the sheila mckechnie · july 2005, following a varied career in campaigning, fundraising,...

www.sheilamckechnie.org.uk

THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE

ForwardCampaigners are at the forefront of social change.

We have forced decision makers and politicians to address issues of injustice: the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa, access to affordable childcare, discrimination against disabled people and increased aid to Africa. Campaigning has given a voice to some of the most marginalised people in our society and is a central part of our democratic process.

Some of the most successful campaigns have been driven by people who have dedicated large amounts of their own time and resources to helping their communities. Sheila McKechnie was one of the most eloquent and effective campaigners of her generation. Her campaigns were recognised as breaking new ground in their techniques and profile.

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation was formed in her memory to equip a new generation of campaigners with the skills to become more effective in the pursuit of their goals. We want to give all campaigners the skills that enable them to be effective across parliamentary, media and other forms of influencing activity.

We have established a new award scheme to recognise and support emerging campaigners, in partnership with a group of major sponsors and providers. Campaigners need to operate across a wide range of areas that make a modern campaign successful, and the Foundation has assembled a package of support to enable the award winners to enhance their campaigning impact. We will provide access to high quality advice from experienced campaigners and influencers who will mentor the successful winners, inspired by Sheila’s own belief in sharing her expertise and insight.

In our first year we have attracted applications across a wide spectrum of issues, embracing campaigns that address neighbourhood, regional, national and international concerns.

Tonight we will hear from the next generation of campaigners, who will take forward Sheila’s legacy. We want to make it possible for another Sheila, another passionate informed campaigner, to break out and raise a voice from beyond organised politics on behalf of those denied rights and opportunities.

Jon SnowPatron

Welcome Muriel Gray

Introducing the Foundation Jessica Morris, Chair Rt. Hon Gordon Brown MP Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Puttnam

Award Category Presented by Social Inclusion Lord PuttnamHealth & Social Care Nick Partridge OBETransport Christian WolmerConflict Resolution Terry Waite CBEConsumer Action Baroness Morgan of DrefelinEconomic Justice Winnie Ssanyu Seruma

Keynote Speaker Shami Chakrabati

Drinks and Canapés

Ends

Programme

19.15

20:45

21:30


Many of us feel powerless to influence decisions that affect people’s lives. The Home Office Citizenship Survey (2005) reported that less than a quarter of all adults believed they could influence decisions affecting the UK.

We believe that a strong society needs campaigners: people who question, challenge injustice, hold people in power accountable and fight for social change. People working in national organisations, at the grassroots, in business and across the public and voluntary sectors. Some of the most effective campaigns have worked across a number of fronts: mobilising large number of people, building coalitions of support and presenting strong intellectual evidence to underpin their arguments.

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation was established in February 2005 to broker relationships with key influencers and develop emerging campaigners in order to increase their overall impact on society. We will:

champion the right to campaign - by influencing policy developments that impact on the tactics that campaigners utilise to achieve change

develop potential - through our bespoke award scheme and access to decision makers, experts and people of influence

inspire change – by empowering individuals through the development of needs-based learning and training.

Reaching out to local campaigners and sharing experience is an integral part of our work. Our initial research has identified that grassroots campaigners, outside established networks, need greater support and advice around planning and executing campaigns.

The Sheila McKechnie Awards is our first programme of support to emerging campaigners. Award winners will receive tailored training and support, including shadowing, mentoring and one-to-one coaching. As well as developing specific programmes, the Foundation aspires to become a centre of good practise, resources and unique know-how on campaigning.

We have met with a groundswell of support from individual campaigners and organisations who will help us to deliver our wider support programme and improve the effectiveness of campaigning across the voluntary sector.

We hope campaigners will learn from us, we know we can learn from them.

Let’s make change happen.

The Sheila McKechnie FoundationFollowing Sheila’s memorial service in 2004, the founding group of Trustees (who knew Sheila and worked with her at the Architecture Foundation, the Consumers’ Association, the Foyer Federation and Shelter), presented a radical and innovative concept for a new organisation to take forward Sheila’s legacy. The Foundation was granted charitable status in February 2005. The Foundation’s five founding Patrons play a critical role.

