Ashoka UK review 2016 Celebrating 10 years of Ashoka UK
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The Homeless World Cup, Amsterdam 2015 Grenada vs Ireland Ashoka Fellow Mel Young is using football to engage homeless people into programmes that assist them in changing their own lives. Photo: Alex Walker 22
Contents:
Introduction: About Ashoka
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Mapping the Global Network
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Showcasing our work between 2006 and 2016
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Venture: Searching for the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs
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The Fellowship: The Network at Work
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An International Hub for Fellowship
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Transforming the Experience of Education
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The UK Changemaker Schools
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Partnerships: Accelerating social impact through business partnerships
21
The Impact of Ashoka Fellows
23
Thanks to Our Supporters
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About Ashoka: Over the last 35 years Ashoka has been tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems from poverty to climate change, through selecting, building and supporting communities of changemakers to address these problems.
At the core of our work is the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs: the Ashoka Fellowship. This is a group of around 3,300 individuals operating projects in 89 countries and tackling pressing problems with an approach grounded in systemic change. In the UK we received 200 nominations to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2016, of these we elected 5 individuals leading to a total of 37 Ashoka UK Fellows.
With the leadership of our network of Ashoka Changemaker Schools we are working to ensure that every child is equipped with the experiences that enable them to be a changemaker, and take up their role in creating a fairer world. A fairer world is in the interests of citizens, but it’s in the interest of businesses too. Interconnected and escalating social problems are increasingly threatening the sustainability of businesses. We design innovative partnerships with businesses to help them move towards the integration of social impact within their core operations from supply chains to waste product. By working across sectors we mobilise social innovation and move towards a world in which everyone is empowered to create change.
To help our Fellows create systemic change we provide them with a variety of personal and strategic support. A financial valuation of the UK Fellowship revealed that the provision was worth £1.8m with a return on investment of 1:17. Ashoka Fellows are extraordinary changemakers but to solve broad and complex problems Ashoka recognises that we need to empower ordinary people to create change and live for a collective good.
This report marks the 10th anniversary of Ashoka UK, it provides a snapshot into the Venture, Fellowship, Educations and Business Partnership programmes operating within the UK and details their impact over the last 10 years.
Photo: RECLAIM
Living for the collective good begins in our education system, where Ashoka is seeking to create new learning ecologies. In the UK we have elected 15 Ashoka Changemaker Schools.
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Mapping the Global Network: AShoka UK: 16 37 15 2 37
300
270
84
Full time Staff Fellows Changemaker Schools Changemaker Campuses Ashoka Support Network Members
75
469
40
102
20
657 20
335
42
39
40
450
985
Fellowship:
Ashoka Support Network:
3268 fellows in 89 countries
400 Business Leaders in 22 countries
Changemaker Schools:
40 Local Country Offices
260 schools in 28 countries
Ashoka’s Global Partnerships
2
Showcasing our work between 2006 and 2016: 90
Ashoka was founded in the UK, operating from a shared space in the McKinsey offices.
The Ashoka team starts with 2 staff members.
More than International Staff visited the London Hub.
First cohort of 4 Ashoka Fellows are elected.
The Ashoka UK team reached 5 staff members.
Launched a partnership with Barclays.
The Ashoka UK Fellowship reaches 15 members.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
7 Ashoka Support Network
members founded the network: Launched Hogan Lovells partnership
Stephen Brenninkmeijer
Tim Church
Antony Dick
Edna Kissmann
Serge Kremer
Andrea Sinclair
Launch of the Arthur Guinness Project Partnership, to unlock the potential of social entrepreneurs working in local communities globally.
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More than International Fellows visited the UK in 2015 – 2016 from 26 different countries. Fabienne Serfaty
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Gathering of 250 changemakers for the Makers of More Summit with Arthur Guinness Projects – “Your idea, your community, your action.”
We reach a record of
923 entries to the
Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards.
We joined together with Unilever and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership to run the Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards.
Launched partnership with freuds PR to provide communications support to Ashoka Fellows and Changemaker Schools.
Launched a partnership with UBS to find the world’s best social innovators and support them through an acceleration programme.
Ashoka team reaches
10 staff members, with an additional 6
European and Global colleagues sharing the same office.
Forbes becomes a global content partner, carrying thought leadership from across Ashoka.
2013
2014
We began to work with Ben and Jerry’s on the ‘Join Our Core’ competition, searching for young social entrepreneurs, reaching 33 million people via social media.
2015
2016
The first cohort of 5 Ashoka Changemaker Schools are elected in the UK.
The European Hub starts operating from the UK office.
Ashoka UK launches the Changemaker School Programme.
We convened a GlobalizerX Summit in partnership with R. Bosch Stiftung and brought together 15 international Fellows challenged by 18 business and thought leaders for 2 days with Freuds PR and McKinsey&Co to tackle unemployment in Southern Europe.
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Launched partnership with freuds PR to provide communications support to Ashoka Fellows and Changemaker Schools.
The fellowship now consists of 37 social entrepreneurs, there are 15 UK based Changemaker Schools and 37 ASN members.
European Changemaker Schools Summit Staff, Changemaker Schools and Fellows co-developed our strategy and identified a set of critical paths to transforming education systems so that everyone has the opportunity to become a changemaker.
Venture: The search and selection of new Ashoka Fellows The Global Context: Ashoka searches the world for leading social entrepreneurs and elects them into our global fellowship. Ashoka office in 40 countries across the world receive nominations and from them select new cohorts of social entrepreneurs as ‘Ashoka Fellows’. Ashoka Fellows are elected against several criteria: whether they’ve had a new idea, entrepreneurialism, creativity, social impact and ethical fibre. They are selected at the tipping point of achieving systemic change and bring new game-changing innovations into our network.
The Local Context: Each year in the UK we receive hundreds of nominations for candidates, which are reviewed by the Venture team. At each stage in the process, candidates are assessed against our five core criteria. Fellows are selected based on a thorough selection process of screening & vetting, which can take up to 6 months.
Nomination: Ashoka UK receives nominations from social entrepreneurs themselves, the public, Ashoka staff, our Nominator Network of 250 individuals and the Venture Board, which brings together 15 leading experts in the field of social entrepreneurship. National Evaluation: The UK Venture team researches nominees, the problems they seek to address and the fields they work in. The team conducts a benchmark analysis, conducts reference checks to learn more about the entrepreneur, receives inputs from other related leaders in their field, conducts multiple interviews and does a site visit. International Evaluation: A senior Ashoka representative from outside the region interviews each candidate in-person, applying Ashoka’s criteria, probing the candidate’s life history, and relying on his or her deep understanding of social entrepreneurship to determine whether candidates meet the above criteria. Selection Panel: Following the second opinion interview, a panel comprised of sector leaders and other members of the Ashoka Network assess the candidate. Board Approval: The final step is an approval by Ashoka’s Board in Washington DC.
Finding the UK’s best social entrepreneurs - A snapshot:
A network of
250
A Venture board of 12
individual nominators
leading sector organisations
200
5 fellows selected in 2016
candidates for fellowship nominated annually
5
Fellows elected per year: 37
Paul Sinton-Hewitt
Patrick Holden
Parkrun
Sustainable Food Trust
36 35 34 33
Fredrik Galtung
Kelly Davies
Simon Berry
Dame Esther Rantzen
Integrity Action
Vi-ability
ColaLife
The Silver Line
Michael Sani
Tristram Stuart
John Bird
Bite the Ballot
Feedback
The Big Issue
32 31 30 29 28 27
Mel Young
Andrea Coleman
James Bevan
Homeless World Cup
Riders for Health
Conflict Armament Research
Ruth Ibegbuna
Alexander McLean
Oren Yakobovich
Reclaim
African Prisons Project
Videre
26 25 24 23 Number of Fellows
22 21
James Thornton
Rufus Pollock
Charlie Howard
Client Earth
Open Knowledge Foundation
MAC-UK
Emma-Jane Cross
Jane Davis
The BB Group
The Reader Organisation
20 19 18 17
Chris Underhill
Shauneen Lambe
Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
Basic Needs
Just for Kids Law
Patients Know Best
16 15
Philip Conway
Mark Johnson
Annys Darkwa
14
Cool 2 Care
Uservoice
Vision Housing
13
Ken Banks
Karen Mattison
kiwanja.net
TimewiseJobs
12 11 10 9
Nick Sireau
Lily Lapenna
SolarAid
MyBnk
8 7
Tom Steinberg
Rob Hopkins
Junior Smart
mysociety.org
Transition Towns
St Giles Trust (SOS Massive Project)
6 5 4 3 2
Faisel Rahman
Bob Paterson
Fair Finance
Community Land Trusts
Alasdair Harris
Camila Batmanghelidjh
Blue Ventures
Kids Company
1 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 Year 6
2013
2014
2015
2016
What is the distribution of Ashoka fellows across fields globally?
