Link to SMK home page

This year’s judges

and sponsors

Home > What we do > Awards > SMK National Campaigner Awards 2024 sponsors and judges

Judges

Each year, SMK invites a diverse and experienced group of people from across civil society to judge the Awards. They include campaigners, activists, previous award winners, senior charity managers, and leaders. We are grateful for all the hard work that our judging panel put into the selection process.

 

Lorna Massey

Jennifer Frame

Campaigner

Jennifer is a campaigner with End Our Cladding Scandal, a national grassroots campaign led by volunteers who are affected by the post-Grenfell building safety crisis that has affected millions of homes across the UK. End Our Cladding Scandal was the winner of the Best Consumer Campaign at the SMK National Campaigner Awards in 2023.

Read more
Jennifer’s work with End Our Cladding Scandal includes policy and political advocacy, corporate stakeholder engagement, media and communications, as well as working directly with leaseholders who have been excluded from government support. She is a former SMK ‘Campaign Carousel’ rider.
Lorna Massey

Tom Baker

Director: Politics, Participation and Campaigns, Save the Children 

Tom has led campaigns on global issues for over 20 years, and alongside his work writes a blog on campaigning at thoughtfulcampaigner.org

Read more

Until late 2016, Tom was Head of Campaigns and Engagement at Bond, a network of UK based NGOs working in international development. Before that he worked at Tearfund and Christian Aid, as well as helping to found Campaign Bootcamp. 

Lorna Massey

Zita Holbourne

Campaigner

Zita is a multi-award winning community activist, equality and human rights campaigner, trade union leader, multidisciplinary artist and writer.

Read more
She is the co-founder and National Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK, Joint National Chair of Artists’ Union England,  a   trustee of ACTSA, Co-Chair of Public Services International Education Support and Culture Sector Workers Network and a member of UNESCO Coalition of Artists for the General History of Africa. She is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She is the author of the book Striving for Equality Freedom and Justice and co-author of Roots and Rebellion. She has contributed to over 40 other books. Zita has exhibited her art, performed poetry and spoken around the globe. She campaigns for equality, freedom, justice and human rights through arts and activism. Photo credit: Josimar Senior / Black Writers Guild.
Lorna Massey

David Graham

Founder, Tenacious Awards

David Graham is the founder of Changing Ideas, Law for Change and the Tenacious Awards.

Read more
The Tenacious Awards provide money and mentoring to help campaigners achieve their goals The Tenacious Awards celebrate the art of campaigning and recognise its contribution to the public good. Launched in 2023 by Changing Ideas, the awards back campaigners with true tenacity, working to right injustice in the world. Our funding and support gives campaigners the freedom to push for change, the space to explore new approaches, and the networks to build momentum.
Lorna Massey

Abdi Mohamed

Public Affairs Manager, Scope

Abdi’s interest and expertise is influencing policy makers and mobilising local communities on disability issues and other areas of social justice. 

Read more
Abdi currently works for a large charity, having previously been parliamentary researcher and policy advisor to the Shadow Minister for Disabled People. He has also worked for the Labour Party and led an innovative community programme in east London which included setting up a local Somali Task Force. Previously Abdi was a campaigner for Action for Children and the National Union of Students (NUS). He is a governor at Bow Secondary School, a non-executive Director of Hackney Wick & Fish Island Community Development Trust, and a trustee of PohWER. Abdi co-leads SMK’s ‘Influencing Parliament and Central Government’ workshop with Jo Gibbons and Deb Hermer.
Lorna Massey

Dr Alison Green

Educator, University of the Arts London

In her work as an educator, writer, researcher and curator, Alison has a vision for the powerful impact curating can have on bringing issues to public attention and opening up spaces for dialogue.

Read more

Her projects expand understandings of art practice, exhibition histories and curatorial practice, with a focus on feminism and capitalism and their potential to change institutional practices and knowledge production. These are realised through learning and teaching; research on exhibitions and social practice; curating; and network-type projects on emerging forms of curatorial practice, citizenship and community.