Patrons: Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alan GrantRt Hon The Lord Howe of Aberavon, Kt CH QCThe Baroness Morgan of DrefelinJon Snow

Trustees: Jessica Morris,(Chair) Independent strategic communications consultant, former Head of Press at Shelter. Currently working with the Department of Health, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Shelter.Margaret Donnelly, Sheila’s Personal Assistant for 17 years, now Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive at Which?Jenny Gee, Independent Consultant, with over 20 years’ experience in marketing and fundraising. Former Director of Fundraising at ShelterCarolyn Hayman, Chief Executive of Peace Direct. Former Chief Executive of the Foyer Federation, of which Sheila was then a Trustee.Tanya Heasman, Director of System Concepts, Deputy Chair of Which? CouncilVaughan Lindsay, Chief Executive of the Dartington Hall Trust, former Director of Resources at Shelter. Formerly at McKinsey and Deputy Director of NCVO. Lindsay Mackie, Independent Education Consultant, formerly Director of Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award for Young People.Lucy Musgrave, Co-Director of General Public Agency. Formerly, Director of the Architecture Foundation of which Sheila was then a Trustee.Andrew Reading (Treasurer), Company Secretary, Which?Nick Stace, Director of Campaigns and Communications at Which? Gary Waller, member of Which? Council. Formerly, Conservative MP, 1979 – 1997, West Yorkshire constituencies.

Claire McMaster came on board as the Foundation’s first Chief Executive in July 2005, following a varied career in campaigning, fundraising, cause-related marketing and communications. She has a strong track record of managing campaigns demanding social justice, from the grassroots to an international level.

Social Inclusion fighting disadvantage and inequality


Judges:

Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE has worked extensively with black, minority ethnic and youth communities, as CEO of the Black Health Agency. She is currently the Strategic Advisor on Community Cohesion and Diversity at the Government Office for the Northwest. Evelyn chairs a number of key health and equality partnerships including the Central Manchester Primary Care Trust. She is a Commissioner for the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Paul Carbury – Regional Director, London and the South-East, Unltd

Jessica Morris – Chair, Sheila McKechnie Foundation

Adam Sampson is currently the Director of Shelter, having previously been the Deputy Director of Prison Reform Trust and Director of the addiction charity, RAPt. Adam has written, researched and broadcast widely on a range of social inclusion issues.

Nominees:

Sponsored by

Kierra Box – Hands UpKierra is an Oxford University student. She founded Hands-Up for Peace, a youth peace movement. She asked her friends and other young people to send card cut-outs of their own hands with the name, age and argument against the war in Iraq. She used internet promotion to secure 3,000 hands which were displayed on the day war broke out.

She is now involved in the Department of Health Sexual Advisory Group as a youth representative and the Young People Now Foundation.

Shelter believes everyone should have a home. We help more than 170,000 people a year fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. We also campaign for decent housing for all.

Jacqueline Grant – B:AutisticJacqueline lives in Birmingham and is the mother of a child with Austism. She has wide experience of voluntary and campaigning work. She co-founded B:Autistic for young people with autism aged 11-25.

Jacqueline believes that people with autism are often isolated, in part because there is lack of understanding of autism in wider society. The objective of B:Autistic is to give support to autistic young people to be included in all aspects of community life, embracing educational, social, employment, accommodation needs. In five years time she wants B:Autistic to be a haven of information and support.

Lucie Russell – Smart JusticeLucie is Director of Smart Justice. She began her career as a social worker and started the Big Issue magazine with John Bird in 1991. SmartJustice is a 5 year campaign based at the Prison Reform Trust that is focused on understanding the root causes of crime and promoting effective community solutions for non-violent offenders.

The campaign seeks to reach out to key sections of the media, such as radio phone-ins and the tabloid press in order to promote the case for community punishment for non-violent offenders.

Health and Social Care improving the quality of people’s lives


Judges:

Katie Cowan - Business Development Manager, Unltd.

Gordon Lishman CBE became Director General of Age Concern England (ACE) in 2000. He has worked for ACE since 1974, playing a key role in making Age Concern one of the UK’s largest charitable operations. He initiated the Ageing Well programme which for nearly 15 years has been promoting healthier lifestyles for older people and developed AC Training and Work as a national provider of training for care professionals and older people.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin has over 20 years experience as a campaigner; first at Shelter where she worked for Sheila, then in childcare and later in health. Delyth was the first Chief Executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer and is credited with orchestrating the high level of awareness and momentum behind the issue of Breast Cancer in the UK. Sheila was a hugely important role model for Delyth throughout her career.

