Great communicators help make our world a better place.
Giving a voice to others, and empowering all those around them this year’s Inspiring Communicator Award (ICA) winners are shining lights of the comms community.
Over the past 12 months this year’s winners, like those who have gone before, have championed the people they exist to help. Fighting for change and fearlessly calling out inequality and injustice where and when they see it.
Breaking down barriers and making sure the stories that need to be told are brought centre stage in the public consciousness these amazing communicators always go above and beyond. Reading their nominations made us feel truly inspired and we hope they will make you feel inspired too.
We hope you enjoy reading about this year’s amazing winners. A huge well done and thank you to all the people who took time to nominate. We couldn’t do this without you.
Adeela Warley
CEO, CharityComms
Winners
Ali is not only an inspiring communicator but also an excellent manager and leader too.
With a unique talent to bring colleagues from across the organisation with her Ali has an excellent ability to work with everyone and help them communicate their work.
In just over two years as Head of Communications at Scope, Ali has transformed the charity’s communication function. She has doubled Scope’s reach and mentions across multiple media and outlets, increased engagement across social platforms and greatly improved its internal communications function. Ali has also led the charity’s response and communications to Covid-19 and to the current Cost-of-Living crisis.
Not only an inspiring communicator but also an excellent manager and leader too, Ali is always prioritising the wellbeing of her team and proactively looking to ensure they look after their mental health. One example of this is how Ali expertly guided her team through multiple lockdown’s, the furlough scheme and Scope’s need to reduce working hours to maximise use of charitable donations. Through this uncertain period, Ali’s can do and positive attitude instilled a sense of loyalty and respect from her team, peers and senior leaders.
Ali has taken the time to really understand how best to communicate Scope’s direct work with disabled people and increased the profile of this work and under her leadership is much better able to communicate the work its services undertakes and the impact it makes on disabled people’s lives. Ali has also instilled high standards and professionalism across her team and wider engagement and advocacy functions, leading external communications planning, spotting opportunities for activity to join up, and being honest in her approach to what and how Scope should prioritise.
As well as everything else Ali demonstrates a great sense of creativity and innovation. She has reformed Scope’s celebrity programme to focus on individuals who want to make an impact rather than household names; led Scope’s social media function to focus on audience and stories first and encouraged Scope to have a unique and distinct voice on these platforms; creating, developing and leading the execution of the first Scope Disability Equality Awards. Ali is one of the most inspiring communicators and leaders in the sector and Scope are incredibly privileged to have her.
Ava is always warm, friendly and open to supporting wherever she can.
At just 15-years-old Ava Pearson is a Young Ambassador making a real mark for Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK). Juggling schoolwork with being an ambassador she willingly supports the work the charity does and epitomises its mission that all deaf children can achieve their dreams.
Diagnosed as profoundly deaf at her newborn hearing screening Ava learnt to listen and speak through the specialist AVUK family-centred therapy programme. Now she supports the charity by communicating proudly about the need for all deaf children to be given the same opportunities in life as their hearing peers to achieve their potential whether they want them to use sign language, spoken language or both. She has appeared in a number of media pieces including a live BBC Breakfast interview via Zoom – what might seem a huge ask for a deaf teenager – and headed up a video podcast interviewing one of the leading experts in childhood deafness. Ava has also spoken passionately and personally to an esteemed audience including MPs and Peers, taking part in AVUKs Power of Speech event in the summer of 2022 during which she moved a number of people to tears – an amazing achievement for a teenager who couldn’t hear a jet plane when she was born.
Above all though Ava is a champion of others. She has also supported younger deaf children and their families by sharing her own personal experiences to reassure families whose child have been newly diagnosed with hearing loss. An aspiring film director she has happily shared ideas of how AVUK can use video to communicate to different audiences and is a pleasure to have as an ambassador.
Ava is always warm, friendly and open to supporting wherever she can. And as her Mum says: “What I am most proud of are the things that all parents are probably proud of—Ava is extremely sociable and very kind. She is a good listener and is quick to intervene if someone needs her help. I’m proud of how confident she is in most situations, definitely braver than I am when it comes to meeting new people.”
Judith's ambition is to amplify the voices of lesser reached groups
The definition of an inspiring communicator Judith became a creative and impactful campaigner, as well as an innovator within the community of Black people living with cancer, following her cancer diagnosis in 2018.
