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds, the belief that their ideas are worth building. That combination of grassroots persistence and genuine national influence is exactly what recognition like this exists to honour. Julian Hall — CEO, Ultra Education CIC Julian "The Ultrapreneur" Hall is the founder and CEO of Ultra Education CIC, an award-winning social enterprise.

Kazeem Alli-Balogun is a property developer, educator and founder of the PBK Community and PBK Podcast who has transformed more than a decade of hands-on property experience into practical education for aspiring investors. Through the PBK Community, members receive expert teaching, mentorship, professional support and real-world tools that have helped them collectively purchase 131 properties with a gross development value of £50 million. His impact extends far beyond the community. Kazeem reaches more than 100,000 people across social media, with over 1.7 million YouTube views, using his platform to demystify property and open doors for underrepresented investors. A former Homes Under The Hammer contributor, Kazeem was named among the UK Black Business Show and HSBC UK’s Top 25 Black Entrepreneurs to Watch and won Property Personality of the Year at the National Property Awards 2025.

Kit Brown is being nominated because, as a fellow Black male teacher with over 15 years’ experience, Kit Brown understand how difficult it can be to navigate unapologetically through an education system in which Black men remain significantly underrepresented. Kit has not simply found his place within that system; he has used his platform to challenge expectations, champion representation and create space for others. In the spirit of figures such as Professor Jason Arday, Kit demonstrates why we need more Black male educators who feel empowered to be authentically themselves. His influence reaches far beyond academic outcomes.

Lamar Russell is being nominated because his story is one of resilience, purpose and transformation. Lamar has taken the challenges he experienced growing up and used them as motivation to become the positive role model he once needed himself. His contribution to education and young people extends far beyond the classroom. Through mentoring, counselling, pastoral support and youth programmes across the UK, Lamar has helped young people build confidence, overcome barriers, make positive choices and believe in their potential. He creates safe spaces where young people feel heard, valued and supported.

Miriam Owusu has made an outstanding contribution to education through her work as a mentor, coach, entrepreneur and inspirational speaker. As founder of Miri Elevates, she has created innovative opportunities for individuals to develop confidence, strengthen their personal brand and gain the skills needed to thrive in business and technology. Through keynote speeches, workshops, coaching and educational content, she has empowered thousands of learners to pursue ambitious goals and unlock their full potential. Miriam's approach to education is practical, inclusive and transformative. By sharing her own experiences and providing actionable guidance, she helps bridge the gap between learning and career success.

MW Impact Group is being nominated for its outstanding contribution to education and its lasting impact on children and young people. Through personalised mentoring, pastoral support, early intervention and innovative programmes, MW Impact reaches young people facing barriers to education and helps them rebuild confidence, improve engagement and recognise their potential. Working collaboratively with schools, local authorities, families and other professionals, MW Impact supports the whole young person rather than focusing solely on academic achievement. Its work has contributed to reported improvements in school attendance, engagement, behaviour, confidence, communication and emotional wellbeing.

Nadine Bernard FCCT has dedicated more than 20 years to education, becoming a headteacher at just 31 and using her success to create pathways for others. As Headteacher of Van Gogh Primary School and founder of Aspiring Heads, she combines frontline educational leadership with nationally recognised work addressing the underrepresentation of Black and Global Majority educators in senior positions. Her influence extends into leadership development, research, policy and authorship. Nadine has not simply climbed the ladder of educational leadership. She is making that ladder more accessible to those coming behind her, creating a legacy that will reach generations of educators.

Nana-Kofi Okyere is an award-winning Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Inclusion Specialist, educator and founder of SEN Bytes, whose work is transforming educational opportunities for children and young people with SEND in the UK and internationally. Beginning his career as a Teaching Assistant in 2012, Nana progressed to senior SEN leadership, delivering measurable improvements across local authorities. He increased on-time EHCP phase transfer completion rates from 53.3% to 90.9% within one year, ensuring 64 additional plans were completed on time. He also led a project addressing 1,200 overdue EHCPs.

