Fellows' updates

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Fellows' updates

The Churchill Fellowship is a national network of 3,800 inspiring individuals leading change in every area of society. Here is the latest news on how they are sharing their ideas and putting their insights into practice across the UK.

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

If you are a Fellow and would like to send us your news, please email it to digital@churchillfellowship.org.

Photograph of Joy O'Neill
Fellows' updates

August 2023 Fellow's update: Joy O'Neill

Care Farm Director, Joy O'Neill (CF2020) has been awarded a Clore Social Fellowship. This is aimed at Voluntary and Community Leaders in and around Oxfordshire focused on social impact and is linked to her Oxford Climate Alumni Network work. The fellowship includes a fully funded 6 months leadership programme starting in September 2023.

By Joy O'Neill, 2023

Fellows' updates

August 2023 Fellow update: Leanne Werner

Leanne Werner (CF 2023) has featured in her local newspaper, Southwark News, which outlines how she will be visiting Canada and the USA to explore agricultural techniques. This will include green roofs in Toronto and 'agricultural hoods' in Detroit. Leanne is concerned that we will see food shortages at some point in the near future and as co-founder of urban growing organisation Wilder, she aims to find solutions. In the article Leanne discusses some of the issues affecting food growth such as pesticide use, climate change and the war in Ukraine. On a local level she advocates that Southwark Council should commit to growing ten per cent of the food it consumes, possibly using the techniques used in the cities she visits.

By Leanne Werner, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow update: Nicole Devlin

Nicole Devlin (CF 2023) has featured in the Belfast Telegraph. Tyrone based Nicole is visiting the USA to find out how violence prevention programmes can be adopted in Northern Ireland. The article states that Nicole was motivated by hearing about the stories of women who have died in the country as a result of violence. Northern Ireland’s femicide rate is among the worst in Europe. Nicole will be learning about the Coaching Boys Into Men programme, which is run by the US-based Futures Without Violence organisation. She says: "We need to change these attitudes and behaviour from very early on if we are to see a cultural shift in tackling misogyny and reducing violence against women.” Though the initiative is global, it has not been established in Europe so far. She also explains how her PhD work ties in with her Fellowship project.

By Nicole Devlin, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow's update: Ross Watson

Site Manager with the Woodland Trust Scotland, Ross Watson (CF 2023) has featured in Strathspey & Badenoch Herald. Ross talks about how he will be using his Churchill Fellowship to visit areas in Cambodia, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia to learn more about different models for managing invasive plant removal, with a holistic approach and ensuring sustainability through the involvement of communities, young people and land managers. Ross explains that his interest derives from dealing with the range of invasive plants that live on the sites he manages. He hopes that his learning will enable him to develop projects in two Special Areas of Conservation, removing invasive non-native plants from the sites and the wider landscape. The projects will help to develop training and education opportunities for young people.

By Ross Watson, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow update: Amanda Bryan

Former Head of the School of Forestry, Amanda Bryan (CF 2023) has appeared in Scottish Press & Journal, a Scottish news website. The article states that as part of her Fellowship next April Amanda will visit Michigan and Wisconsin where projects have embedded forestry education across the school curriculum. Amanda will be investigating whether an American-style scheme work in the Highlands and if linking schools to forests could help tackle a workforce shortage in the forestry industry.

By Amanda Bryan, 2023

Photograph of Steve Marshall
Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow update: Steve Marshall

Steve Marshall appeared in ehospice, a global news and information resource which provides news and commentary from the world of hospices and palliative care. Steve's Fellowship is focused on developing recommendations to support children with a dying parent. In the article Steve talks about his Fellowship travels to Norway and Sweden to find out how their healthcare systems support children with seriously ill parents. Steve writes about how these countries have adopted a concept of children as ‘next-of-kin’ and how it is implemented, and the difference that this can make.

By Steve Marshall, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow's update: Shaista Aziz

Shaista appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour discussing the women’s World Cup and Nouhalia Benzina, the first ever hijabi wearing player in the women's football World Cup. Shaista mentions her Churchill Fellowship - learning how to make football more equitable for Muslim women and girls. She describes how she will travel to France to learn more from muslim girls and women who are being prevented from playing football and Pakistan which has a thriving women and girls' football sector despite the high levels of violence. Shaista says that the main issue is not Islam or the hijab but the systemic oppression and need for the system to change to ensure equity for all. Listen on bbc.co.uk. Shaista also wrote a piece on decolonisation in football for CNN.

By Shaista Aziz, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow's update: Nina Smith

Former teacher, Nina Smith (CF 2023) has appeared in a couple of media outlets this month. Nina lost her younger brother to suicide and recounts her experience and hopes for the future in the articles from InYourArea.co.uk and Leigh Observer and Skem News. Nina will be travelling to Australia and the USA to explore school-based suicide prevention strategies.

By Nina Smith, 2023

Fellows' updates

July 2023 Fellow's update: Nina Smith

Former teacher, Nina Smith (CF 2023) has appeared in a couple of media outlets this month. Nina lost her younger brother to suicide and recounts her experience and hopes for the future in the articles from InYourArea.co.uk and Leigh Observer and Skem News. Nina will be travelling to Australia and the USA to explore school-based suicide prevention strategies.

By Nina Smith, 2023

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