Chrisann Jarrett | Just for Kids Law
Chrisann Jarrett, 23, is founder of an equal access to higher education campaign called Let Us Learn. She recently graduated with a law degree from LSE. In 2013 Chrisann was forced to take a gap year after recognising that her immigration status prevented her from being eligible for student finance. She was told that instead of being charged £9,000 a year she was classified as an international student and had to pay £17,000 to begin her degree. Determined to make her gap-year productive Chrisann started a 4-month internship at Just for kids Law, during this time she met other young people going through the same situation.
In 2014, Let Us Learn was created, the aim being to change the secondary legislation that prevented young ambitious migrants from starting their degrees. Due to her efforts Chrisann was able to secure a full scholarship from the LSE covering her 3 years of study. After months of lobbying, going to APPG meetings and featuring on BBC Newsnight, Chrisann was able to work with barristers and lawyers at Just for Kids Law and submit supporting evidence in a Supreme Court intervention in a test case called Tigere. This led to a change in the law that has benefitted hundreds of young people.
Chrisann continues to campaign in order to broaden access to higher education. The campaign has grown from 3 young people to over 900 with 21 active volunteers. In 2016 the campaign launched a scholarship campaign which subsequently led to over 16 universities widening their scholarship criteria to include young migrants with unsettled status.
Her efforts have been widely recognised, she was shortlisted for a Liberty Human Right Award in 2015, named Young Woman of the Year 2015, Number 1 Future Leader by the Powerlist Magazine 2015/16. In 2017 she was named number 30 on the Tab Future100 female students to watch and nominated as a Role Model and Diversity Champion in Education by the National Diversity Awards 2017.
Chrisann now works full time on the Let Us Learn campaign focussing on the aspirations of young people and developing young leaders She hopes to qualify as a lawyer in the near future
Abigail Foster-Brown | Children on the Edge
As a child who grew up in care an opportunity to trek through the jungle of Borneo at 16 was the catalyst that changed my outlook on the world. This once in a lifetime experience provided by the Journey of a Lifetime Trust founded a self-belief that change was achievable if you persevere. The JOLT family was something that I admired; the organisations ability to give underrepresented and disadvantaged children an inspirational and motivating starting point was amazing.
In an attempt to find a way to create similar change I discovered Amnesty International. Founding a group in college I began to give talks and assemblies on the ethos behind Amnesty's work and the difference that taking a stand can make. Becoming a Youth Advisory Group member at Amnesty's headquarters in London helped me realise my voice.
I pursued education deciding to study clinical linguistics as a BA course because of the importance communication represented to me. My further MA in International Development allowed me to refocus my attention on representation and EU legislation, specifically on domestic violence in Latvia, a country heavily torn between an Eastern past and a Western future. Undertaking an unpaid work placement with Transparency International and MARTA, the only domestic violence NGO in Latvia, led me to the staggering corruption and gender violence within the country.
Working at Nottingham County Council I spoke at educational training days for social workers and explained my story and how best to support children in care. My time during their local elections allowed me to see legislative powers of in action. I also became an inspirational speaker for groups of children in care, highlighting my education and how it can change lives.
I left University as second highest in my class and with an honorary 1st. Inspired for change and motivated I secured a job with Children on the Edge; working with vulnerable and forgotten children on the edges of society that aim to bring hope through providing the stability of education. As a Fundraising and Communications office I get to tie all of my previous experience in charity, communication, and inspiration to my fundraisers; showing them that the smallest change can make the biggest differences.
Verena Hefti | Leaders Plus
Verena set up Leaders Plus, an innovative Social Enterprise, to address the issue that too many talented parents feel forced to drop off the leadership pipeline after having had children.
After giving birth to baby Naira, Verena decided to help more new parents stay on the leadership trajectory and started to work on Leaders Plus. She is currently pregnant with her second child.
When on her first maternity leave, Verena and many of her peers felt torn between wanting to be a loving parent and being ambitious in their careers.
Verena was passionate about showing how you can do both.
With her work, Verena challenges the paradigm that you have to choose between continuing a leadership career and be a loving parent to young children.
Previously, Verena has run highly successful leadership development programmes and events for 10 years in Switzerland, Denmark and the UK, most recently as South East at Teach First where she worked to redesign leadership development conferences and delivered leadership training to 400 Teach First participants.