NetworKING UK is a youth-led social mobility organisation changing how young people access education, careers and opportunity. Rather than expecting students to already understand professional environments or know where opportunities exist, NK takes that exposure directly to them, creating meaningful routes into professional networks, skills development and post-18 pathways. Since launching, NK has built an increasingly structured model of support that connects young people with professionals, practical development and opportunities beyond their immediate circumstances. Its work is designed around a clear principle: opportunity should not depend on who a young person already knows, where they live or whether they have prior access to professional spaces.

Phoebe Ng is an educational innovator, co-founder, and champion of teacher wellbeing whose work is transforming STEM classrooms. Leading both school partnerships and marketing at Excelas, Phoebe engineered an organic educational reach engine that scaled to over 500,000 active Google search appearances and dominant Page 1 authority in under a year, connecting thousands of secondary educators with critical assessment resources. Her school programmes pair this digital reach with tangible classroom transformation—cutting mock marking turnaround from 14 days to under 24 hours and returning over 5 hours of vital capacity per teacher every assessment window.

Pierre Boyce has transformed careers education through Talentix, a youth-led employability organisation helping teenagers navigate the world of work through engaging, practical workshops for mainstream, SEN and alternative provision students. His innovative peer-led model creates genuine relatability between students and facilitators, who draw on their own recent experiences of education, employment and applications. This helps make careers education feel more accessible, relevant and engaging than a traditional lesson. The impact is measurable through Talentix’s support of over 500 students, including more than 100 SEN students, with 94% of students recommending Talentix to other schools and an average 57% increase in careers confidence following its workshops.

Professor Marcia Wilson is an award-winning academic leader who has spent decades transforming education and tackling inequality within higher education. She founded the UK's first university Office for Institutional Equity, creating a model subsequently used by institutions across the country, and later became The Open University's inaugural Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Her work has informed Universities UK's efforts to tackle racism and supported the progression of Black academics. Now Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at Birmingham City University, Marcia continues to influence teaching, opportunity and student experience, demonstrating how education can become more equitable for generations to come.

Rackeem Reid is an education leader whose work is built around a simple belief: a young person’s background, culture or circumstances should never determine their potential. As Co-Founder and CEO of Bouncing Statistics, Rackeem has developed an approach that works with both young people and the adults responsible for educating them. From mentoring and inclusion work within schools, including Moseley School and Sixth Form, to teacher training focused on cultural literacy, he is helping educators better understand the communities and young people they serve. Rackeem has also established Eden House, an alternative provision in Walsall that gives young people who have struggled in mainstream education another route to engage, learn and progress without lowering expectations of what they can achieve.

Rana Kandil is an educator, architect and founder of Phoenix Global Education whose work connects academic learning with practical skills, international collaboration and professional opportunity. Through MASKAN: KEMET REIMAGINED, developed with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport and AIMETA Studio, she brought together architectural education, cultural heritage, environmental thinking and emerging design technologies. Participants received international jury feedback, while awards secured pathways into internships and mentorship. Participant feedback highlighted skills they could apply directly to their architectural work. An Associate Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, Rana holds two master’s degrees and is completing her PhD.

Shiraz Khan has spent over 25 years placing inclusion at the centre of education, from leading a 90%-EAL, high pupil-premium primary school to an Ofsted Good judgement, to narrowing the SEND and disadvantaged gap at Ark Oval Primary Academy, to now leading a specialist SEND independent school in Croydon. He has often acted as his own SENCo, choosing hands-on proximity to the pupils who need the most support. Beyond his own schools, he reviews practice nationally for Challenge Partners, delivers AI-enabled learning to underserved learners through Let's Localise, and has coached 19 educators into promotion pro bono, an impact now reaching an estimated 6,000 pupils. His is a career built on the belief that education's highest purpose is serving the pupils the system most often overlooks.

Sonia Thompson is being nominated for the Outstanding Contribution to Education Award in recognition of her exceptional commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to an ambitious and excellent education. As Headteacher of St Matthew’s C.E. Primary School in Nechells, Birmingham, Sonia has created a culture where high expectations, equity and opportunity are at the heart of school life. Her leadership has shown that socioeconomic disadvantage should never determine a child’s potential. Her impact extends far beyond her own school. As Director of St Matthew’s Research School, Sonia supports teachers and leaders to translate educational research into effective classroom practice, creating a ripple effect that benefits children across many schools.