Case Study: Our Venture Board In 2012 we created the venture board to receive high level nominations from partner organisations. Over the years we recruited 24 members and received 55 nominations. Out of these 55 candidates 20 were shortlisted and 11 became Ashoka Fellows.
Civic Participation 15%
Our venture board is made up of leading organisations in the field of social entrepreneurship:
Education 26% Environment 8%
Human Rights 5%
Health 19% Economic Development 27%
“The selection process itself often helps candidates to reflect on their systems-changing ideas. Many did not consider themselves as social entrepreneurs and benefit from being given this identity and community.� Elena Gibson Venture ASN and Thought Leadership Senior Manager, Ashoka UK
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Photo: Moira Malone 8
The Fellowship: The Network at Work: Enabling entrepreneurs to change systems and lead us into a world in which everyone can be a Changemaker Delivering Impact Across 5 Key Areas Through Lifelong Support:
Peer-to-peer community • Retreats, dinners • Connections to 3300 Fellows 2 annual retreats and on going connections provided valuable support: expanding networks, sharing resources, formal and informal mentoring.
Network access
Visibility
Transformative skills
Time and Investment • Stipend • Hybrid Finance Initiative • Connections to funding partners
• ASN advisory work • Networking events • Connections to partners, global corporations and philanthropists
• Social media outreach • Media partners and Media influencers connections • Speaking opportunities
• Workshops and accelerator programmes • Access to our pro bono partners • Personal coaching
Made more than 100 connections leading to: collaboration, funding, visibility, expansion, restructuring, etc.
Over 50 Fellows gain media exposure annually and dozens give keynote speeches at events organised or connected by Ashoka.
Several Fellows are receiving personal coaching every year and at any point in time the majority are receiving help from our pro bono partners.
MEASURING THE MONETARY VALUE GENERATED BY THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME IN 1 YEAR:
We have channelled more than £7.5 million in funding to our Fellows.
10% ASN Support
Wherever possible and sensible, a monetary value was determined for each activity. Time investments were multiplied by an average consultancy rate. Financial support includes income from Ashoka facilitated connections. The return on investment is a ratio of the costs of running the Fellowship programme versus the total value of support generated.
58% Financial Support
11 PRO BONO PARTNERS ARE SUPPORTING AND WORKING WITH ASHOKA UK FELLOWS:
£1.8m Total Value of Support FY16
1:17 Return on Investment
Boehringer Ingelheim, freuds, Rothschild, Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Hogan Lovells, TrustLaw, McKinsey, AlphaSights, Egon Zehnder, Creative Leadership Consultants, Cristina Escallon.
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20% Pro Bono Partners
TIMELINE: 93% of surveyed UK Fellows agreed that Ashoka helped them progress towards systemic change 37 Fellows Ashoka UK incorporated
70% of the UK Fellows are thought leaders in their field
First Partner joined
59% are impacting at an international level 2006
2008
2016
68% have influenced public policies
First Fellows elected
57% have influenced other organisations or seen their work replicated by others
11 pro bono partners
Case Study Faisel Rahman OBE, Fair Finance Elected in 2008 Fair Finance first launched in London in 2005. It offers a range of financial products and services designed to meet the needs of people who are financially excluded.
Visibility Faisel is elected as Ashoka Fellow Time Ashoka’s stipend allows Faisel to focus on his vision
Access to network and skills Faisel works with ASNs on his business model and creates for-profit structures
Access to network and investments ASN broker introduction to 3 major banks securing £2m of commercial investment. It is the first microfinance transaction in the UK
Visibility Awarded Young Global Leader after Ashoka nomination
Access to transformative skills Pro Bono McKinsey consultants provide scaling advice and help Faisel with FF’s 5-year strategy
ASHOKA’S EFFECT FAISEL’S IMPACT
2008
• 352 personal loans provided in the year • 2 branches open in East London
2009
2010
• Fair Finance is replicated in Italy • 400 residents saved from eviction through money advice and debt counselling
• Fair Finance is replicated in Australia • Fair Money Advice helps 1,000 per annum avoid eviction and repay debts
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2014/2015 • FF approves over 18,000 loans for £15m • 5,000 residents avoid eviction Build a European network for microfinance to lobby policy makers
An international Hub for Fellowship:
Karen Spencer | Whole Child International Nicaragua | Human Rights Karen is filling the gap in care for orphans and vulnerable children by working with childcare institutions and orphanages worldwide to implement countrywide collaborations and unified strategies across childcare systems.
Supporting the global network on a local level Linzi Smith | Education, Training & Counselling South Africa | Health
Christian de Boisredon | Sparknews France | Education
Linzi convinces factories to incorporate HIV/ AIDS education into their worker training programmes and employment policies.
Christian is incentivizing the first global community of leading editors-in-chief to focus on solutions in the media, versus the traditional focus on failures and problems.
Tamzin Ractliffe | Greater Good South African Trust South Africa | Inclusion
Yuyun Ismawati | BaliFOKUS Indonesia | Environment
Building on SIE Fellow Celso Grecco’s model, Tamzin has created a web-based social investment exchange platform to connect high impact citizen sector organizations to investors.
Yuyun Ismawati is developing a viable model of community-based solid waste management that both halts environmental degradation caused by improper practices and provides a practical, replicable plan.
Anil Patil | Carers Worldwide India | Human Rights
International Fellows replicating in the UK
Anil is drawing attention to the emotional, social and economic challenges that carers face in developing countries. Muzvare Hazviperi Betty Makoni | Girl Child Network Zimbabwe | Education
Bart Weetjens Christian Vanizette Claire Nouvian Craig Kielburger Gary Slutkin Guilhem Cheron Jack Sim James Whelton Janet Longmore John Marks John Mighton Lesley Ann Van Selm Lucas Simons Luke Dowdney Madhav Chavan Marc Kielburger Matthew Flannery Mary Gordon Michael Kelly Nicole Rycroft Rodrigo Baggio Ron Layton Runa Khan Sascha Haselmayer Sebastian Claro Shai Reshef Sylvia Reyes Thorkil Sonne Vickie Cammack Wendy Koop
Betty is building a new generation of strong, active women citizens by creating safe spaces for girls to grow and connect with each other. Vickie Wambura Wamonje | Nafisika Trust Kenya | Criminal Justice Vickie is unlocking the potential of ex-prisoners and reducing their rate of recidivism by redefining the role of prisons as safe spaces for reformation. Christie Peacock | Sidai Africa LTD Kenya | Economic Development Christie has established a national network of Livestock Service Centers managed by franchises that provide reliable access to affordable and high-quality products and services for livestock farmers. Sharath Jeevan | STIR Education India | Education Through local “teacher innovator networks”, Sharath launched an international movement of teacher changemakers who are innovating and influencing others to spread best practice in teaching.
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APOPO MakeSense Bloom Free the Children Cure Violence Food Assembly World Toilet Organisation CoderDojo DOT Search for Common Ground JUMP Khulisa Child Nuturing SCOPEinsight Fight for peace Pratham Free the Children Kiva Roots of Empathy Grow it Yourself Canopy Planet CDI Light Years IP Friendship UK Living Labs Global Emprediem University of the People JUCONI Specialisterne Tyze Teach for All – Teach First
Belgium France France USA USA France Singapore Ireland Canada USA Canada South Africa Netherlands Brazil India Canada USA Canada Ireland Canada Brazil USA Bangladesh Denmark Chile Canada Ecuador Denmark Canada USA
International fellowship in the UK What we offer
Access to our pro bono partners
Connections to Fellows, Schools, Staff and network
Logistical support and working space
Media exposure opportunities
Event management support
Since 2014 ...
36 102 22 11 35
Fellows came for an Ashoka event Fellows attended the Skoll World Forum and met with Bill Drayton Fellows benefited from communications and media support in the form of tweets, videos, podcasts, articles & speaking opportunities Fellows participated in the GlobalizerX programme and attended the accelerator summit in London Fellows benefited from networking events and UK connections: Ashoka staff, pro bono or sector partners, foundations, UK Fellows, ASN, etc.
Vishal Talreja, India to London Vishal is a former investment banker and venture capitalist who has built a network of volunteers that offers vulnerable children opportunities to increase their chances for normal childhood development. He was elected an Ashoka Fellow in India in 2005.
