Social Inclusion 2009
Working to break down social barriers and maximise the opportunities open to all members of society, this award is for campaigners who are tackling social disadvantage and inequality.
This award is sponsored by Shelter.
Winner
David Watkins
‘A Day In Hand’
‘A Day In Hand’ aims to inspire and support same-sex couples who want to hold hands in public. It provides a way of changing cultural perceptions of same-sex love by showing the everyday realities of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) lives. David wants to see more LGBT people living their lives publicly without shame and to the full, and believes hand-holding is a simple liberating gesture that challenges homophobia, destroys stereotypes and transforms lives.
Finalists
Roma Hooper
‘Make Justice Work’
‘Make Justice Work’ is a public media campaign highlighting the costliness of locking up low-level offenders. Roma wants to shine a spotlight on the current penal system, and for there to be greater public debate about what works and what doesn’t. Ultimately, the campaign aims to bring about a sea change in public and political attitudes, so that there is support for less use of custody and greater investment in community rehabilitation.
Mared Elenid Williams
‘Towards Common Ground’, Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales
‘Towards Common Ground’ campaigns for ‘lifetime neighbourhoods’. While many older people remain active into older age, for others failing health, poverty and bereavement can leave them isolated and cut off within neighbourhoods. The campaign wants older people’s needs to be mainstreamed into policy, rather than treated separately. The campaign is calling for ‘age equality’ where urban spaces and facilities are designed so that they are suitable for all, not just a few.
Award judges
Rachel Newton
Rachel is Shelter's English Regions Campaign Manager. Rachel leads Shelter's Regional Campaign team who campaign for change to tackle the housing crisis across the 9 regions in England. Rachel has worked for Shelter for 11 years, working for many years in providing front line housing advice services to help people fight for their rights and get back on their feet, before moving into campaigning to tackle the root causes of bad housing and homelessness and achieve lasting change.
Dinah Cox OBE
Dinah became the founding Executive Director of the first UK-wide women's fund Rosa in August 2008. With its mission to raise and distribute money to women's projects and to influence others to do the same, Rosa would like to see a society where there is equality and justice for women and girls. Dinah studied social policy at South Bank University and the London School of Economics. With over ten years experience in influencing and developing social policy including as Chief Executive at ROTA, a London race equality think tank and as Director of Strategy at the London Voluntary Services Council, she is committed to seeing social change put in to action. Prior to her policy-related roles Dinah worked in a number of charities focused on services for homeless individuals. As someone committed to delivery of positive outcomes she is engaged in a number of areas as well as paid employment such as sitting as a Commissioner on the London Child Poverty Commission and on National Council for Voluntary Organisations Funding Commission. She is Deputy Chair of the Safer London Foundation and Chair of the Foundations grants committee, as well as a board member of the Wembley National Stadium Trust. Dinah is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and her other main commitment is her son Max.
John Rudkin
John is a Chartered Accountant and was appointed as Treasurer on the Sheila McKechnie Foundation Board of Trustees in October 2008. John knew Sheila from his work with Which? where he currently works as an Internal Auditor. He is a Director of Tradewind Heights RTM Limited.