Alison has taught curating, writing and research for 20 years at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She has initiated and mentored dozens of curatorial projects partnering students with galleries, businesses, charities and public bodies. These enable participants to learn through doing, to work with audiences and communities directly and explore how curatorial research and practice can have social impact. This has taken her and students to other parts of the world, such as Japan, Portugal, France, USA and Hong Kong. As Director of Doctoral Training and Development, Alison is newly working with PhD students in University of the Arts’ recently inaugurated Doctoral School.

Lorna Massey

Clare Farrell

Activist and campaigner, Co-founder of Extinction Rebellion

Clare is an active citizen, devoting her creativity, her energy, and occasionally her personal liberty, to fight against climate collapse and the wider environmental crisis.

Read more

As one of the cofounders of Extinction Rebellion her work to date has included coordinating the creative team that delivered the name, identity, and messaging that the movement set out with in 2018, co-editing the bestselling book, This is Not a Drill, and now works with the UK media team and acts as a spokesperson.

 

Clare has a professional background in the UK fashion industry, working across the high street, luxury and ethical sectors. She has been educating on fashion, ethics and sustainability for over a decade.

Lorna Massey

Peter Gilheany

Director, Forster Communications

Forster Communications is a specialist sustainability and social change PR agency. Peter heads all of their strategic communications work for civil society organisations.

Read more
Working with charity and grant-maker leadership teams, he is an expert in helping organisations build trust and profile – from positioning and narrative development to hands-on reputation management and campaigning for clients including Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, NHS Charities Together and Sightsavers. He is a former trustee of CharityComms and a current trustee of Pause, the national charity supporting women who have had children removed from their care.
Lorna Massey

Sami McLaren

Head of Communications and Campaigns, Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)

Sami led on the public campaigning and communications work for FFT against Part 4 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, as part of the Police Bill Alliance, which won Best Coalition or Collaboration Award Winner at SMK Awards 2023.

Read more
Holding an MA in International Relations from Sussex University, Sami has previous professional experience with UK, Japan and Germany-based international digital marketing companies, as well as Third Sector communications. He is passionate about protecting Human Rights, understanding society through a historical materialist lens, and decolonisation.
Lorna Massey

Shaista Aziz

Campaigner and Co-Director of the Three Hijabis

Shaista is an award winning anti-racism and equalities campaigner, journalist and writer.

Read more
Shaista is a highly skilled and experienced communications and media specialist, working in crisis communications and in complex emergencies. She is a high profile campaigner and skilled political analyst, she carries out her work through the lens of Intersectionality. Her broadcast journalism and writing has appeared in international media including the New York Times, Washington Post, Aljazeera, CNN and the BBC and she is a published author. Shaista is an experienced facilitator, media trainer and regular public speaker and media commentator. Shaista is training in Transactional Analysis.
Lorna Massey

Matt Bell

Strategic Communications Director, Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio, is a global design practice of 250 problem solvers. Matt leads the Humanise campaign www.heatherwick.com. He has previously held leadership roles with international NGOs, public bodies and a FTSE 100 business in the property, design and development sectors.

Read more
He sits on the board of Local Trust, a 15 year lottery-funded programme pioneering new ways of building community across the UK. He is also chair of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, an accessible platform at the cutting edge of art curation, and creator of a pioneering climate art programme called the Young London Print Prize www.woolwichprintfair.com. For ten years he chaired Hope and Homes for Children, an international NGO that works to stop the institutionalisation of children. He also jointly devised the award-winning Street Elite programme which uses sport and mentoring to tackle unemployment and alienation among young adults.
Lorna Massey

David Taylor

Editor, Tortoise Media

David Taylor is an Editor at Tortoise Media. He was deputy editor for Guardian US and before that worked at The Times as Head of News and US Editor.

Read more
SMK has become a member of the Tortoise Community Network, which brings together non-profit, charitable and campaigning organisations and helps the people they work to support become fully-funded members of our newsroom. And this year Tortoise are partnering with SMK for this year’s National Campaigner Awards.
Lorna Massey

Sam Nadel

Associate Researcher – University of Exeter

Sam is conducting research at the University of Exeter and London School of Economics on NGOs, activism and environmental politics.