Connections within the network
Visibility & Networking An event featuring Vishal was held at Nido Student Living, attended by both Ashoka and Nido. Vishal was in touch with Nido after the event to co-ordinate volunteering placements for students.
During his first visit in 2013 we introduced Vishal to The Agarwal Foundation. In October 2014 they committed to support Dream A Dream with an annual funding of £20,000 for 3 years. In 2014, we set up an appointment with Hogan Lovells who is now providing legal support to Vishal’s entity in the UK. In 2016, UK ASN joined his film screening event.
Meet the team “The meeting with Hogan Lovells was excellent. They agreed to provide pro bono support to us. I am connecting them to our UK Board.” Vishal Talreja, India
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Vishal used our office space and met the UK team for us to understand his particular needs in depth and broker connections to the network.
34 Fellows creating systemic change in 7 different sectors: Inclusion
Criminal Justice
Youth
Health
Technology
Environment
Ruth Ibegbuna | Reclaim Elected in 2014 Helping young people from working class backgrounds to lead the change they want to see in their local community and thereby working towards ending leadership inequality. Lily Lapenna | MyBnk Elected in 2010 Run by young people for young people, MyBnk delivers financial education whilst also running high-energy workshops on bank ethics and enterprise-building.
Human Rights
John Bird | The Big Issue Elected in 2015 John has pioneered the idea of ‘a hand up rather than a hand out’ by empowering homeless people to earn a legitimate income by selling a high quality product.
Michael Sani | Bite The Ballot Elected in 2015 Bridging the gap between politics and youth by engaging young citizens through workshops and interactive educational games Ken Banks | Kiwanja / Means Of Exchange Elected in 2011 Devoted to the application of mobile technology for positive social and environmental change in the developed and developing world.
Jane Davis | The Reader Elected in 2013 Redefining the role that reading aloud can play in improving mental health, community and wellbeing through bringing small groups together to read books and poems.
Rufus Pollock | Open Knowledge Elected in 2013 Enabling access to key information and providing the tools and training to teach the public how to turn that data into knowledge.
Karen Mattison | Timewise Jobs Elected in 2011 Changing the public perception of the status of part-time work by creating high quality parttime employment across all sectors and salary brackets.
Tom Steinberg | mySociety Elected in 2009 Using the Internet to remove barriers to civic participation in politics and making democracy meaningful, accessible and effective in addressing citizens’ needs.
Faisel Rahman | Fair Finance Elected in 2008 Easing access to financial services for the most disadvantaged by ensuring access to products and services fit for low-income individuals.
James Bevan | Conflict Armament Research Elected in 2014 Tracking the international trade routes of illicit weapons by collecting first-hand data on small arms and ammunition.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt | parkrun Elected in 2016 Breaking down barriers to physical activity while simultaneously encouraging community cohesion, parkrun empowers and equips volunteers to organise free weekly 5k runs in over 12 counties.
Fredrik Galtung | Integrity Action Elected in 2015 Integrity Action works to build institutions that promote openness and are responsive to their citizens’ needs.
Mel Young | Homeless World Cup Elected in 2014 Uses a global football competition to inspire homeless people to change their own lives and to transform how homeless people are viewed.
Esther Rantzen | ChildLine / The Silver Line Elected in 2015 Pioneered the world’s first free and confidential 24/7 child helpline. Empowering children to voice abuse Esther has changed public debate as well as policy on child protection.
Kelly Davies | Vi-Ability Elected in 2015 Engaging unemployed local youth to reenergise run-down sports clubs and turn them into sustainable community hubs.
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Oren Yakobovich | Videre Est Credere Elected in 2014 A global network equipping oppressed communities in hard-to-access areas with technology and training to effectively expose human rights violations.
Charlie Howard | MAC UK / TIM Elected in 2013 Providing “Streetherapy” to young gang members by taking mental health work out of the clinic and onto the streets to make it accessible to excluded young people.
Annys Darkwa | Vision Housing Elected in 2011 Making Housing accessible for prisoners upon their release by building links with private sector landlords.
Nick Sireau | SolarAid / Findacure Elected in 2010 Having initially set up SolarAid providing solar lights to some of the most remote regions of the world, Nick is now raising awareness and driving research into curing fundamental diseases.
Mark Johnson | User Voice / Cando Coffee Elected in 2011 Giving offenders and service users a voice in the design of the criminal justice system to meaningfully impact the services affecting them.
Chris Underhill | BasicNeeds Elected in 2012 Enabling people with mental illness in developing countries to live and work successfully by allowing them to earn a living after they have received community-based treatment.
Shauneen Lambe | Just For Kids Law Elected in 2012 Reframing the way in which the UK criminal justice system interacts with children by moving away from their stigmatisation towards positive intervention.
Alasdair Harris | Blue Ventures Elected in 2008 Developing transformative approaches for sustaining locally run Marine Protected Areas which benefit the economies of local communities.
Alexander McLean | African Prisons Project Elected in 2014 Working to restore dignity and hope in prisons across Kenya and Uganda by giving prisoners and prison staff access to education, health and justice.
Patrick Holden | Sustainable Food Trust Elected in 2016 Patrick is catalysing and creating methodologies that incentivize everyone – from farmers to food retailers to be part of the solution towards sustainable food systems.
Junior Smart | SOS Project Elected in 2009 A tailor-made mentoring programme led by exoffenders who work with prisoners both before and after their release in order to lower the re-offending rate.
Rob Hopkins | Transition Network Elected in 2009 Aims to reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on oil by training and inspiring communities to take action to live in a more sustainable world.
Mohammad Al-Ubaydli Patients Know Best | Elected in 2012 Empowering patients to take control of their own medical records through an online platform enabling them to access and share the information.
Tristram Stuart | Feedback Elected in 2015 Campaigning at every level of the food system by engaging stakeholders in the value chain to change society’s attitude towards wasting food.
Simon Berry | ColaLife Elected in 2015 Inspired by Coca Cola’s access to last mile markets, Simon catalysed the private market to play a role in healthcare, distributing lifesaving diarrhea treatments to hospitals as well as corner shops.
James Thornton | ClientEarth Elected in 2013 Building a network of politically neutral legal experts who design and advocate for enforceable science-backed environmental policies whilst holding all major stakeholders to account.
Andrea Coleman | Riders for Health Elected in 2014 Managing vehicles and providing training to build local capacity for highly skilled technicians to service vehicles that are used in the delivery of healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.
The following fellows are currently inactive: Camila Batmanghelidjh, Emma-Jane Cross, Phil Conway, Bob Paterson.
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Transforming the Experience of Education: The Global Context:
The Local Context:
In order to tackle social and environmental problems on the scale that the world demands we need to organise differently, small groups of elite decision-makers aren’t enough anymore. Ashoka believes that we need to equip and empower every young person with the capacity and drive to make change for the better- whether in their family, community, or across the whole world.
Launched in 2013, Ashoka UK’s Education programme aims to influence the UK’s education system, to transform the experience of growing up for young people. Ashoka UK hopes to create a learning eco-system that helps every young person prepare better for the world they are going into, from learning new skills to understanding their role in working for a better world. This involves transforming the way that young people are educated, and working with all the groups that effect the way that young people grow up. To lead this we have elected 15 Changemaker Schools, organisations that place this mission at the heart of their work. We are working with them to influence different elements of the education system around the UK.
41% of Changemaker Schools surveyed attributed their influence to the Ashoka Network, and associated networking opportunities
Key Impact to Date: Education - A snapshot in numbers: Supported Ashoka Changemaker Schools to with training
250 nominated schools in the UK
Facilitated free or discounted opportunities for UK Changemaker Schools with:
15 Changemaker Schools
• PYE Teacher Training • Future First Global Alumni Engagement programme • Whole Education membership
elected in the UK
Increasing the influence through international recognition for schools
267 Changemaker School globally
Nominated UK Changemaker Schools for multiple awards and recognitions:
1385 social
• Global Teacher Prize – two Ashoka Changemaker Schools had staff selected in the top 50 • HundrED Initiative • Teach A Man to Fish Social Enterprise competition
entrepreneurs working with young people
15
Building international community of educational influencers
Developing thought leadership in the education space
Tristram Hunt MP
“When we think about how we have to educate our young people for a hyper-connected increasingly globalized world, and the demands it will make on them as citizens, individuals and prospective wealth creators it is absolutely clear that some of the traditional industrial models of schooling are not going to provide that.”
