Consumer Action

Sponsored by Which?

The things we buy in the shops, the services we use whether in a hospital or a school are central to our lives. This award is for campaigners who are fighting to get a fair deal for all.

Winner

Pete Davis

‘Part Time Carnivore’

By launching an innovative website that encourages and supports people to eat less meat, Pete is promoting environmental protection and healthier life styles. Pete uses his creativity and statistics to show members of his website the effects of their eating habits on the environment. His goal is to promote a healthier world, starting with people’s personal eating preferences and behaviours.

Finalists

Vicky Fobel

‘Public information to protect children from health risks of mobile phones and wireless technology’ - WiredChild and Radiation Research Trust

Vicky is working to raise awareness about the potential health risks to children from mobile phones and other wireless technologies. By working with the media to spread the word, Vicky’s goal is for the public to understand how dangerous long term phone usage is for children. Vicky has set up a website to highlight steps for reducing technology risks and publicising research on the potential health impacts.

Alison Smith

‘Pesky People’

Alison is working to raise awareness on the restriction of digital access for disabled and deaf people. By using social networks, Alison is challenging digital inequality. Her goal is for all disabled people to have full access to the internet by addressing these inequalities online. In order to achieve digital inclusion, Alison raises issues via blogging to challenge websites to become fully accessible for disabled people.

Award Judges

Tanya Heasman

Tanya is Joint Managing Director of System Concepts, an independent management consultancy providing risk management and user experience services to a wide range of public and private sector organizations. She was elected to the Council of Management of the Consumers' Association (now Which?) in 1997, and held the Deputy Chair of Council between 2003 and 2009. She was appointed to the Which? Ltd Board in 2008. She held a position as a lay representative on the Food Standards Agency Research Advisory Committee in 2002. She holds an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from London Business School, an MSc. in Ergonomics from London University and an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University.

Vaughan Lindsay

Vaughan has been Chief Executive of the Dartington Hall Trust since February 2004. The Trust is committed to helping people realise inspired ideas through several strands of activity, from the arts and education to ecology, social research and commercial enterprise.

After graduating from Oxford University with a BA in Geography and obtaining an MSc in Demography from the London School of Economics, Vaughan went to work for Procter & Gamble, though moved quickly to the Kings Fund where he was sponsored through an MBA at the London Business School. His next move was to join Sheila McKechnie at Shelter, spending six years as Director of Resources, before becoming Deputy Director of NCVO. Headhunted by the internationally renowned strategic management consultancy McKinsey while at NCVO, Vaughan then spent six years advising blue chip organisations on their strategy, marketing and sales.