Wafi Hanafee is being nominated because Wafi has spent time as a young person trying to create opportunities for other young people. As Founder and CEO of RISE, Wafi Hanafee has built a student-led organisation that has reached 20,000+ young people, grown a community of 2,500+ active members, delivered 20+ events and developed partnerships with 15+ corporate organisations. Wafi Hanafee's work focuses heavily on social mobility, helping young people access the knowledge, networks, skills and experiences they need to progress, regardless of their background. From creating free apprenticeship resources to building employer partnerships and delivering work experience and insight programmes, Wafi has tried to turn education and careers guidance into genuine opportunity.

Alicia Samuels is a mother, campaigner and community advocate who transformed almost seven years of raising her son, Aeon, in temporary accommodation into a movement for change. She founded Aeon’s Law, a campaign calling for stronger protections, accountability and improved standards for children living in temporary accommodation. Alicia has taken her advocacy from lived experience to Parliament, launching a UK Parliament petition and having written evidence accepted and published by the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. Her work extends into grassroots organising, public campaigning, evidence gathering and media advocacy, using her platform to bring visibility to to families whose experiences can too easily become hidden behind housing statistics.

Aliyah Ali is the Founder and CEO of The Daddyless Daughters Project CIC and one of the UK's leading advocates for girls and young women affected by trauma, care experience and the criminal justice system. For almost a decade, she has challenged the systems that too often criminalise vulnerable girls, pioneering trauma-informed, gender-responsive approaches that have directly supported up to 450 girls and young women and influenced more than 2,000 professionals nationwide. Her contribution extends far beyond frontline delivery. Aliyah helped secure over £1 million of investment into specialist support for criminalised girls and young women, contributed to the award-winning documentary HOLLOWAY—winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival and Best Film at the Criminal Justice Alliance Awards—and is now leading the development of Prosperity House, an innovative residential project for girls affected by care and the criminal justice system.

Amanda Obidike, founder and Executive Director of STEMi Makers Africa, is being nominated for her transformative leadership in STEM education and social impact. From personal underemployment and a non-STEM background, she overcame depression and skills gaps by upskilling via IBM and founded STEMi in 2018. She has trained 1,800+ educators, supported 130+ STEM entrepreneurs, and reached over 100,000 young people across 20+ African countries and UK —especially girls in underserved communities—through mentoring (Project Kuongoza), low/no-internet learning platforms, and project-based teacher training. Innovations include a Falling Walls-recognised digital education tool enabling virtual labs and career pathways where infrastructure is limited.

For more than fifteen years, Aneeta Prem MBE has worked to protect women, girls and young people from forced marriage, FGM and related abuse. As founder of Freedom Charity, she has combined campaigning with practical action: contributing evidence to Parliament, developing safeguarding education, training professionals, writing books for young people and creating routes to help for people at risk. Her work contributed to national debate around the criminalisation of forced marriage and has helped bring difficult safeguarding subjects into schools and communities. More than 100,000 copies of her books But It's Not Fair and Cut Flowers have been distributed.

Ashley John-Baptiste has transformed his lived experience of Britain’s care system into a powerful platform for social change. After growing up in foster and residential care, Ashley graduated from Cambridge and became a national broadcaster, journalist and author. Rather than leaving his experiences behind, he has used documentaries, journalism and his memoir Looked After to amplify care-experienced voices and challenge conversations around inequality, opportunity and Britain’s care system. Ashley spent his childhood being shaped by decisions made within the care system. Today, he uses his voice and platform to help shape the conversation about how that system should change.

Carolynn is one of the most selfless, open and honest individual. She is completely dedicated to supporting the community and holding space for everyone. She has managed to build a beautiful Black bookshop which acts as event space, community choir location, cinema sometimes, co-working space and honestly a place to be comfortable and safe and speak freely with no judgement. Afrori books is a safe haven and educational space. Her dedication to equality and leadership in the anti-racist space is truly inspiring.

At 16, Chantell Leonie Hayles survived being stabbed. Today, she uses that experience to help prevent other young people becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. Through Living Without Limits, Chantell delivers mentoring and interventions addressing knife crime, gang grooming, mental wellbeing, identity and healthy relationships while advocating for earlier intervention. Her work challenges society to look beyond a young person’s behaviour and understand what may be happening underneath it. Chantell Leonie Hayles is using one of the most traumatic experiences of her own life to help change the lives of young people and challenge how society responds to youth violence.