She graduated with an MA with distinction in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester where she studied gender equality in depth.
Mandy Sanghera | UN Women 4 Youth
Mandy Sanghera is an multiple award winning philanthropist, independent community & global consultant and global campaigner . As well as being an international human rights activist & motivational Tedx speaker from UK, who has travelled all over the world empowering & motivating others.
With over two decades of experience, Mandy is an expert in various development related fields. She has been driving innovation, building strategic partnerships, promoting advocacy and programming in the areas of human rights, gender equality, accountability and social justice globally . Mandy has worked alongside some of the worlds biggest organisations UN, UN Women, PlanIntl, EuropeanParliament, AmnestyIntl, ThePrinceTrust, Medsin
Mandy Is an international human rights activists who has spent the last 27 years supporting victims and survivors of harmful practices such as Honour Killings, FGM, early child forced Marriages, Faith Based Abuse, witchcraft.
Mandy is an international motivational speaker who has spent years supporting and empowering others find their purpose and rebuild their lives after abuse.
She continually dedicates herself to her real passion of being an upstanding humanitarian. Over the past 27 years Mandy has helped hundreds of individuals and now reaches thousands through social media and her generous amount of worldwide TV appearances and public speaking engagements.
She regularly appears in international press Mandy has been involved in several documentary, raising awareness of of social issues highlighting areas of inequalities. Her numerous blogs, articles and campaigns continue to raise awareness of harmful practices .
Mandy has been the national lead for the UK for vulnerable adults and honour violence and harmful practices she was involved in writing the guidelines on disability and HBV for the forced marriages unit. Mandy is dedicated to championing the rights and entitlements of disabled children from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background including those from marginalised communities whilst promoting social justice and equality for all.
Inspired by the outcomes of the Beijing Conference in 1995, Mandy is a feminist and has been advocating for gender equality and girls’/women’s empowerment throughout her career. Mandy has worked on programs to strengthen women’s political participation in local governance and economic empowerment globally, Mandy worked on gender mainstreaming and action to end violence against women and children in UK and beyond, promoting cross-regional programmatic collaboration.
Mandy worked with the European Parliament re forced marriages. The report and research a final report (based on the information from the 28 EU Member States and the selected associated countries (Switzerland, Norway, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania and Turkey)
With over 27 years’ experience of working in the areas of disability, woman & human rights , equality, diversity, participation, human rights, community engagements and inclusion, she is a woman of many talents and is an experienced trainer and regularly speaks at universities across the globe Yale, SFU, KingsCollege, Fordham, JohnJay, Warwick and other universities re the ideology of cultural Abuse. Mandy is one of the leading consultant internationally on faith abused abuse
Mandy has been involved in research and campaigning programmes. Mandy has led on several projects with leading charities addressing cultural barriers, stereotypes, misconceptions, barriers, safeguarding, abuse, mentoring, participation and rights role as global change makers.
Mandy has been involved in many Government enquires , she will be involved in the Child Abuse Inquiry
Mandy has spoken at the United Nations and Amnesty International, Liberty and other NGO in recent months
Experienced trainer extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system (CJS) and Whitehall regarding Human Rights and Harmful Practices:
- International Gender-Based Violence Expert
- Experienced expert adviser to Ending Domestic Violence UN Women
- Global Ambassador for The Sharan Project
- Exceptional stakeholder influencing and management skills
- Trainer and facilitator
- Independent Criminal Justice Expert,
- Independent advocate an appropriate adult for vulnerable
- Development and delivery face to face training and podcast for Forced Marriage, Honour-Based Abuse, FGM and Domestic Abuse, Expert Evidence Course and FGM Seminars
- Contributing to International VAWG agenda through UN Women, UNODC
- Development of capacity and capability of NGOs with focus on criminal justice development addressing Gender-Based Violence
- Legal policy manager leading legal and non-legal staff to influence, develop and implement high profile high impact prosecution policy in relation to , violence against women and girls and related areas
- Strategic development and delivery of CPS criminal justice approach to Cyber Crime, Victims and Witnesses; Child Sexual Abuse; FGM; Forced Marriage; Honour-Based Abuse; Domestic Abuse; Coroners and the victims’ right to review working closely with the police and courts
- Development and delivery of e-learning and face to face training including CPS/Police national training on FGM, Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Abuse to support new policy and case management processes
- Influencer to projects including UNODC Global Technical Consultation on the Police and Justice Sector's Response to violence against women; digital working; simple cautions for foreign nationals; and testing of pre-recorded cross-examination in child sexual abuse cases
Mandy has also mentored over 28 people last year through her find your mojo programme.