A true champion of others Judith founded From Me To You – a network which brings together experts by experience and ethnicity to provide peer support, give advice, and enable people to better access services and engage with their care. Black and ethnic minority people living with cancer routinely fair far worse in terms of cancer experiences and outcomes, according to research like the NHS National Cancer Patient Experience Survey. As Judith says: “I learned the hard way that even in relation to our medical health we have to take control; we sometimes have to challenge perceptions – even our own at times – in order to live.”
In collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support, Judith has helped develop the Raising Your Voice Toolkit to people the tools they need to speak out about the cancer care they are receiving. She also championed “advocacy for everyone” as a speaker at the Macmillan annual conference in 2022, has been featured on the BBC among other news outlets, and was recognised as a Platinum Champion for the Queen’s Jubilee.
Judith has the ability to communicate clearly even amid political uncertainty and change and this is what makes her an effective activist. Put her in front of a zoom call full of MPs, and she has the ability to elicit an emotional reaction from every single one. Recently she contributed to the Cancer Services report authored by the Health and Social Care Committee and has appeared as a speaker at high-level events with politicians including Jeremy Hunt and Jonathan Ashworth. Throughout everything she is always well prepared, professional and ambitious for the impact she can achieve.
The golden thread through all Judith’s inspiring communication is her ambition to amplify the voices of lesser reached groups, and in doing so to provide invaluable insights to organisations and people in power. She has the voice of ‘seldom heard from’ patients at heart, equipping them with vital tools to become inspiring communicators in their own right. An inspiration to all she meets an audience member at one of her speaking events commented that: “Judi touched upon everything my Mama went through coming from a minority background. Judi, you are a true inspiration, well done you brave, wonderful lady”.
Katy helps carers feel less isolated and empowered to call for change.
Championing the voices of unpaid carers during the cost-of-living crisis Katy is a campaigner on a mission. She spotlights the reality unpaid carers are facing of unprecedented financial difficulties with spiralling living and energy costs. Highlighting how carers are often on a low income (carers allowance is the lowest benefit of its kind) and have higher energy costs as they care and keep vital medical equipment running.
As an unpaid carer to her husband Mark, and founder of We Care, a carers-led grassroots organisation, Katy brings together a community of unpaid carers across the UK to make it clear to politicians that we can’t just put another jumper on. Over the past year she has made an impact in many ways including marking Carers Week in June 2022 by launching a powerful film ‘The Ones Who Care’ – a film that amplifies the voices and experiences of carers and which has been viewed 45,000 times. As well as the launch itself Katy also supported unpaid carers to engage with their MP during Carers Week by sharing the film, attending online events and participating in a partnership event with Oxfam UK in Parliament. Throughout Katy helped carers to engage with political decision makers all week, including meetings with MPs, shadow Ministers, Ministers and party leaders.
Katy has also supported We Care members to run their own campaign actions. One such action saw carers secure over 16,000 signatures for a campaign called Rachel’s petition which called for government action on the energy costs for unpaid carers. The petition was delivered to Number 10 in September 2022 as part of a charity coalition addressing the cost-of-living crisis, with the total number of signatories nearing half a million. Alongside this Katy has also spoken up on Sky News, BBC South East and in the Express about the impact of cost-of-living on carers and disabled people over the past year, given oral evidence to the House of Lord’s Adult Social Care Committee, and coordinated unpaid carers to share their personal stories with ITV News.
Where Katy truly shines though is in making carers feel less isolated and empowered to call for change. The work Katy does to champion and empower others never stops and she has even been quoted by Barbara Keeley MP in Parliament both on the impact of the cost-of-living on carers, and on the need for reform to the carers allowance. She also uses her busy social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and weekly emails to inspire others and the We Care newsletter has grown from 300 to 500 subscribers in just a year and the organisation now boasts over 5,000 social media followers.
Paris is committed to barrier-breaking communications and inspires children, teenagers, and adults alike.
