Five inspiring individuals from the West Midlands have been awarded Churchill Fellowships to research the world’s best ideas, innovations and practices across a range of fields and issues. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity funds dedicated individuals to travel the world and bring back new ideas that can be actioned in the UK, the awards will be announced publicly today (5th March).
These 5 Churchill Fellows and their projects are:
From Birmingham
- Relationship educator Helen Victoria is researching ways to prevent abusive relationships through secondary education programmes, in New Zealand and the USA. Helen will share her findings through delivering workshops in schools and colleges in the UK. Helen’s Fellowship is jointly funded through a partnership with The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation.
- Lecturer Sarah Junaid is exploring educational programmes that embed ethics within the curriculum, in Canada and Japan. Sarah will use her findings to develop a teaching framework in the UK which she will pilot at her place of work. Sarah’s Fellowship is jointly funded through a partnership with The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation.
- Dietician Sally Abbott is investigating models for managing obesity, in Canada. Sally will share her findings with her colleagues in the NHS and use her research to influence reform in UK primary care practice.
From Coventry
- Assistant Professor Nicola Beer is exploring the benefits of virtual mobility in opening up opportunities for international collaboration, in Denmark, Japan and Sweden. Nicola will use her findings to start a pilot project in the UK that helps members of the public to connect with communities across the world. Nicola’s Fellowship is jointly funded through a partnership with The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation.
From Dudley
- Police improvement officer Emma Tilley is researching best practices for supporting bereaved families following police-related deaths, in Canada. Emma will use her findings in the UK to develop a toolkit for her colleagues and influence policy change.
They are among 141 Churchill Fellows awarded this year across a range of vital topics.
Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust said: “This year we have awarded Churchill Fellowships to 141 inspiring people from all areas of UK society, who will travel the world in search of the best solutions for the UK’s most pressing problems. They will explore innovations in a wide range of fields and bring back new ideas to strengthen their communities and professions across the UK. This is a crucial bridge of people and ideas between the UK and the world.”
Everyone can apply for a Churchill Fellowship, regardless of age, background or qualifications, so long as they are a UK citizen aged 18 or over. The next chance to apply for a Fellowship opens on 30 April 2020 for travel in 2021. Applications open via www.wcmt.org.uk .
We can offer interviews, quotes and photos with the new Fellows or with existing Fellows who have already made an impact in their local community.
For a full list of Fellows and their projects, please visit our website – www.wcmt.org.uk from today (5th March).