Sir Ken Robinson
“We live in a world that’s growing very quickly in terms of population, which is producing great strains on the environment. It’s producing enormous cultural pressures, it’s changing the economic landscape, we don’t know if we can continue for long this way so the issues of sustainability and new forms of economic practice we need to develop and the world’s becoming more complicated in all sorts of ways. The capacity for new thinking and for turning old ideas into new applications has really never been more important, and I think our kids ought to recognize how deep their capacities for creativity are.”
Andreas Schleicher
“The world is becoming increasingly ambiguous, increasingly volatile. The big change I see today is that, it’s no longer enough to teach people something…you need to have this kind of compass, and the navigation skills that tell you what is right? What is wrong? Where do I go? How do I, not learn for a job but… create my job?” Lord Jim Knight
“To me, it is entirely logical that if we are going to embrace a future that is much more human, much more empathetic much more integrated and interactive. [A future] where value is created by new knowledge, rather than regurgitation of old knowledge, then schooling has to change.”
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Ashoka UK Changemaker Schools: In the UK we have elected 15 Changemaker
Changemaking Initiatives:
Schools as part of a growing network of
• The school runs the VocalEyes programme - a studentled digital forum to discuss and lead to implementation school and community improvement ideas; • ‘New Deal Pioneer’ initiative - training newly qualified teachers and aspiring school leaders; • The school leads the Studio Innov8 project – an initiative to share best practices among Welsh schools on the new national education network, Hwb.
hundreds. These schools have already realised what their role in creating an Everyone a Changemaker world is and they continuously innovate and empower their pupils to be agents of change.
Barrowford Primary School, Lancashire Barrowford School’s mission “Learn to Love, Love to Learn” is reflected in their Rounded and Grounded curriculum. By emphasising the social, emotional, and metacognitive aspects of learning, the curriculum helps develop ‘softer’ skills as a route to attainment. They use a restorative approach to deal with behaviour issues. Changemaking Initiatives:
Carlogie Primary School, Scotland
• Works to develop an individual sociogram for each student. • Runs a school charity to engage students in community activities - Pendle Helping Hands. • Provides staff with a space for developing students’ social, emotional skills and literacy - the ‘Nurture Room.’
Social justice shapes Carlogie Primary School’s ethos and internal atmosphere, underpinning the way in which students, staff and the wider community interact with one another. The golden thread that has woven all of this together is the school’s identity as a Fairtrade School, where students and staff engage in learning opportunities that develop solidarity and understanding. Fairlogie Café is the school’s fairtrade café in which every student gets involved. Changemaking Initiatives: • Playground Buddies - trained students in restorative conflict resolution approach; • Carlogie’s Smiley Savers Bank Tellers project – a student-run credit union support; • The school is one of the biggest hubs for deaf students in the region, running numerous initiatives including a student deaf choir.
Cadoxton Primary School, Wales Cadoxton Primary School is a community school with an ambitious vision for the future of education captured in its motto – “Learning and Growing Together, Being our Best Forever”. In this school the drive for collaboration and innovation is almost infectious as students, teachers, parents and the wider community work together in powerful and exciting ways. Despite being at the heart of an area with high levels of deprivation, the school is at the forefront of integrating digital technology into education and it is a leader for the new changes in the Welsh National Curriculum.
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Dragon School, Oxford
Matthew Moss High School, Rochdale
Dragon School recognizes that its students are likely to be influential. They are cultivating a generation of empathetic leaders by mobilising children’s natural curiosity and generosity of spirit. They engage every student to participate in social impact activities and become a visionary for the future of beneficial social transformation. Social impact principles are embedded across all subjects.
Matthew Moss High School facilitates social and emotional development alongside academics. They believe in students’ life-long and independent learning, meaningful contribution to society and exposure to systems thinking. They uphold a unique learning agenda through learner-led classrooms in which students co-construct their learning experiences. Changemaking Initiatives:
Changemaking Initiatives: • Implements a project-based curriculum in which students pursue independent learning on a subject - My World. • Implements a programme based on the belief that a more abstract academic language should be used Breakthrough to Learning. • Uses the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) to incorporate seven aptitudes: Learning Relationships, Changing and Learning, Critical Curiosity, Creativity, Strategic Awareness, Resilience and Making Meaning.
• Organises student activities related to environmental sustainability – Green Dragons. • Runs a whole school social enterprise – the Dragons Café. • Implements a two-phase, co-curricular program in which students engage with social entrepreneurship and philanthropy – the Governors’ Challenge.
Studio School, Liverpool Millfields Community School, London
Operating in a different way from other schools, Studio School Liverpool focuses on equipping young people with the skills, knowledge and practical experience they need to succeed both in life and work. The school specializes in media, gaming and digital marketing and delivers these through Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. The Liverpool Studio School is part of the larger Studio Schools network.
Millfields has been an UNICEF beacon, Rights Respecting School since 2004. They are diverse in terms of ethnical and cultural backgrounds. Forty-percent of students don’t speak English. They have specialist provisions for special educational needs, autism spectrum disorder and physical disabilities. They promote healthy living through Bike To School, Skip To Be Fit and lunches recognized by Jamie Oliver.
Changemaking Initiatives:
Changemaking Initiatives:
• The school’s curriculum is based on the CREATE framework (Communication, Relating to people, Enterprise, Applied skills, Thinking skills and Emotional intelligence); • A personalised learning plan and a ‘personal coach’ for every student; • A Digital Studio Programme focused on solving industry challenges and developing digital entrepreneurial skills.
• Supports students’ language abilities - partnered with the Hackney Speech and Language Therapy Team. • Holds thematic learning weeks on topics including democracy, the arts, and speaking and listening.
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Sands School, Devon
Sidcot School, Somerset
Sands School is a self-governed, independent school that is co-created by children and adults. They are based on a democratic ideology (everyone has an equal say). Pupils and staff share all decisions from curriculum direction and staff recruitment to finances. Students pursue their interests and choose when they want to study and sit exams. Day-to-day running of the school and key decision making processes are made in a weekly “School Meeting”.
“Live Adventurously” is the mission statement at Sidcot School. This saying translates into an approach that encourages individual thought, questioning and exploration. The school’s education is as much about nurturing the spirit as it is about outstanding academic success. There is a real sense of community and connection, which looks beyond the traditional hierarchy of the school to see all its members as individuals.
Changemaking Initiatives:
Changemaking Initiatives:
• Addresses problems with students or staff through an entire school community discussion. • Encourages close relationships between students and staff – there is no staff room. • Re-introduces practical life and entrepreneurship skills through project-based learning – student-run pop up restaurant.
• The school runs a Centre for Peace and Global Studies; • The school has developed an unique version of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum embedding the core Quaker values; • A yurt village within the ‘peace fields’ as an alternative environment for student immersion.
School21, London
Spinney Primary School, Cambridge
School21’s approach is rooted in attributes to success – expertise (mastering the basics of learning), professionalism (being ready to learn), eloquence (finding your voice), grit (overcoming set-backs), spark (creating new things) and craftsmanship (making beautiful work). They focus on circular learning and one-to-one coaching. Students engage in real world learning through hands-on projects.
The Spinney School’s mission is “Teaching and Learning Together” and to develop the child intellectually, academically, physically, socially, emotionally, culturally and morally. They focus on exposing students to useful and purposeful environments, open channels of communication and empathic relationships. They encourage students to make human, mental and emotional connections through reading and writing.
Changemaking Initiatives: Changemaking Initiatives: • Implements a unique oracy curriculum focusing on the vitality of spoken communication – Voice21. • Encourages students to create, pitch and organize social change campaigns and projects – Project Unity. • Revises its curriculum every 6 weeks to account for project-based learning initiatives – for example, building an installation representing the First World War.
• Maintains a cross-sector partnership with arts organisations, schools, the Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council - My Cambridge. • Uses LEGO therapy to support pupils with special needs. • Participates in Cambridgeshire wide collaborative, literacy projects - The Big Read and Write.
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Stanley Park High School, London
UWC Atlantic College, Wales
Stanley Park High School implements a project-based curriculum that focuses on learning outcomes and impact. Learning is experiential, enquiry based, practical and related to real life. It takes place outside the classroom in custom-made spaces. In addition to exams results, students are encouraged to develop their ambition, commitment, resilience and perseverance, imagination and creativity, initiative and self-motivation, and optimism.
UWC Atlantic College is the first of 14 United World Colleges around the world and a co-creator of the International Baccalaureate. They bring together diverse youth from over 90 countries to begin a lifelong pursuit of peace and social justice through dialogue, radical engagement and positive action. It focuses on social action, inter-cultural understanding and international participation. Changemaking Initiatives:
Changemaking Initiatives: • Requires that students enroll in one community service faculty: Global, Social Justice, Environmental or Outdoor. • Organises multiple extra-curricular conferences including outside speakers and workshops on, for example, sustainability, human interaction, or peace and conflict. • Offers financial support for students to implement their own social projects internationally – GoMAD.