At just 18-years-old Paris has sat at the heart of campaigns for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) for more than three years. During this time, she has played a central role in bringing to life a £25 million fundraising campaign, supported by Premier Inn ,that helped towards the costs of the GOSH Sight and Sound Centre. An ambassador for people with hearing loss, Paris brought audiences – from members of the public to partners in the corporate and charity sectors – together during the campaign and inspired them to raise significant funds. Funds that have transformed the lives of other young people who, like her, are treated for profound hearing and/or sight loss at GOSH.
A trailblazing teenager, Paris has used inspirational techniques to deliver important messages. She has given speeches to more than sixty corporate partners, written poems for Her Majesty the Queen, and in 2021 was the voice of GOSH Charity and Premier Inn’s ‘Sign of the Season’. A unique, multi-sensory Christmas carol event that required the use of Makaton, British Sign Language (BSL) and body percussion to perform, the ‘Sign of the Season’ carole concert in which it was performed has since been watched by more than three thousand people online. As well as all of this Paris has also appeared in a film about Rose Ayling-Ellis, the deaf star of Eastenders and Strictly Come Dancing winner, been elected a ‘Young Leader’ by the Women of the World Foundation, and set up a society at her school to teach other students BSL and deaf awareness.
Paris received a cochlear implant at GOSH in 2018 to help her access more sounds, having previously worn hearing aids since birth. When the implant was first introduced, sounds came out as beeps, but she demonstrated her stalwart determination and worked with therapists to transform those beeps into recognisable sounds. Despite the challenges hearing loss presents her, Paris says: “I don’t let being deaf hold me back!”
An accomplished spokesperson, actor and lyricist, Paris inspires children, teenagers, and adults alike. Her commitment to barrier-breaking communications and her celebration of diversity and championing of children and young people with hearing and sight loss is truly inspiring.
Sharon has given hundreds of kidney patients across the UK a chance to have their voices heard.
The driving force behind the amazing communications Kidney Care UK has delivered this year, Sharon has given hundreds of kidney patients across the UK a chance to have their voices heard and their experiences acknowledged. A one-woman press office, solely responsible for Kidney Care UK’s media relationships she makes sure this small charity punches well and truly above its weight.
With a relentless focus on highlighting the stories of kidney patients and transplant recipients, Sharon has secured the charity 1,292 pieces of media coverage this year, including a front-page Guardian article and BBC News and ITV News stories. She understands kidney patients, their lives and the huge challenges they face and worked directly with kidney patient Phoenix Halliwell, to share his powerful story with the media, politicians and policy makers through the incredible Priced Out of Existence campaign, earlier this year. This was an incredible campaign, spearheaded by Sharon, and so successful that Phoenix’s words were shared in PMQs by Sir Keir Starmer. It also led to Phoenix speaking to a number of senior politicians and his story being discussed on social media. An incredibly powerful campaign it shone a spotlight on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and how those on home dialysis are potentially being faced with the stark choice of heating, eating or dialysis. By his side throughout, Sharon made sure that Phoenix was not overwhelmed and supported him in dealing with the sudden attention and intrusion.
Sharon is also someone who determinedly pushes projects over the finish line, stretching budgets and timelines to the limit. Most recently she has also been speaking with the Trussell Trust to find foods people can donate which can be given to those on a restricted diet (due to their chronic kidney disease) in direct response to an email received from an individual foodbank user who couldn’t access foods suitable for their diet. Yet while pushing ahead with important projects Sharon has always stayed mindful of the effects of a heavy workload on more junior members of the team in the process.
Aside from being an incredible communicator though, Sharon has also shown a nurturing, caring attitude towards Kidney Care UK’s beneficiaries, and towards her team and her colleagues. She works collaboratively and creatively, both internally and externally, to translate data and clinical information into real-life, memorable stories. And she challenges colleagues from different departments to work together while empowering those she manages by listening to everything they have to say, teaching them and ensuring they feel encouraged to make new suggestions. Above all though she makes everyone feel valued as an individual.
Nominated by not one but two colleagues Sharon is someone who has remained resilient in the face of a changing Government and constantly changing dynamics, and is quick to lighten the mood (with her rather wicked sense of humour!) when everyone is under pressure. Colleagues say it is a true pleasure to work with Sharon and see the enthusiasm and passion she brings to her role as she is dedicated to delivering on Kidney Care UK’s promise that ‘no one should have to face kidney disease alone’ and does this to the best of her ability, every day she is in the office.