Mandy is an ambassador and advisor for several charities and social groups. She loves empowering, supporting, enabling, inspiring others.
This year Mandy will be involved in the research with The Anne Craft Trust re people with learning disabilities and forced marriages.
Mandy will be working with the Government regarding Sharia Law in the UK. Mandy will be speaking at the House of Commons regarding faith based abuse. Mandy has been supporting victims of Human Trafficking and Modern day Slavery . Mandy has supported over 250 disabled and vulnerable adults who have been forced into marriage.
Mandy has delivered training to the CPS, police, local authorities, and other organisations around safeguarding, cultural competency, and the ideology of cultural practices, Mandy has published articles in academic papers and international magazines on learning disabilities and forced marriages and practice to keep people safe and is currently supporting Canada to tackle early child forced marriages
Sophie Ainsworth | RAiISE (Raising Awareness of invisible Illnesses in Schools and Education)
I am the founder of RAiISE, a charity which aims to Raise Awareness of invisible Illnesses in Schools and Education and support students who are living with chronic conditions. These conditions are often 'invisible' which can cause confusion and misunderstanding, especially in the classroom. It began following a personal negative experience after being diagnosed with Lupus aged 14. Despite Lupus making me seriously unwell for several years, I often felt I was not understood or adequately supported because I continued to look just like my healthy peers. In spite of this, I was a very successful student which has led to getting a place at Durham University, where I am currently reading English. Alongside my degree and living with a complex health condition, for over two years I have been responsible for the development of RAiISE and I have seen it grow beyond my expectations. Since the initial idea, I have taken it from strength to strength, creating partnerships with organisations such as the National Institute for Health Research, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health (RCPCH), and Lupus UK. I oversee all the day to day running of the charity and I am currently focusing on a project in which we create information packs and resources to be used by teachers within schools, which will provide advice on best practices and strategies which can be instigated in the classroom. I look forward to continuing the progress and success of RAiISE, with hopes of implementing our strategies in schools and colleges across the country.
Ceinwen Giles | Shine Cancer Support
Diagnosed with Stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a highly aggressive form of blood cancer, in 2010, just six weeks after giving birth to her premature daughter, Ceinwen was given a 40% chance of survival. She then spent six-months undergoing high-dose chemotherapy as an inpatient in an isolation ward in a London hospital. Currently in remission, she still receives monthly infusions to cope with the life-long consequences of her cancer treatment on her immune system.
While the treatment and care she received from the NHS saved her life, her experience of the health service, and in particular the services offered to younger cancer survivors, convinced her that things should and could be better. As part of her own experience of recovery, Ceinwen discovered that post-treatment support was mainly aimed at older people and children, and that there was no advice or support that catered for the unique problems that younger survivors face, such as returning to work and professional life, fertility, sex and relationships. At the same time, she became convinced that only by involving patients in the design and delivery of health care could you truly improve the experience of patients going through the health system.
As a result of her experience, Ceinwen co-founded Shine Cancer Support, the only charity in the UK which focuses on providing information and support to adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. Collaborating closely with her co-founder, Emma Willis, and drawing on her experience from her earlier career in international development, Ceinwen has grown Shine from a small informal support group into a national charity that supports thousands of adults across the UK. She has pioneered the development of the UK’s only national cancer conference for adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, as well as designing and implementing a huge range of supportive activities including retreats, coaching and specific workshops for Shine’s beneficiaries.
In addition to her work with Shine, Ceinwen works as a patient activist, seeking to ensure that the design and delivery of healthcare is patient-centred, and that it meets both the physical and psychological needs of those who come into contact with the healthcare system. She is a Trustee of the Point of Care Foundation, a member of the British Medical Journal’s Patient Panel and a member of the General Advisory Council of The Kings Fund, an internationally leading healthcare think-tank.
Ayo Elizabeth Jegede | Anglo American
Background
I am the first born child, born to Nigerian immigrants and moved to the UK at the age of 5 (with english not being my spoken language).