Chidera Eggerue, known as The Slumflower, is a bestselling author and campaigner who has used her platform to challenge society's expectations of women's bodies, relationships and self-worth. Creator of the viral #SAGGYBOOBSMATTER movement, Chidera transformed personal vulnerability into an international conversation about body image and representation. Her books have sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, extending her message of self-worth and personal agency to audiences beyond social media. Recognised through BBC's 100 Women and Cosmopolitan's Changemaker of the Year, Chidera has demonstrated how one unapologetic voice can challenge established beauty standards and empower others to question them.

Dorothy Oduguwa has consistently transformed personal adversity into meaningful action that improves the lives of others. As a global majority woman living with Adenomyosis, Dorothy understands first-hand how systemic inequalities, underrepresentation and hidden barriers can affect a person's health, confidence, opportunities and sense of belonging. Rather than accepting these challenges, she has dedicated her career and community work beyond the corporate space, to creating a more equitable future for those who come next. Inspired by her own experiences, Dorothy has championed racial and gender equity, created pathways for diverse talent through workplace initiatives, amplified underrepresented voices through and supported the economic empowerment of women and young people globally through her work with U-Touch.

What sets Jillian apart is that she has not simply identified a problem; she has built a response. In 2024, she founded Unbound Programme CIC with a vision to support survivors of modern slavery and empower women affected by adversity. In just two years, that vision has supported 84 women, delivered 96 programmes, workshops and sessions, achieved 84 programme completions, seen 75 women report increased confidence, and connected all 84 women to specialist services and wider support. She does not want Unbound to become simply a Manchester success story. She wants Manchester to be the place where a new model of survivor empowerment is developed, evidenced and strengthened; before taking those lessons into wider regional and national conversations.

Justin Onuekwusi is a youth and community consultant who works in communities in assisting young people with work, employment, accredited training, higher education, apprenticeships, internships etc. opportunities. Over the years, Justin & EnCircle has assisted numerous young people (graduates and non graduates) in accessing necessary pathways into the financial and investment management sector. They (Justin & his team) are providing practical solutions for future finance leaders from our communities to be professionally and culturally competent. Also giving actual pathways where there’s not enough diversity.

Loulou Johnson is being nominated for the significant and lasting impact she has made through her work in social housing across Greater Manchester. Loulou has built and run her social housing business largely on her own, creating relationships with local authorities, charities and property owners that have enabled hundreds of people to access safe and secure accommodation. Her impact is not simply measured by the properties she provides, but by the people behind them: individuals and families who may otherwise have faced homelessness, instability or barriers to finding a suitable home. Loulou has created a direct link between landlords with available properties and organisations supporting people in need.

Matthew truly deserves this award as he is hard working and has fought tooth and nail to achieve the excellence that he has. From the struggles in university to getting a diagnosis of autism to his trials in the workplace, to finding a permanent position as a teaching assistant at a SEND school and all the volunteering and worldwide achievements like the guinness world records to raise awareness that people on the spectrum or who are neurodiverse can get to where they need to and do not need to be treated as being not capable, he has shown on a physical and mental standpoint that you can choose the way you want to get somewhere in your life and by supporting and giving his own time back, freely without any incentive but to help others in a way using those experiences.

Myvanwy Evans-Davis is a visionary cultural leader, strategist and changemaker who has spent more than 25 years using culture and communications to challenge exclusion, widen participation and create opportunity. As founder of Louder Than Words, she has engaged more than five million young people and underrepresented communities, working with organisations including Tate, BPI, The BRIT Trust, Red Bull, Viacom, Global and the Mayor of London. Her work has created pathways into the creative industries, widened access to the arts and brought environmental and social justice issues to wider audiences. From Tate’s groundbreaking Circuit programme to The BRIT Trust’s membership wide apprenticeship scheme and more recent work with Julie’s Bicycle and Refugee Week, Myvanwy has consistently used her experience, relationships and access to create social change.