Sonya is unafraid to dial up the urgency when advocating for the people who need someone to fight their corner.
A tireless campaigner and unwavering advocate for the needs of heart patients Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan has ensured the ongoing severe disruption to potentially lifesaving care for heart patients is a topic of national conversation. When the pandemic began, little was said of its seismic impact on people with cardiovascular disease but two years later this is no longer the case, thanks in no small part to the tireless campaign work of this consultant NHS cardiologist and associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The needs of heart patients are always front of mind for Sonya, whether she is holding power to account over the hundreds of thousands of people waiting many months for vital heart care or cutting through confusion for people who need easy access to clear and concise health information in uncertain times. Sonya never forgets what a worrying time this is for many cardiovascular disease patients. Every word she speaks or writes is carefully chosen to provide reassurance where it can be given, and to avoid unnecessary alarm for those already concerned enough.
Sonya is unafraid to dial up the urgency when advocating for the people who need someone to fight their corner. She understands how high the stakes are for heart patients and that delays to their care can be a matter of life and death. As such she seizes any opportunity to highlight the severity of the disruption to such time-sensitive care, whether that’s live on BBC News, in an attention-grabbing comment piece for the I newspaper, or in a powerful double-page spread for the Daily Mail.
A practicing NHS consultant cardiologist, Sonya gives up her time generously to share her valuable expertise and insight with BHF colleagues and as a result, the charity better delivers for the patients it serves. For example under her leadership BHF operates a CORE group: a working group made up of BHF experts in areas such as policy, media, public affairs, medical, and health data. Founded within a week of the first UK lockdown this group comes together every week to discuss relevant real-world developments and what they mean for heart patients. Such an approach has ensured the BHF has remained agile enough to react quickly to breaking news and often complicated topics, helping the charity to be seen and heard by the patients we serve and would not have been possible without Sonya. An inspiring and powerful communicator, the BHF is incredibly fortunate to have Sonya on their team.
A ‘Willy Wonka’ of ideas, Theo’s also a natural campaigner and has inspired so many.
Everyone who speaks to Theo is inspired and energised to get on board with his innovative and creative ways of working. And despite him not having ‘Communications’ in his job title, he’s an absolute natural.
Theo’s creative mind was a driving force behind Right to Play UK’s Save Her Seat campaign, and the ideation, creation and delivery of this amazing project. He took a simple idea, that £30 can save a school seat for a girl for a year, and sold the campaign idea to colleagues. Leading on the creative concept for the campaign, an iconic yellow seat, he helped the charity communicate what that seat means for so many girls missing out on the right to an education. An inspiring, kind and thoughtful colleague, Theo propelled the idea and campaign forward to improve the lives and outcomes for the young women in the programme. This year, the charity was able to raise over £1.7million in the UK to help girls in Tanzania and around the world stay in school, educating communities about the importance of girl’s education, training coaches to sustain this change through play-based learning and ultimately empowering girls to take charge of their future.
A self-confessed ‘Willy Wonka’ of ideas, Theo is also a natural campaigner and has inspired so many partners, ambassadors and pro-bono creatives to support the charity’s UK Aid Match campaign this year. His creativity and drive helped the charity win UK Aid Match, ensuring every £1 raised during Save Her Seat was doubled by the UK Government, doubling the difference for girls around the world. As an incredible relationship builder, Theo also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to build out the campaign brief and communicate it externally. For example, he managed to secure game-changing pro-bono support from design agency Wunderman Thompson on campaign messaging, visual assets and something shareable for ambassadors. And his ability to communicate and inspire also helped to secure amazing support from stars like Sadio Mane (who launched the campaign) Nathan Redmond, Lisa Potter Dixon, Chemmy Alcott and featured content in Metro, Marie Claire and on the Discovery Channel.
What really stands out though is that colleagues describe Theo as the best and most genuine communicator and collaborator they have ever worked with. He inspires and motivates the team to stay focused, creative and energised even in really challenging times empowering everyone to use their own individual skills to thrive and achieve a shared goal while trusting each person to deliver. Theo’s excellent and inspiring communication skills have helped the charity’s small UK office team punch well above its weight and his multiple nominations are a ringing endorsement of his 100% dedication to supporting team members and desire to help everyone reach their potential.
