Rank Memorial Award Winners 2022

It is with great pleasure that we announce the winners of the Rank Memorial Award 2022.

The aim of the award is to create an opportunity to travel and explore a specific area of personal interest, relating to our work that will serve to inspire, educate or promote the interests, values or ethos of the Rank Foundation. Lord Rank regarded young people as ‘the seed corn of the future and the leaders of tomorrow’. As we celebrate 50 years of giving, the Rank Memorial Award will focus on young people’s leadership where it helps to reduce disadvantage in the future.  

This year, the award criteria focused on how the younger generation is improving their own future and the world around them. The selection committee awarded three grants: £5,500 each to Calum Johnston and Niamh Mawhinney, and £9,000 to Hayley Smallman.

Calum Johnston

Calum Johnston, Youth Worker at theGKexperience, will be travelling to Cape Town, South Africa, where he plans to spend six weeks with Waves for Change and Project Playground. Inspired by the work of both organisations, he wants to explore how they support young people experiencing poverty, trauma and disadvantage through sport, outdoor activities and community engagement.

By comparing their approaches with his own organisation’s work, Calum hopes to identify new ways to strengthen support for young people in Glasgow. He plans to bring these insights back to theGKexperience to further develop its Young Leaders programme and strengthen the long-term support it provides to young people across the city.

Niamh Mawhinney

Niamh Mawhinney, Project Coordinator at Media Trust and former Time to Shine leader at Young Citizens, will use her Rank Memorial Award to undertake a research project exploring youth leadership and community action in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Her journey will take her to Geneva, Switzerland, where she will meet with UN diplomats and youth leaders to learn how young people are involved in shaping international climate action. She will then travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, to visit youth-led organisations supporting disadvantaged communities and promoting climate action through grassroots initiatives.

Through the project, Niamh hopes to identify how young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds can be better supported to become leaders in climate action. She plans to share her learning with the Rank Network, the wider charity sector and local communities, helping organisations create more opportunities for young people to influence decision-making and drive positive change.

Hayley Smallman

Hayley Smallman is Gift & Donor Engagement Officer at Radio City Cash for Kids and a passionate advocate for disabled children and young people. Hayley will be heading to Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, and Harper’s Playground in Portland, Oregon – two pioneering organisations creating inclusive experiences for people of all abilities.

During her visit, she hopes to learn from their approaches to accessible play, community engagement, fundraising and creating more inclusive environments. By bringing these learnings back to the UK, Hayley hopes to share best practice with the charities and communities she works with, helping to inspire new approaches that make play, employment and everyday experiences more accessible.

We would like to congratulate Calum, Niamh, and Hayley on their successful applications, and we look forward to hearing from them during and after their travels.