Read more
His work examines the impact of institutionalisation on NGOs and their role in a wider movement eco-system. He previously held roles at Amnesty International UK and Oxfam Great Britain, most recently as Head of Government Relations, where he oversaw Oxfam’s political influencing strategy and relationships with UK government and parliamentarians. Sam is also Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Bath where he has taught courses on humanitarianism, NGO management and researching third sector organisations.
Lorna Massey

Kate Levine

Independent strategic communications and corporate activism consultant

She works for a range of brands, corporates, campaigning organisations and NGOs.

Read more
Kate’s clients have included IKEA, SYSTEMIQ, AB InBev, The Climate Coalition, WUKA, Tangle Teezer, TRACT, Dermalogica, Rape Crisis England and Wales, the Better Business Act, the Protected Landscapes Partnership and Sime Darby Plantation. Previously, Kate was the Global Activism and Communications Director at The Body Shop from 2015-2020.  She and her team led the brand’s activism and campaigning and all global communications, helping re-establish its authority as an ethical and environmental leader. With more than 20 years’ communications experience, Kate has also worked in senior roles at communications agencies, including Hill & Knowlton, BCW and Pagefield.
Lorna Massey

Callum Pethick

Youth led Change Manager, Blagrave Trust

Callum co-leads the Trust’s strategy for investing in young people to create change.

Read more
Prior to this, Callum worked in the youth sector for several political and civic education charities. Callum also sits on the Accountability Circle for the Participatory Grantmakers Community of Practice. Callum is passionate about enabling young people facing injustice to wield their collective power to create positive change with and on behalf of their communities.
Lorna Massey

Michael Chandler

Chief Executive, Groundswell

Michael has over 20 years’ experience working for social justice organisations.

Read more

Michael was the CEO of Union Chapel, the community social justice charity and cultural events venue in Islington. He was previously Acting CEO / Director of Social Change at Cardboard Citizens, leading their national partnerships and campaigning, and has experience at a range of organisations such as Shelter, as well as exploring arts for social change through ASC Agency.

Lorna Massey

Katrina Ffrench

Founding Director UNJUST UK

UNJUST UK is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2021 to address discrimination, particularly that of a racial nature, in the culture, practices and policies of Policing and the Criminal Legal System. UNJUST UK won the Best Use of Law Awards at the 2023 National Campaigner Awards.

Read more
Katrina read Social and Political Sciences at Hughes Hall, Cambridge and since graduating has worked in various local authorities and civil society organisations. Formerly the chief executive of StopWatch, national research and action organisation specialising in stop and search policing, Katrina has overseen the publication of several evidence-based reports and led a range of advocacy initiatives aimed at influencing policy and practice. Known for speaking truth to power, in June 2020, Katrina was invited to provide oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee – The MacPherson 22 years Inquiry. Katrina has actively volunteered her time to provide community scrutiny to the policing power of stop and search; in addition to chairing Islington Stop and Search Community Monitoring Group for three years, she has held the vice-chair and chair positions on the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime Pan-London Stop and Search Community Monitoring Network.  Katrina has experience sitting on local community partnerships and was an executive member of the Islington Safer Neighbourhood Board. In November 2020, Katrina was awarded Associate status by Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, and is a member of the Black British Voices Project Steering Group being led by the Sociology department. Katrina sits on the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board which oversees the national Police Race Action Plan; She is a trustee of Transform Drug Policy Foundation and in May 2022 was elected as a councillor for the London Borough of Wandsworth.
Lorna Massey

Faustine Petron

Campaigner, student and winner of SMK’s 2023 Young Campaigner Award

Faustine is a final-year Human, Social, and Political Sciences student at the University of Cambridge specialising in Sociology, with an interest in gendered violence and feminist resistance/ organising in the Maghreb and South Asia.

Read more

As an award-winning campaigner, her petition to reform Relationships and Sex Education in Britain garnered over 95,000 signatures and cross-party political support, earning commendation in the House of Commons by MP Layla Moran. Faustine has worked with the government, celebrities and charities in using education as a tool to prevent gender-based violence among children and young people. In 2023, she partnered with BBC Panorama to highlight the prevalence of coercive control among under-25s. In 2023, her advocacy prompted Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee to formally recommend her campaign to the government, marking a significant milestone in the fight against gender-based violence. Faustine’s work has been featured in prominent media outlets not limited to, The Independent, HuffPost, Sky, Cosmopolitan, and BBC 1.