Team Award
Samaritans have shown what can be achieved when we work together... as one ambitious, inspired team.
Inspirational to its core the Samaritan’s Real People, Real Stories project team, led by Nikki Mugford, have shown that by working together great things are possible. The team behind the latest phase of the campaign, in which men who have overcome tough times share their stories to encourage others to seek help, worked tirelessly to create something powerful and authentic that could change lives.
The purpose for the Real People, Real Stories campaign was clear from the start: to reach men in rural communities who are struggling to cope and encourage them to seek help by contacting Samaritans. This was based on the fact in the UK, men are three to four times more likely to die by suicide than women and evidence suggests suicide rates are higher in rural areas and people in rural-based occupations have an increased risk of suicide. Delivering the campaign across England, Scotland and Wales was a collaborative approach which required teamwork and communication, both within the Samaritans staff team and its network of volunteers.
The Samaritans team worked closely with funder, NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and led by the Campaigns Manager, the project team saw staff from several departments, as well as Samaritans volunteers, get involved. Each person was trusted to deliver their part and at all times authenticity was at the campaign’s heart as the campaign team interviewed men from rural communities, including rugby referee and farmer, Nigel Owens. It was these stories that formed campaign videos and the handwritten messages that were used on campaign assets.
With limited budget, the Samaritans team had to be creative about reaching the target audience. They overcame this challenge by developing an integrated approach, combining paid for and non-paid for opportunities. They also worked with media planning experts to identify priority rural locations based on a range of data sources, while a custom algorithm allowed the deployment of media spend to the highest priority areas, ensuring the achievement of awareness in key areas. Meanwhile effective internal communication motivated volunteers to promote the campaign at grassroots level. All of which led to the campaign videos being seen by over 2 million people on YouTube while over 600,000 people per week saw the Facebook adverts. Alongside social advertising, radio adverts were recorded in regional accents for additional reach and over 150 pieces of coverage across print, broadcast and online (with opportunity to see figures of over 20 million) were secured. Most importantly though, the targeted approach helped the team reach millions of men in rural communities, encouraging them to seek help.
One man said the campaign inspired him to call the Samaritans, which saved his life, and is the reason why his kids still have a father. This campaign showed what can be achieved when we work together – across staff, volunteers, supporters and partners – as one ambitious, inspired team.
Highly Commended Team
The RNIB team ensures their communication and messaging is bold enough to be heard and for individuals to react to.
Charitable organisations have it hard these days and one of the biggest issues is getting their communication right and aiming this at the correct target audience. It’s important that they are allowed to be effective in their messaging and have a direct impact on service users especially when it comes to crucial and important matters that need addressing for change to occur and allow for a better quality of life for individuals affected. The RNIB’s communication team takes advantage of social media in a good way, engaging with their service users through the communities they have built up on their platforms.
The RNIB team ensure their communication and messaging is bold enough to be heard and for individuals to react to. But alongside this they also make use of the platforms available to them to challenge anything that goes wrong for visually impaired and blind individuals. For example they have challenged supermarkets on not allowing guide dogs into their stores and worked with the NHS to ensure communication from trusts was made available in alternative formats. The RNIB team have even, when they have spotted organisations not complying with the Equality Act 2010, challenged those who had failed in their duty and pointed out what went wrong and why the situation needs addressing. The amazing work of this charity has ultimately led to individuals and organisations recognising where they have failed or when they have not done the right thing and given them the opportunity to put this right. RNIB’s work has allowed for change to take place for the better.
Having an organisation that is there to protect the rights of disabled visually impaired and blind people and which works for them to encourage change ensures that the right thing is done. This forward thinking and unique approach promotes equality, inclusion and helps combat disability equality in the 21st century. Bold, outspoken, and not afraid to speak out. Strong disability campaigning is what RNIB are all about!
Judges
Adeela Warley
CEO, CharityComms
Lucy Devine
Trustee, CharityComms
Lauren Mealor
Brand and content manager, Sustrans
Nana Crawford
Social Media Marketing Manager, British Red Cross
#InspiringComms
- Be sure to check out the campaigns that have inspired our Inspiring Communicators this year too in our dedicated winners’ blog.
- And find all our previous winners through the main awards page.