• Fosters relationships between students and teachers by splitting the school into four “Small Schools.” • Pioneers the Excellent Futures Curriculum (EFC) to expose Year 7 and 8 students to REAL (Rigorous, Engaging, Authentic, Learning) world learning. • Runs a direct mentoring programme between classmates through small vertical tutor groups - Ballot Street Spice.
Torriano School, London Victoria Park Primary Academy, Birmingham
Torriano Primary School sits at the heart of a diverse and multicultural neighbourhood in inner city London. The children, staff, parents, and community come from a range of ethnic backgrounds and a high number of students have a statement of special educational needs. All aspects of the school and its ethos are based on the UNICEF’s ‘Convention of the Rights of the Child’ (UNCRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals). This framework provides students and staff with a ‘window on the world’ - a global focus on the broader events and changes that are shaping humankind.
Victoria Park Academy believes in implementing revolutionary education to achieve systemic change. Their approach focuses on social entrepreneurship. They also challenge their pupils to experience the two phases of learning – confusion and clarity. VPA is an accredited De Bono Thinking School and has partnered with RIO (Real Ideas Organisation) to create a tailored social enterprise curricular. Changemaking Initiatives:
Changemaking Initiatives:
• Implements the NICER© curriculum - challenge-based learning journey incorporating the Now, Independence, Creativity, Enterprise and local Region. • Uses the TASC wheels (Think Actively in a Social Context) in lessons. • Runs a whole school social enterprise.
• “Who do I want to be?” is the fundamental question that communicates the school ethos, • Torriano is a beacon UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School and as such embeds Article 12 of the Convention in all aspects of school life, • The school is an Expert Centre for the new Global Learning Programme (GLP) for England.
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Partnerships: ACCELERATING SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS Mobilising business to act as an agent for change The Global Context:
The Local Context:
We believe in the power of partnerships, and see collaboration as the optimum model for enacting change. Business as a force of good is at the forefront of Ashoka’s vision. We work with strategic partners across the world to co-create solutions for a better world. Going beyond traditional CSR models, we connect businesses with social innovators, sharing knowledge and resources and providing thought leadership across industries. Through employee engagement and collaboration, we are creating a world where everyone can thrive as a changemaker.
The UK is the centre for numerous global partnerships as well as on-going local projects. Working with corporate partners we create impact in a range of ways, including direct support to Ashoka Fellows and Ashoka Changemaker Schools, creating communities of social innovators and conducting research and writing thought leadership on new approaches to pressing issues. Over the last year our projects have varied from running international competitions with Unilever to find innovators working on the global goals, to connecting Tristram Stuart with freuds PR to launch Toast Ale, a project making beer from waste bread to raise awareness around food waste.
Over the last decade, our business partners have worked with us by: Providing Pro-bono support for our
Engaging employees as Changemakers
Fellows and Schools in coaching,
and co-creating solutions for a
expertise, branding, finance, legal
better world
and communications Impact in Action: Hogan Lovells
Impact in Action: Boehringer Ingelheim
Hogan Lovells is a leading international law firm providing legal advice to dozens of our Fellows globally.
Boehringer Ingelheim is a pharmaceutical company with a reputation for innovation. Aligning with their core business, BI joined Ashoka in 2011 to create ‘Making More Health’, a global health initiative promoting health innovation. Together with BI, we elected over 60 Fellows with health solutions globally and launched online competitions that sourced health Changemakers, positioning BI as a thought leader in the field. We connected BI employees with social entrepreneurs to co-create projects and help scale these innovations and launched an online course on Social Intrapreneurship: Innovation for Health and Wellness.
Since 2010, Hogan Lovells and Ashoka have collaborated to launch a Hybrid Finance Initiative that supports Fellows in developing new financial offerings and operating models. Hogan Lovells employees provide pro bono legal support to Fellows, and can access a series of Ashoka-led workshops which is a unique employee development opportunity. Ashoka have helped spread their BASE Academy for employees across countries. Through collaborating on innovative financial models, Hogan Lovells gains experience in the social impact space, engaging with new trends and drawing innovative learnings.
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Spearheading thought leadership
Running competitions to help
events to showcase outstanding
innovators bring their system-
social innovations (UBS)
changing ideas to life
Impact in Action: UBS
Impact in Action: Unilever
UBS is a global firm providing financial services in over 50 countries. UBS believe their clients can do well by doing good – that social investments can be profitable investments.
Unilever is a consumer goods company with a strong vision for social impact through their Sustainable Living Plan. For three years running, Ashoka and Unilever have partnered to launch the ‘Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards’. The annual Awards, run in partnership with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, source, celebrate and support the world’s leading young innovators working in sustainability. A cohort of 7 finalists receive a cash prize, mentoring and support from Unilever and CISL to help them take their projects to the next level. Through this partnership, Ashoka have connected with over 2000 young entrepreneurs in over 100 countries on 6 continents, building a strong pipeline of sustainable innovation for the business.
Photo: Patrick Holden
The UBS Social Innovators Program, a partnership between UBS and Ashoka is collectively contributing to a new way of thinking about finance that will enable social entrepreneurs to flourish. In the pilot year of the programme, UBS and Ashoka have attracted over 1200 applicants, providing in-person support, mentoring and guidance to a global cohort of 36 social entrepreneurs, and offering 12 space on a bespoke designed social investment accelerator, grant funding and the opportunity to present their businesses at the UBS Global Philanthropy Forum.
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The impact of Ashoka Fellows:
ALASDAIR HARRIS
BLUE VENTURES | Elected in 2008 www.blueventures.org
Showcasing social change from some of our Fellows across different sectors
THE IDEA Today, at least 500 million people worldwide depend on socalled ‘small-scale’ fisheries. Blue Ventures is shifting the paradigm through which fishing communities interact with their natural environment through Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA). By working in some of the world’s poorest coastal areas, with communities that depend on the ocean for their survival, Alasdair is mobilising locals to recognise that conservation is in their interest. Community members are enjoying new income from eco-tourism, recovering fish stocks, and the development of aquaculture-based alternative livelihoods.
Environment Health
THE IMPACT Since election, Alasdair has increased the size of his organisation, from 30 staff impacting in one country to more than 120 people working in 6 countries today.
Criminal Justice
Human Rights
Blue Ventures’ work has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 coastal people.
Technology
The LMMA model pioneered by Blue Ventures now covers 13% of Madagascar’s coastline; over 12,000km2 of the Indian Ocean is now managed by communities.
Youth
As part of a critically acclaimed integrated PopulationHealth-Environment (PHE) approach, over 50,000 people are benefiting from community-based reproductive health services.
Inclusion
This symbol highlights some of the most concrete examples of systemic change we identified in this year’s impact assessment of our Fellows. The list is by no means exhaustive.
Educational scholarships are enabling hundreds of children to attend school in partner communities each year. Blue Ventures’ models for fisheries management have been replicated over 200 times by communities in four countries. In 2014, the President of Madagascar pledged to triple the coverage of marine protected areas with a focus on community based approaches. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Since election, the ASN helped scale the model in Madagascar and Belize with investment and strategic support. Recently, Ashoka has hosted a series of financial re-modelling workshops to support with franchising Alasdair’s eco-tourism model, which now spans 3 countries. His scaling strategy is continuously enriched thanks to the input of other Ashoka Fellows, especially Tristram Stuart and Oren Yakobovich. In 2015, Alasdair won the $1.25 million Skoll Award after being nominated by Ashoka.
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TRISTRAM STUART
JAMES THORNTON
FEEDBACK | Elected in 2015 www.feedbackglobal.org
CLIENTEARTH | Elected in 2013 www.clientearth.org
THE IDEA Over a third of the world’s food production is wasted between the plough and people’s mouths. Feedback campaigns to end food waste at every level of the food system. By combining inspiring public campaigning and mass-mobilisation events with hard-hitting research and expert policy advice on food waste reduction, Feedback is changing the behaviour of the world’s biggest food companies whilst reaching out to and empowering millions of people to tackle food waste in their own right.
THE IDEA Within the EU, over 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels represent corporate interests, whilst only 160 represent environmental interests. James set up ClientEarth in 2007 to introduce a small but powerful group of legal experts using law as a tool for positive environmental change in Europe. Politically neutral, they design effective, implementable, and enforceable new solutions whilst also forcing government departments and corporations to comply with obligations that are set out in environmental law.