Nick Stace - Trustee, Sheila McKechnie Foundation.Nominees:

Sponsored by

Susan Murray – Kirkintilloch Skatepark Initiative (KSI)Susan lives in Kirkintilloch in Glasgow. She is a marketing professional and volunteers for KSI. Susan began her campaign in an area with a poor health record, and with high levels of heart disease. She was concerned that her children would succumb to the poor diet and lifestyle of their peer group.

The campaign addresses this problem by seeking local authority support for new play facilities for children. She has lobbied a range of local politicians and the council has agreed to provide the site for a skatepark. Her campaign now has wider ambitions to secure local authority support for new facilities, such as a BMX track and a multi-sport area.

Age Concern is the UK’s largest organisation working with and for older people. Age Concern is campaigning against ageism and encouraging older people to claim their entitlements.

Emily Robinson – BLISSEmily is the first full time Campaigns Officer at BLISS, the premature baby charity. Her campaign objective is to secure government support for a policy where babies have the same level of intensive care nursing as children and adults.

Only 2% of neonatal units in the country can provide one to one nursing in intensive care for babies. She is campaigning for resources in order to recruit the extra nurses to provide this level of care. Her campaign argues that baby mortality rates increase when units are at full capacity and therefore there is a lack of nursing support to ‘go round’.

Zoe Thompson – Treating AutismZoe is a mother of two, one of whom has Asperger’s Syndrome. She was a Health Promotion Officer in the NHS until she gave up work to care for her six year old son, Philip, fulltime. Her campaign is focused on making biomedical treatments available within the NHS for autistic children.

The campaign points to the significant health gains of children with autism. Treating Autism also argues that research into autism is also woefully under-funded. The campaign plans to lead with the dissemination of research, contrasting the health condition of children pre and post-treatment.

Transportmeeting the transport challenges of our age


Judges:

Stephen Joseph OBE has been Executive Director of Transport 2000 since 1988. He has previously worked for a range of organisations, including the British Youth Council, the Civic Trust and the Town & Country Planning Association. He was awarded the OBE in 1996 for services to transport and the environment. In July 2004 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the National Transport Awards.

Vaughan Lindsay - Trustee, Sheila McKechnie Foundation.

Simon Norton is a mathematician at Cambridge University with a particular interest in sustainable transport. In particular he is coordinator of the Cambs & West Suffolk branch of Transport 2000, the national environmental transport campaign.

Nominees:

Sponsored by

Alison Miller – S.A.F.E Justice (Support Abroad for Equal Justice) FoundationAlison lives in West Yorkshire. She formed the S.A.F.E Justice Foundation following the death of her son in a road traffic accident in Spain five years ago. Due to legal and administrative complications within Spain she was unable to bring a prosecution against the parties involved in her son’s death.

She subsequently organised a campaign to persuade Foreign Office and consular services to provide information for British nationals abroad about the procedures they need to follow if they are affected by a road traffic accident abroad. This covers matter such as time limits, burial advice, criminal proceedings and re-patriation of the deceased.

Simon Norton

Dr Susie Morrow – Wandsworth Cycling CampaignSusie Morrow has been an active member of Friends of the Earth for many years. She works part time as a research development officer at the Wimbledon School of Art. She is campaigning to improve conditions for cycling, through education of all road users and enforcement of traffic law.

She wants to embed the idea of sustainable transport into planning. This would mean planners, as a matter of course, would have to address the needs of cyclists in the decision making process. The Wandsworth Cycling Campaign has already resulted in the introduction of cycle tracks across Wandsworth and Tooting Commons.

Conflict Resolution tackling the root causes of conflict


Judges:

Charlie Irvine is a serial optimist, recently appointed as Chair of Peace Direct. Founder and MD of Questions of Difference, Charlie is an unconventional social entrepreneur committed to developing partnering relationships in global business and community environments. Charlie relentlessly pursues his belief that everything is possible.