Natalie Scarlett is a British-Caribbean social entrepreneur, researcher and community advocate dedicated to tackling inequalities affecting Black and Caribbean communities. She founded the Black Heritage Support Service during the pandemic and has developed its work across advocacy, health inequality, education, research and cultural preservation. Through initiatives including the Caribbean Health Exhibition, Natalie brings communities, health professionals and researchers together to improve access to culturally relevant information and services. A Midlands Women in Tech Tech for Good Award winner and Black Cultural Archives Ambassador, Natalie combines grassroots knowledge with institutional influence to ensure communities are heard, represented and equipped to create lasting change.

Natasha is a real hero and an inspirational Youth Voice and Participation leader. She is committed to youth engagement and youth empowerment. She works tirelessly for young people to have a wonderful and productive young life, equipped with democratic values and good citizenship. She supports young people to stand for their rights while understanding their responsibilities. Natasha is also a champion for young people with disabilities and educational needs. Her support is impactful, she is so knowledgeable in that her professional approach is dependable and her motherly care is seemingly rare to see. We need more people like Natasha.

Nova Reid doesn’t just speak about social change — she makes it impossible to ignore. For more than a decade, she has challenged racism, inequality and exclusion, transforming difficult conversations into courage, action and lasting change. From her powerful TEDx talk and bestselling book The Good Ally, to her podcast The Anti-Racist Educator, Hidden Histories and her acclaimed one-woman shows, Nova reaches audiences through education, storytelling, performance and honest conversation. Her impact goes far beyond words. Through her anti-racism education, Nova has equipped people across education, healthcare, criminal justice and business to recognise racism, challenge inequality and take meaningful action.

Pamela R Haynes is nominated for the Outstanding Contribution to Social Change Award in recognition of more than three decades of service, advocacy, education and community impact. A retired Senior Probation Officer, Pamela has transformed her extensive criminal justice experience into a powerful platform for change. Through her award winning novels Loving The Brothers and Loving The Sisters, she raises awareness of domestic abuse, safeguarding and violence against women and girls. Her commitment continues through her role as an Ambassador for Advocates Against Domestic Abuse. Pamela is also a Research Fellow at the University of East London, TEDx speaker, podcaster, educator and mentor.

Rhiannon Dineen is the Founder of CAV – Communities Against Violence CIC and a passionate advocate for young people, families and communities affected by knife & gun crime, serious youth violence and exploitation. Since founding CAV in 2024, Rhiannon has transformed her professional expertise and lived experience into action, creating mentoring, school workshops, community outreach and Community Action Days that have reached hundreds of young people and families. Her impact extends beyond prevention. Recognising the need for continued support for families affected by youth violence, Rhiannon provides a safe space for mothers who have lost children to violence to connect, support one another and have their voices heard.

Romain Muhammad has spent his career challenging the systems that determine who gets access to opportunity, who progresses and who truly feels they belong. With more than 15 years of experience across recruitment, leadership and organisational culture, Romain has developed a body of work centred on tackling inequality and creating meaningful social change. After witnessing systemic barriers within recruitment and workplace culture, he founded Diversify World, scaling the consultancy internationally, expanding into the United States and working with more than 100 organisations to improve recruitment, representation, inclusion and organisational culture. Today, his influence extends across consultancy, leadership coaching, public speaking, writing, research and national media commentary.

Toby Gorniak MBE has spent more than 20 years turning lived adversity into lasting social change. Born into a Roma family in Poland, attacked by skinheads at 11 and later arriving in Britain as a young refugee unable to speak English, Toby made himself a promise: to become the good human he needed when he was younger. That promise became his life’s work. Together with his wife Joanna, Toby has contributed more than 40,000 volunteer hours and impacted tens of thousands of people across communities, education, inclusion, leadership, justice and government. He created The Gorniak Method, built around Respect, Peace, Love, Unity & Fun, helping people discover their individual genius and build belonging.

Trish Balusa has transformed visibility into advocacy, using her platform to amplify conversations around women’s rights, racial inequality, migration, Black maternal health and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her activism predates television, including managing #YellowSunday to support women affected by conflict in Congo. Today, she brings conversations about representation and inequality into media, community, healthcare and policy spaces. In 2026, her contribution was recognised with the UK Top Social Justice Influencer Award. Trish demonstrates that a public platform can become more than visibility. It can become a vehicle for change.