THE IMPACT Feedback impacts globally with a particularly strong presence in Europe and the US through its five main campaigns: Feeding the 5000, Gleaning Network UK & Europe, The Pig Idea, Stop Dumping, the FSE Network and Toast Ale.
THE IMPACT Since his election in 2013, James has almost doubled the size of his organization, from an annual budget of £4 million to £7 million today and has scaled in 7 countries with China being the most recent. He intends to scale in 7 more countries in the year to come.
Since 2009, Feeding the 5000 held 74 events in more than 40 cities across the world.
In 2014, ClientEarth prevented the release of at least 64 million tons of carbon dioxide worldwide.
Mainstream engagement and reach are growing exponentially. In 2015, more than 1 million people were engaged through events and campaigns, 2,130 volunteers were actively involved with 33% for the first time, more than 5 million people were reached through TV programmes and several million people on social media.
830 media materials mentioned ClientEarth and 50 its ‘Podhalan Smog Alert” campaign in 2015 alone.
1,574,750 portions of fresh fruit and vegetables have been directed to people in need through the Gleaning Network UK to date. During 129 days of the Gleaning Campaign, 142 tonnes of food have been saved and redistributed.
In 2015, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered the UK Government in Britain to meet European standards.
ClientEarth’s ideas to make the European Investment Bank more accountable for its environmental impact were included in the Bank’s draft transparency plan.
ClientEarth’s Sustainable Seafood Coalition unites
75% of UK seafood retailers in a bid to end overfishing. It has launched two codes to help its members sell responsibly sourced fish, and to help shoppers buy more sustainably.
In January 2014, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, The Co-operative and Marks and Spencer announced they would regularly report on how much food they waste.
ClientEarth convinced Poland to abandon plans for 5 of 14 new coal fired power stations.
Over 750,000 people signed the Food Waste pledge asking the European commission to include an obligation for supermarkets to donate unsold food to charity in its new strategy.
ClientEarth is training around 200 judges for the judiciary of China’s environment court together with the president of the supreme court and climate negotiators to allow hundreds of local NGOs to litigate against the state.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has been connecting Tristram with its global network of Fellows working on Food Waste, especially in the US and in Latin America.
ClientEarth triggered the review of two oil and gas companies’ climate disclosures by alerting the UK financial regulator about reporting breaches relating to a failure of adequately disclosing climate change risks to their businesses.
Since September 2015, three ASN members have been mentoring Tristram and helped him launch his Toast Ale start-up as well as advise on Feedback’s longevity strategy. Through pro bono partner freuds, Tristram has received £50k worth of support, with a team of 8 freuds staff dedicated to develop and amplify Toast Ale and develop Feedback’s overall communications strategy including expansion into the US market.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Since election, James has worked closely with the ASN of which both Andrea Sinclair and Fabienne Serfaty became board members. In April 2016, another ASN member, Georg Stratenwerth, joined ClientEarth as Board Treasurer. They are providing hands on reflection and strategic advice to refine ClientEarth’s approach.
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ROB HOPKINS
PATRICK HOLDEN
TRANSITION NETWORK | Elected in 2008 www.transitionnetwork.org
SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST | Elected in 2016 www.sustainablefoodtrust.org
THE IDEA Rob Hopkins created Transition Network to encourage people to take action, go local, and find practical solutions to the challenges that communities face, all through the idea that local action can change the world. Originally imagined as a response to peak oil and climate change, it is now seen as a movement of communities reimagining and rebuilding the world. The Transition model (with now more than 1,000 communities worldwide) means that one can be the catalyst within one’s community to create a supportive, nurturing, healthy context whilst simultaneously reducing its ecological footprint.
THE IDEA The global food system today is beset by serious challenges and risks, such as producing enough food without doing irreparable damage to biodiversity and human health. Patrick Holden started Sustainable Food Trust in 2013 after leading the Soil Association for 20 years to catalyse the transition towards a more sustainable global food process. SFT works with industry, policy makers and consumers to increase demand for sustainable produce and design the necessary tools to implement and measure new best practice. Among others, SFT lobbies to tie agricultural subsidies to sustainability standards to tax damaging products, such as pesticides; to measure the real impact of production through the True Cost Accounting campaign; and to promote sustainable and healthy diets through health insurance incentives.
THE IMPACT Transition initiatives have gone viral, spread across more than 50 countries worldwide and over half of these have Transition Trainers. 29 countries have their own national Hubs.
IMPACT Over the past three years, SFT has built an international network of individuals and organisations in leadership positions (active in 27 countries across all continents), and is empowering them to act through a combination of strong evidence supported by pressure from informed public opinion.
The publication, ‘21 Transition Stories’, looked at just 39 Transition projects in 15 countries and found they had raised over £13 million in community investment in renewable energy, produced 16,200 MWh of renewable electricity per year, generating annual savings of 9,202 tonnes of CO2, and saved 21 tonnes of food from landfill per year.
Patrick has convened some of the most influential gatherings in the UK and the US and managed to bring big organisational players in different fields of interest from across sectors who had not previously talked to each other, to one table. At the latest SFT conference, Patrick was able to assemble a gathering of citizen action groups, researchers and educators, leaders from large supermarket chains and food companies such as Wholefoods and Mars, as well as health care providers such as Kaiser Permanente and major philanthropists.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT
“Ashoka called me up and said “you’re a social entrepreneur” – I’d never heard of the term before but it’s been a really useful lens to see my work through” Rob has recently benefitted from Senior Ashoka Fellow Chris Underhill’s mentorship to build his leadership plan and grow as a thought leader. Transition Towns was featured in Ashoka Ireland’s Change Nation conference in 2012 with 50 country leaders.
Patrick is also a practicing farmer and was a key player in establishing the organic standards and market in the UK. He was responsible for the distribution of the first organic carrots sold to Sainsbury’s which were grown and packed on his farm as well as creating the first organic dairy standard being adopted by the EU. Patrick was one of the first to champion ideas such as true cost accounting and soil carbon stewardship, which have now been picked up internationally by policy makers, including the French government at the Paris Climate Change Conference (the 4 per 1,000 soil carbon initiative). ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Patrick joined the Fellowship in September 2016. We aim to help him refine his strategy to scale his impact and build a movement for sustainable food consumption. We will also help him in the development of a new metric to rate producers’ sustainability in order to empower consumers to make informed choices.
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ANDREA COLEMAN
SIMON BERRY
RIDERS FOR HEALTH | Elected in 2014 www.twowheelsforlife.org.uk
COLALIFE | Elected in 2015 www.colalife.org
THE IDEA The majority of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lives in rural areas where public transport is infrequent and delivering health care on foot or by bicycle is an exhausting and ineffective task. With Barry Coleman and motorcycle racer Randy Mamola, Andrea founded Riders for Health to ensure that health workers in rural Africa have access to the reliable, well-managed vehicles they need to reach even the most isolated people. Andrea’s team is building local expertise and supply chains for transport, maintenance and logistics to transform access to healthcare, whilst engaging the local ministries of health to ensure sustainability.
THE IDEA In developing countries, an average of 1 in 9 children die from preventable causes such as dehydration from diarrhoea due to a lack of access to simple life-saving treatments. Inspired by Coca Cola’s access to last mile markets, Simon catalysed the private market to open up local supply chains and play a role in healthcare, distributing a new, easy-touse, affordable, lifesaving anti-diarrhoea kit to hospitals as well as corner shops. At the same time, ColaLife plays a critical role in creating a trusted bridge between the private sector and the public health sector. ColaLife is implemented in a way which empowers and strengthens the local public health and private sector infrastructure.
THE IMPACT Riders currently reaches 21.5 million people who would otherwise not have predictable, reliable access to healthcare services.
THE IMPACT Approximately 70,000 kits have been sold to date and 125,000 ORS/Zinc co-packs have been supplied to the Ministry of Health.
Healthcare workers trained and mobilised by Riders are travelling 5 times further and reaching 6 times more people than before they had reliable transport.
452,000 co-packs have been ordered by Pharmanova in Zambia, to be distributed by the country through their Ministry of Health.
Riders has raised the importance of transport within the agenda of the UN, the WHO and the World Bank.
ColaLife has scaled up to 17 districts in Zambia and is on target to halve diarrhoea related deaths in Zambia by 2020.
Riders works with international organisations and Ministries of Health in 8 African countries, many of whom have now included the vital role of transportation in their health policy and budget.