Lindsay Mackie – Trustee, Sheila McKechnie Foundation.

Terry Waite CBE has extensive international experience in development and conflict resolution projects, including humanitarian programmes throughout Africa. He has also negotiated the release of hostages held in the Middle East. His work resulted in his own captivity for four years in Lebanon. He has authored several books, one of which was an international best seller and lectures publicly on his experiences.

Nominees:

Sponsored by

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan – Women’s Network for Peace and FreedomZinthiya is currently reading for her PHD in Women and Conflict at the University of Loughborough.

Her campaign focuses on the conflict in Sri Lanka, the objective of which is to encourage the international community to pressurise the conflicting parties to enter negotiations on an equal basis. She also wants to empower Sri Lankan women so that they become equal partners in the reconstruction process. She argues that peace is an essential pre-condition for the advancement of women in Sri Lankan society.

Peace Direct supports grassroots peacebuilding in conflict areas.In every conflict, there are local people working for peace. Peace Direct funds their work, promotes it and learns from it.

Linda Ramsden – Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK (ICAHDUK)Linda is American and has been living in the UK since 1973.

She is Chair of ICAHD UK, which was formed in 2004. ICAHD UK lobbies the UK Government in support of a viable Palestinian two state solution. Her organisation also raises funds to support the rebuilding of Palestinian homes after they have been demolished by the Israeli military. She has sought to build a coalition with large organisations, like Amnesty International, Christian Aid and War on Want in support of her campaign goals.

ICAHD UK’s mission is to help mobilise civil society against the Israeli occupation and to target decision makers.

Tim Street – Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT)Tim is a graduate from University College London. Tim works on the University Clean Investment Campaign for CAAT to alert students and staff to the investment decisions which are made on their behalf by financial officers of colleges and universities.

He promotes the need for an ethical investment policy prohibiting arms company investments. Tim argues that the arms trade is a driver of civil and international conflict, breeds corruption and prevents sustainable development.

Consumer Action campaigning for quality, safety and affordability


Judges:

Gideon Lyons - Ventures Development Manager, Unltd.

Nick Stace - Trustee, Sheila McKechnie Foundation.

Julia Unwin OBE is the deputy chair of the Foods Standards Agency and a board member of the National Consumer Council. Working across the voluntary sector, local and central government and the private sector, Julia has a long track record in promoting and developing public interest in social policy.

Peter Vicary-Smith brings to the panel broad expertise on consumer issues as Chief Executive of Which? (formerly Consumers’ Association). Peter comes from a strong background in charity campaigning, with experience in business, fundraising and communications at Cancer Research UK, Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Oxfam.

Nominees:

Sponsored by

Jason Addy – Save Spodden ValleyJason has a law degree but currently campaigns full-time on asbestos related issues in Rochdale. He aims to achieve a change in the law so that brownfield sites are properly investigated with regard to the risks of asbestos. He is specifically campaigning about the asbestosis risks in Spodden Valley near Rochdale.

In May 2004 the asbestos factory site in Spodden Valley was sold to developers. Jason was concerned that the contractors were destroying the woodland around the factory site and he became a spokesperson to represent the community in challenging the development company.

Which? exists to make people as powerful as the organisations they have to deal with in their daily lives. Which? provides independent advice and active support to counter the morass of misleading information and bewildering choices that people face all the time. Which? also campaigns for change to end unfairness in the way some markets are structured and operate.

Claire Milne- The Food Poverty Project at SustainClaire has a background in international development, including three years working for the World Development Movement. Her campaign aims to persuade the Government to regulate supermarkets so that local independent retailers can return to the high street in order to promote healthy eating. She argues that the decline of local independent food retailers is a major contributory factor in the poor diet of many British households and that diet-related ill health costs the NHS £6 billion per annum. Her ambition is to mobilise on a pan-European basis in order to lobby governments.

Jackie Schneider – Merton Parents for Better Food in SchoolsJackie is a teacher but campaigns as a parent in her local borough of Merton, South London. She is campaigning to persuade her local council (and ultimately all local authorities) to provide healthy school meals. She wants to ensure that parents, health professionals and governors are involved in decisions about school meal provision. Most of her successes to date have been in primary schools although the campaign has received acknowledgement from the Merton Council that all school meals need to be improved.

