Churchill’s living legacy awards travel grants worth £1.4 million

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has awarded 150 Travelling Fellowships across the UK, investing over £1.4 million in UK citizens.

The Fellows will be travelling to 49 countries between them, across six continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects, designed to benefit their communities and professions in the UK. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks.

Examples of this year’s Fellows and their projects include:

• Richard Eltringham, an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner from Thurmaston, Leicestershire, who will be travelling to the USA to investigate horticulture based community restitution programmes for offenders with mental health issues.
• Dr Jonathan Vincent, a Senior Lecturer from York, who will be travelling to Canada and the USA to research best practice in supporting graduates with autism into employment.
• Sophie Gross, a Parent and Child Foster Carer from Leeds, who will be travelling to Australia and the USA to investigate best practice in supporting care leavers to form secure attachments with their babies.
• Jenny McComb, a Faculty Support Officer at Durham University, who will be travelling to Canada and the USA to investigate best practice in responses to campus sexual violence.
• Jacqui Jobson, from Newcastle, and Director of Advocacy Centre North, who will be travelling to Australia and Canada to explore advocacy approaches addressing mental health among LGBTQ communities.
• Neil Barclay, a prison librarian from Plumstead, who will be travelling to the Netherlands and the USA to explore the use of e-reading technology in prisons.
• Alana Madden, a Cabinet Maker from Dulwich, who will be travelling to Japan and the USA to study approaches to increasing the representation of women in the construction industry.
• Kajal Sanghrajka, an entrepreneur from Edgware, who will be travelling to Austria, Canada, Finland and the USA to study effective migrant integration through entrepreneurship.
• Geraldine Esdaille, an Executive Director from Manchester, who will be travelling to the USA to research culturally appropriate services for black women with multiple complex needs.
• Rose Filippi, a Community Development Worker from Glasgow, who will be travelling to Belgium and Germany to observe programmes which use the arts as a tool for refugee integration.
• Anna Raymond, from Glasgow, and Project Manager and Community Consultant for creative consultancy Pidgin Perfect, who will be travelling to Canada and the USA to investigate approaches to empowering women from disadvantaged backgrounds to work in the design sector.
• Missing Wolf, a composer and sonic artist from Bexleyheath, who will be travelling to the USA to investigate soundscape ecology, the study of sound emanating from the natural landscape as an indicator of biodiversity loss.
• Oona Goldsworthy, a housing association Chief Executive from Bristol, who will be travelling to Australia, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to research ethical rented housing models for young people.
• Dr Craig Shuttleworth, a research scientist at Bangor University, who will be travelling to Canada to study approaches to managing the threat posed to ecosystems by grey squirrels.
• Rob Barker-Williams, a Substance Misuse Worker from Swansea, who will be travelling to Canada, Denmark and the USA to investigate reducing drug related deaths through medically supervised injection centres.
• Martin Yarnit, from Worcester, who will be travelling to the USA to explore how community shops can grow whilst supporting local food and drink producers.
• Richard Wakelin, from Market Drayton, and the Head of Education at a Young Offender Institution, who will be travelling to the Netherlands and Norway to explore the role of education in reducing reoffending.

Since its inception in February 1965, 5,400 ordinary men and women have been awarded Churchill Fellowships, from over 100,000 applicants. The ethos remains the same five decades on – for individuals to visit different parts of the world in pursuit of new and better ways of tackling a wide range of social, environmental, medical and scientific issues. The new approaches and innovative ideas with which they return are shared to benefit their local and regional communities, and, in many cases, the nation.

Before his death in 1965, Sir Winston was adamant that he did not wish to have another statue as his memorial, so he approved the setting up of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (www.wcmt.org.uk) as his national memorial and living legacy, for the benefit of future generations. Millions of grateful people gave personal contributions to the public appeal.

“Churchill Fellows are motivated and talented individuals who travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to share their findings to help others in the UK,” says Julia Weston, Chief Executive of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds. They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required. What Fellows share is a passion to make a difference and a desire to share their passion to inspire others.

Notes to Editors:

The categories for the 2018 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships will be announced on Tuesday 9^th May 2017. See www.wcmt.org.uk for more details.

We have many examples of Fellows’ stories of achievement from 1965 to the present day. If you would like one from a particular year or location, or would like to interview a Fellow, please contact The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Press Office on 020 7799 1660, or email press@wcmt.org.uk

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