ColaLife contributed to the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) report with its key case study mentioned about 20 times.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Andrea has received extensive support from Ashoka’s Hybrid Finance team to elaborate an income generation model. For Andrea, being able to stand back and discuss her work with this team has been crucial for self-evaluation. Belonging to a group of people who legitimize Riders for Health’s model and approach has allowed Andrea to find a strong support system.
Photo: Claire Greenway
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Simon Berry is enrolled in the Ashoka Globalizer programme sponsored by Philips. Since July 2016, Simon has been working with a team of consultants on scaling up ColaLife’s social impact beyond Zambia. He is also a Making More Health Fellow, meaning that he is supported through our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, who provides him with access to their expertise and global network.
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CHRIS UNDERHILL
CHARLIE HOWARD
BASICNEEDS | Elected in 2012 www.basicneeds.org
MAC-UK & TIM | Elected in 2013 www.mac-uk.org www.integratemovement.org
THE IDEA The amount invested in treating mental illness amounts to less than 0.5% of health spending in many low and lower-middle income countries. Chris has developed the BasicNeeds model where people with mental illness and epilepsy can now earn a living and access treatment within their communities, thus overcoming stigma and abuse. The BasicNeeds approach works at the grassroots level and equally well on systemic change with local and national governments. Chris recently launched mhNOW, a new global campaign to inspire awareness, collaboration and support for mental health initiatives.
THE IDEA 1 in 3 young people who offend have a mental health need at the time of their offence. In London alone, gang members are involved in 22% of all serious violence. Charlie founded MAC-UK to take mental health work out of the clinic and onto the streets to help excluded young people and gang members. ‘Street-therapy’ can take place in stairwells, at a bus stop, or while a young person is waiting to be seen in court. MAC-UK’s teams of clinical psychologists and youth workers are removing the stigma and logistical obstacles around seeking help. THE IMPACT Over 500 young people have been engaged in more than 10,000 conversations with MAC-UK’s Integrate pilots over the last 3 years.
THE IMPACT BasicNeeds has reached 233,604 affected people and their primary carers as well as a further 432,167 family members – making a total of 665,771 beneficiaries.
MAC-UK achieved a 55% increase in employment, education and training for the young people involved.
Overall, there was improvement against baseline in the number of affected individuals who gained access to treatment (80% of participants from 58% at baseline), reported reduced symptoms (0% to 78%), were able to work (52% to 80%), and participated in community groups (4% to 39%).
In 2014, Charlie started The Integrate Movement (TIM), a startup that implements the MAC-UK model, has delivered 12 pilot projects so far. The Ministry of Justice has supplied offending data for Integrate pilots which demonstrates a 57% reduction in offending post intervention.
The model has been replicated in 12 countries and is now being franchised to independent organizations.
MAC-UK’s Integrate model featured in the UK Government’s North West Public Health Observatory report underlining the major roles public health services can play in reducing levels of violence.
BasicNeeds offices played a significant role in national mental health policy reforms in Pakistan, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Lao PDR. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has supported Chris in expanding his impact through consultation on his scaling strategy. For Chris, receiving the support of Ashoka’s Hybrid Finance team and being part of a community that supports him through personal and professional decisions has been incredibly valuable.
TIM has influenced 30 organisations to adopt their model and trained over 200 frontline professionals. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has connected Charlie with Senior Ashoka Fellow Chris Underhill for mentoring on her strategic challenges. Ashoka’s Funding Network event allowed Charlie to pitch MAC-UK for which she received £11k to expand her project.
In addition, he received £20k worth of legal advice from our pro bono partner Hogan Lovells. Chris is also giving a lot to the Ashoka network himself and has been mentoring other Ashoka Fellows such as Rob Hopkins and Alexander McLean.
Photo: BasicNeeds
In 2016, Charlie has benefitted from the Ashoka-freuds partnership. The freuds team have provided ongoing work on “brand” Charlie as well as her PR strategy moving from reactive to proactive to influence the sector.
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NICK SIREAU
MOHAMMAD AL-UBAYDLI
SOLARAID & FINDACURE | Elected in 2010 www.solar-aid.org www.findacure.org.uk
PATIENTS KNOW BEST | Elected in 2012 www.patientsknowbest.com
THE IDEA Nick Sireau initially set up SolarAid to provide solar lights to some of the most remote regions of the world. Nick is now focused on transforming society’s response to rare and extreme diseases. He is creating a new field around what he calls “fundamental diseases”: to change the medical and pharmaceutical research agenda for rare and extreme “fundamental diseases” that have been largely neglected. He founded the AKU Society as the patient groups led clinical trials to cure his children’s rare genetic condition (AKU or Alkaptonuria); he is now replicating the model for other diseases through Findacure.
THE IDEA Technical and legal problems make it difficult to share health information between care providers in the UK, which could result in duplication, unnecessary appointments, and delays in treatment. Through Mohammad’s single patient-controlled record, patients are able to securely view their medical records and connect all stakeholders together, allowing care team members to work remotely with each other and the patient. This flow of information is being handed back to the control of the person who is best equipped and placed to manage his / her own care. THE IMPACT PKB is currently active in 200 sites across the world through 40 institutions in 8 countries working in 19 different languages and generating more 136,000 messages from patients to doctors and nurses.
THE IMPACT SolarAid: Since its creation, 10 million people have been provided with access to safe, clean solar light, saving families £345 million, generating 2 billion extra study hours for children and averting 880,000 tonnes of CO2. Further 5.8 million people noticed better health as a result of avoiding indoor pollution by kerosene lamps.
In 2015, PKB received its first population contract, which will roll-out for 2.3 million patients’ records in London. This is the first time worldwide that a regional healthcare system will go exclusively through the patient for medical data-sharing, rather than data travelling institutionto-institution.
AKU Society: Over £20 million was raised – creating an effective mouse model for the disease, funding clinical trials and the development of a treatment for AKU. AKU Society: Having created the first experimental model for AKU disease, Nick catalysed the ecosystem: there are now dozens of scientists studying AKU compared to none when Nick started in 2003. AKU’s network of researchers have now published 66 papers.
PKB is championing secure, patient-led data sharing for research purposes, emphasizing the importance of patients’ rights. Independent data suggests 92% of PKB’s users would opt in to share their data for research purposes.
Findacure: Since 2014, 335 people, representing over 350,280 patients in the UK and abroad, attended Findacure training workshops.
By December 2015, PKB had secured £3.5 million in investment to expand PKB across the world. Mohammad plans to double staff numbers and triple revenues every year for the next three years.
Until early 2016, Findacure’s pilot mentoring programme supported 16 patient groups to develop new clinical guidelines, become involved in clinical trials, secure new sources of funding, set up charities and helplines.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has enabled Mohammad to connect with other Fellows working in his field, which is facilitating the scaling of PKB in emerging markets, especially in Brazil.
In 2016 Nick published “The Patient Group Handbook: a Practical Guide for Research and Drug Development” to open-source his knowledge to all rare disease groups.
Through ASN member Noel Gordon, he has also been connected to key institutions such as Age UK and the NHS Vanguard team. Key strategic advice on how to work with corporate and public partners emerged from a problem solving session led by Freuds and 4 ASN in 2016.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT With the support of Ashoka’s Hybrid Finance team and a strategic problem-solving session with 15 senior staff from our partner, Boehringer Ingelheim, Nick was able to develop a social impact bond for rare disease research. Ashoka also connected Nick with a pro bono consultancy for econometric modelling of AKU’s cost to the NHS.
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JUNIOR SMART
MARK JOHNSON
USER VOICE | Elected Fellows elected in 2011 per year:
SOS PROJECT | Elected in 2009 www.stgilestrust.org.uk/what-we-do/ sos-project
www.uservoice.org
THE IDEA Britain’s criminal justice system is characterised by prolific re-offending, at a great cost to victims, perpetrators, and society at large. Junior started SOS Project: a tailormade mentoring programme led by ex-offenders who work with prisoners both before and after their release. They provide services to prisoners that address the wide range of problems they face before release, and as they try to integrate back into society. Within this project, Junior also works with gangs to offer support to people at risk of gang involvement or negative lifestyle choices and started SOS+ to deglamourise gang culture in schools.
THE IDEA Mark believes that full membership in society depends on individuals assuming responsibility for themselves and for the world around them. To do so, people must believe that their voice and actions matter. User Voice gives offenders and vulnerable people a voice to meaningfully impact the whole criminal justice system. Service users, both inside and outside prison, co-design elements of the system and influence policy makers. Mark has now launched CanDo to enable ex-offenders to become employment-ready through education, training, support, advice, and work experience. THE IMPACT User Voice has national coverage through regional offices and worked with 13 prisons in partnership with National Probation Services.