Her campaign will focus on collection of evidence in relation to food diaries, photographs and governors’ visits, to develop a strong case for use in council meetings.

Economic Justice helping individuals and communities break the cycle of poverty


Judges:

Lord Best is Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a research-based charity which seeks to find solutions to social problems and which recognises the importance of powerful advocates in changing national policy. He is President of the Local Government Association and was a member of the Minister of Local Government’s Sounding Board from 2002-2005. He was made a life peer in 2001.

Lindsay Mackie - Trustee, Sheila McKechnie Foundation.

Stephen Pittam is the Trust Secretary at the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, responsible for the Power and Responsibility programme. Before joining JRCT in 1986 he spent 10 years in local government in London working closely with the voluntary sector supporting community development. Previous to this he worked in community development projects in Ireland, Jordan and the UK.

Patrick Shine -Development Manager, Unltd.Nominees:

Leila Deen – World Development Movement (WDM) Leila has a background in student political activism and currently works part time at WDM as well as being an active member of WDM’s Brighton branch. Her campaign focuses on the attempts by Western governments to force developing countries to privatise their water supplies, global debt cancellation and trade justice.

The trade justice element of her campaign aims to secure open access to European and American markets for developing countries’ products and an end to the export subsidies used by the US and the EU that help make their goods cheaper than those produced by poor countries.

Shane Lunga – Zimbabwe FuturesShane is Zimbabwean and is a scientist working in the civil service. He co-founded Zimbabwe Futures, an NGO focused on lobbying the British Government to provide the support package necessary to rebuild Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe currently faces high levels of poverty, hunger and economic collapse. Zimbabwe Future’s key focus is to lobby ministers on policies that will encourage skilled Zimbabweans to return to home, help tackle the country’s AIDS epidemic and revive the agricultural industry.

Christine Kahmann – Action Against Hunger UK (AAHUK)Christine gained her masters in International Development at the London School of Economics and is currently the Communications Officer at Action Against Hunger UK. She was recently responsible for establishing a new communication operation for the department. AAHUK raises awareness in the UK of the causes of hunger and seeks to alert the international community when food rights are violated.

Her communication department has sought to raise awareness of the food security situations in a wide range of countries, such as Niger, Sir Lanka, Mongolia and the Congo.

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is an independent, progressive organisation committed to funding radical change towards a better world. The JRCT makes grants to individuals and to projects seeking the creation of a peaceful world, political equality and social justice.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. It aims to better understand the causes of social difficulties and explore ways of overcoming them.

Key figures who have agreed to be mentors and provide support for the Award winners and nominees.

Supporters:Age ConcernAlan GrantAS Biss & CoBarrow Cadbury TrustBaring FoundationConcern WorldwideDartington Hall TrustJoel Joffe Charitable TrustJoseph Rowntree Charitable TrustJoseph Rowntree FoundationRuth & Stuart LiptonLloyds TSB FoundationPeace DirectFiona McKechnieRichard and Ruth RogersDoris Lockhart SaatchiSeb SchmollerShelterSimon NortonSystem ConceptsUnltdWhich?

Judges and Presenters Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE, Lord Best, Paul Carbury, Katie Cowan, Charlie Irvine, Stephen Joseph OBE, Gordon Lishman CBE, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, Simon Norton, Stephen Pittam, Adam Sampson, Patrick Shine, Julia Unwin OBE, Peter Vicary-Smith, Terry Waite CBE

Shami Chakrabarti, Muriel Gray, Lord Ouseley, Nick Partridge OBE, Lord Puttnam, John Rafferty, Winnie Ssanyu Seruma, Chrissy Townsend, Christian Wolmer

The King Centre for the image of Dr Martin Luther King Jr., license granted by the Intellectual Properties Management, Atlanta, Georgia, as exclusive licensor of the King Estate.

We would also like to thank the following organisations and people who have provided expertise and pro bono support:

CR Search and SelectionInnovisionTrimediaSouth Bank CentreYeast Gary Calton

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation would like to thank the following for their support and generosity:

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation2 Marylebone Road

LondonNW1 4DF

Phone: 020 7770 7822Email: [email protected]

the sheila mckechnie · july 2005, following a varied career in campaigning, fundraising,...

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