Career to Date
I started my career at Deloitte LLP, in 2010 on their graduate programme within the Enterprise Risk Services where I gained exposure to high profile clients within my first year (e.g. Global transformation projects at Tier 1 banks). I spent just under four years at Deloitte, and whilst there I gained an Accounting qualification (ACA) and gained tangible managerial and client relationship building experience.
In 2014, I transitioned into Industry working within the Internal Audit function where I was responsible for coaching and managing graduates. I was involved with Finance and Due diligence reviews for new business acquisitions, which provided insights into the management and development of medium size organisations (across the UK).
In 2016, I joined Anglo Americans business assurance team, where I am responsible for delivering assurance reviews across De Beers downstream and Anglo American Marketing (the commodity trading floors across the globe). I am the lead client relationship manager for Anglo American Marketing and this role provides exposure to Senior Management (e.g. CEO direct reports).
Agathe Cavicchioli | C40 Cities Climate Leadership
As a passionate climate advocate I have been engaged in international climate policy since 2009 when I witnessed the United Nations climate negotiations fail to deliver a new international climate agreement at the COP15 conference in Copenhagen. Then, I was a youth activist and organised the 5th Conference of Youth - the largest youth climate event at the time - to call on national leaders to act on climate change. Today, my professional life has met every expectations of my younger self: as a City Diplomacy Manager for the UK-based charity, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), I support the C40 network of megacities (92 across the world) to engage in international climate and sustainable development policy-making processes. As the mayors of the world's greatest cities step up to address the issue of climate change at their level, my role is to drive their strategic engagement and participation in international processes and support their individual and collective messages as the new climate leaders on the global stage. My areas of expertise are the intergovernmental climate negotiations, the Paris Agreement and the G20 process.
Prior to working for C40 I managed low-carbon development projects for another city network and supported its global climate advocacy strategy and engagement in the United Nations negotiations. I also have experience in research institutes, consulting firms, local governments and international organisations where I worked on a range of climate issues in Europe, the United States, Brazil and Bangladesh.
I have an interdisciplinary background in climate science, international climate policy and urban planning and hold a Master of Arts in Climate and Society from Columbia University in the City of New York, joint Master degrees in European Affairs and Urban Sustainable Development from Sciences Po Lille and Lille University of Science and Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Policies from the University of Kent at Canterbury.
Rabia Nasimi | Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA)
I am a PhD Candidate in Sociology. I graduated from the LSE in 2016 with an MSc in Sociology (Research) while my undergraduate degree was in Sociology and Politics from the University of Goldsmiths in 2015 where I received a first for my dissertation. Whilst studying I have been extensively involved in running the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association, a charity my father founded when we first arrived in this country after fleeing the Taliban. As part of my work at the ACAA I have worked on a diaspora-led development programme in Afghanistan as well as supported women and families who are refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. My work at the organisation have helped me to develop strong monitoring and evaluation skills as well as project management capabilities.
I have been active in the community from a very young age and have dedicated my life to improving the lives of my home country through the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association all despite being in full time education. I have dedicated over 20 hours each week to help run the organisation throughout my time in higher education. I have always endeavoured to improve my work with others and have seen the women’s refugee programme that I work with grow from strength to strength, with demand outstripping funded supply. Given the work I have done thus far with relatively meagre resources, I can only imagine what the future holds and hope to be able to expand the services of the ACAA and reach far more refugees in the future.
Sophie Ball | Apps for Good
Sophie joined Apps for Good in 2013 as part of the Business Development team after completing a four year BA degree at University College London in History and French (with a year spent studying at the Sorbonne in Paris). Whilst at University Sophie had the opportunity to work for a small start-up Benivo (previously FlatClub) and became increasingly excited about how technology can be created and leveraged to improve people's everyday lives and communities. On finishing University, the opportunity at Apps for Good then perfectly combined Sophie's already existing passion about education and growing interest in technology. Now after 4.5 years at Apps for Good, Sophie has built and nurtured a number of long-term social impact partnerships with industry partners and large foundations and trusts, enabling Apps for Good's reach to grow from 6,000 to over 28,000 students per year across the UK. Sophie particularly enjoys developing new products and forging new partnerships with the aim to improve the diversity of Apps for Good's beneficiaries and in particular gender equality in the wider tech sector. Sophie now looks forward to continuing to deepen Apps for Good's impact on young people, develop more valuable partnerships for social good and be a positive agent for change, supporting a more diverse talent pipeline into tech and business.