Lorna Massey

Naomi Browne

Head of Campaigns, Which?

Naomi leads Which?’s campaigns team, securing changes on the big issues affecting UK consumers to make their lives fairer, simpler and safer.

Read more
Naomi is passionate about developing impactful campaigns that help people and promote change amongst businesses.

Prior to Which? she worked at the Financial Ombudsman Service, supporting consumers in getting better outcomes when they’ve been treated unfairly and driving improvements across financial services.

Lorna Massey

Tania Nadarajah

Paralympian

Tania is a Paralympic athlete who represented Great Britain in archery at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

Read more

Since retiring from international competition, Tania uses her platform to advocate for inclusion in all spheres, breaking barriers and reshaping perceptions of people with disabilities.  She is also the communications lead for a disability charity.

Lorna Massey

Kim Megson

Head of Content and Engagement, Heatherwick Studio

Kim works for the global design practice Heatherwick Studio, helping to communicate its work through film, photography, and digital platforms. As a contributor to the burgeoning Humanise campaign, he has creatively supported a drive for our cities to become more joyful and engaging through the design of buildings.

Read more
Kim is also a journalist, regularly covering sustainable and inclusive architecture for Metropolis. As a feature writer, he has contributed to the Economist, the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent, the BBC and Sight & Sound, covering everything from design and culture to politics and sport. He is also a Trustee of Hue Help, a charity in central Vietnam that works to improve the health, education and future prospects of disadvantaged children across the country, and which campaigns to promote water safety awareness and swimming training to combat drowning, the leading cause of death in children in Vietnam.
Lorna Massey

Suhan Rajkumar

Senior Associate, Charity & Social Enterprise Department, Bates Wells

Suhan advises charities, not-for-profits, and businesses seeking to have a positive social impact.

Read more
Suhan has a particular focus on campaigning and electoral law, and is recognised in the Legal 500 in this area. He also advises on a wide range of governance, commercial, regulatory and crisis management issues. Outside of Bates Wells, Suhan is a charity trustee, currently as Chair for Bail for Immigration Detainees and a trustee of CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers).
Lorna Massey

Anna Yearley

Joint Executive Director, Reprieve

Reprieve is a legal action non-governmental organisation. Anna manages all aspects of Reprieve’s work with co-director Maya Foa. 

Read more

Before joining Reprieve in January 2016 Anna worked for the former Leader of the Labour Party, Rt hon Ed Miliband MP as his Director of Political Relations and prior to this she worked as the Assistant Political Secretary to the former Prime Minister, Rt hon Gordon Brown, in No 10 Downing Street.

Anna was Head of Campaigns for the Parliamentary Labour Party in the House of Commons, she worked for two backbench MPs and started her career in 2000 working for the pro-European campaign group Britain in Europe. 

In 2016 Anna was awarded the New Executive Fellowship from the Open Society Foundation and has overseen a significant growth in Reprieve’s income and reach during her tenure. 

Anna has a first class degree in Politics from the University of Liverpool. In the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List of 2021, Anna was awarded an OBE for services to human rights.

Sponsors

Once again, we are very fortunate to have a committed group of partners and sponsors for the SMK National Campaigner Awards. We’re especially lucky to have, Bates Wells, the leading legal advisers to civil society, helping campaigning organisations go further, as title sponsor. Find out about our media partner, Tortoise, and their unique ‘slow news’ approach.  If you would like to know how to become a sponsor please contact us here. 

London Youth
Which
Local Trust
Sponsored by Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust (Need to add in logo) Seek to bring about significant changes in the political system, making it more accountable, democratic and transparent and to rebalance power for the well-being of society. www.jrrt.org.uk
Sponsored by The Blagrave Trust
Brand Ethos

Can you sponsor the awards?

We believe now more than ever that our work must protect the space for campaigner’s voices in civil society – with your support, we can continue to do this.
I want to find out more

Sign up and get our newsletter

To be part of a more powerful civil society, sign up for news, upcoming events, training and consultancy. We will always respect your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy or click here to unsubscribe.

SUBSCRIBE HERE