THE IMPACT Since launching in 2008, SOS Project have expanded from 1 to 15 London Boroughs, aided by securing local council commissioning. The SOS+ initiative has impacted the life of 500 young people.
User Voice’s campaign for International Women’s Day 2016 #HerVoiceCounts emphasised women’s voices in the criminal justice system, which encompass a range of rights that are crucial to the empowerment of women.
In August 2015, the SOS Project team joined forces with one of London’s leading hospitals to offer intensive support to victims of gang-related crime.
User Voice has been awarded £530k by NESTA and the probation services to expand and test its impact.
To date, SOS Project’s mentoring has saved the government an estimated £50 million.
Since 2009, User Voice has given a voice to over
25,000 people and currently facilitates representative
The SOS Project’s rehabilitation services have had an important influence on the Transforming Rehabilitation Law – the government’s programme of reform for the management of offenders in the community.
structures for 1 in 3 criminal justice service users. UserVoice also reached 1,300 excluded young people across England and Wales in the last 2 years, bringing them to consult for government bodies on reform policies.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT
Mark consults regularly with The House of Commons, The House of Lords, and the London Assembly to help understand how the criminal justice system can work more effectively at a national level.
“At SOS we are trained to mentor, as are other organisations. But they do not have the benefit of personal experience. They were not insiders and are not personally involved. We were and we are”.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT
Strategic consulting with ASN member John Grumbar enabled Junior to scale SOS across London and to gain pro bono support from PWC to train his staff.
“Ashoka is an organisation that helps other people acknowledge you”. Mark Johnson has received business strategy expertise from ASN member Noel Gordon to enable his organization to explore different revenue models and be funded entirely through commercial agreements with prisons enabling his model to be self-sustainable.
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ALEXANDER MCLEAN
SHAUNEEN LAMBE
AFRICAN PRISONS PROJECT | Elected in 2014 www.africanprisons.org
JUST FOR KIDS LAW | Elected in 2012 www.justforkidslaw.org
THE IDEA Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, people in prisons are facing some of the most inhumane living conditions and human rights abuses. Prisoners are ostracised from society and stripped of their basic rights. 60% of inmates in Uganda are on remand. Through education, access to healthcare and nurturing leadership, Alexander McLean is bringing humanity and dignity back into these prisons in Kenya and Uganda. APP is creating systemic change by allowing both prisoners and prison staff to access education and implement prison reforms from the inside.
THE IDEA Statistics show that vulnerable young people in the UK are being failed by society. Through extensive work with vulnerable children, Shauneen found that troubling behaviour is often a reaction to the system failing to provide adequate support to these vulnerable young people. Just for Kids Law uses advocacy and the law to ensure that vulnerable children in the UK are given the complete support and care that they need and are entitled to. JfKL provides representation to individual young people whilst also bringing about systemic change using the law and campaigns to create a child friendly society. In 2015, Shauneen launched Advocacy Year, the children rights’ equivalent of Teach First for law graduates and secured £500k from Big Lottery to launch this innovative scale-up programme.
THE IMPACT 10,870 prisoners access APP’s education services annually and almost 80% of illiterate inmates where APP operates are now in formal or informal education. 100% of all exprisoners who went through APP’s Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) program are now employed. In total, 19,981 prisoners have been supported.
THE IMPACT This year, JfKL worked on 868 cases in 31 London boroughs and 94% of JfKL clients saw improvement in their situation. 92% of these vulnerable young people reported an improvement in their education position and 83% in their employment position in 2014/15.
6,385 inmates and 297 staff accessed libraries established by APP in 14 prisons. A further 273 people were enrolled onto adult literacy training where students eventually become teachers to spread the model.
In 2016, 11 young people who are campaigning for equal access to education, have completed a unique six-month leadership course designed by Shauneen. In total, JfKL trained more than 1,000 professionals working with young people on their legal rights.
650 prison staff and their families are benefiting from APP’s programmes of which 90% live within the prisons’ community in conditions similar to the prisoners whose human rights they have sworn to protect and uphold. Alexander has brokered a relationship with the University of London and 50 students have completed their diploma in common law through study by distance with another 50 expected to graduate every year.
In 2015, JfKL, through their youth campaign “Let Us Learn”, intervened in the Supreme Court and campaigned successfully for student finance to be available to 400 British-educated teenagers previously denied access to student loans.
Through APP’s work, 12 prisoners have had their death sentences overturned thanks to the support of 24 inmates on APP’s Law degree programme. These students have supported 1,648 peers to prepare for, and represent themselves, in court and trained another 11,125 prisoners on human rights.
Through the courts and parliament, JfKL changed the law that treated 17-year olds as adults in police custody. Now, anyone under 18 detained by the police must be protected as a child.
Prison Village Health Teams were established in 8 prisons in order to train prison officers and staff in a range of medical skills benefitting 35,772 prisoners, prison staff families and surrounding community members. This low cost but effective model is now being rolled out by the Ugandan Prison Service to all prisons.
In August 2015, JfKL merged with the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), a collective of charities including Action for Children, Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society, Unicef UK, and others. CRAE co-ordinated the civil society submission to the UN as part of the UK examination on its child rights obligations. 76 organisations endorsed it and the UN followed up with 150 recommendations to the UK Government.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka connected Alexander with a senior lecturer in leadership at Exeter University who is now working to develop a change agency network within the Kenyan prisons system. Alexander was given the opportunity to share his work through a panel discussion with Kerry Kennedy hosted at Hogan Lovells. In 2016 only, Ashoka helped Alexander fundraise £80k through connections with foundations and partners. Finally, Alexander finds in the Ashoka Leadership Retreat the most valuable support from Ashoka.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Through the Ashoka programme GlobalizerX, Shauneen has found her new way to reach more children, thanks to the advice of an ASN member who is now part of the advisory board of Advocacy Year.
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FREDRIK GALTUNG
OREN YAKOBOVICH
INTEGRITY ACTION | Elected in 2015 www.integrityaction.org
VIDERE EST CREDERE | Elected in 2014 www.videreonline.org
THE IDEA An estimated 25% of aid and government projects’ value is lost to fraud, corruption and mismanagement in developing and war-torn countries. Challenging the assumption that corruption can be tackled through punishment, Fredrik founded Integrity Action (IA) in 2003 with the primary objective of fixing problems through collaboration rather than trying to curb corruption. He catches individuals or change systems of governance by imitating the institutions of a few successful reformers. To prove his theory of change in practice, Fredrik has developed a methodology called Community Integrity Building (CIB), which empowers communities to build alliances of local stakeholders who work eye to eye to solve specific integrity challenges.
THE IDEA Today, many of the world’s most vulnerable populations remain voiceless as governments increasingly demonstrate willingness to blackout communications in times of crisis. Oren co-founded Videre to empower oppressed communities to capture human rights violations on camera by giving local activists the equipment, training and support needed to safely capture the evidence. This footage is then verified, analysed and distributed to key stakeholders who can make a difference. THE IMPACT Since 2008, Videre has trained over 650 activists to safely and effectively capture compelling visual evidence of human rights violations.
THE IMPACT IA has trained over 3140 Community Integrity Monitors who have fixed hundreds of projects affecting around 5 million people across more than a dozen countries.
Videre’s networks have documented over 2,500 hours of visual evidence of violence, human rights violations and other systemic abuses across three continents.
IA has provided education training and support to 1,066 scholars, 285 trainers and over 25,000 students.
This footage has provided evidence to high-level actors to challenge perpetrators. Videre has provided new intelligence to 140 media outlets, resulting in over 500 stories. In the past three years alone, Videre’s footage was used to brief 93 governmental bodies and international organisations.
462 universities and teaching facilities are involved in developing the world’s largest Integrity Education Network. A further 14 Community Integrity Building organisations are creating a network spanning 34 countries.
Videre is building a body of evidence that can be used for future cases in court, decision-making, NGO advocacy and the media. Today, Videre is a leading voice in building human rights media archives.
IA worked with communities to monitor 159 projects worth $147 million to benefit over 2.1 million people. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Fredrik receives support and guidance from ASN members Abib Bocresion and Maurits Schouten to refine his business model and Edna Kissman to restructure his communication strategy.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT In 2016, Oren won the $1.25 million Skoll Award after being nominated by Ashoka. Oren is receiving structured consultation support from ASN members to plan the next stage of Videre in the 3-5 year time frame and to explore new revenue streams.
He is also gaining support from our pro bono partner AlphaSights who brokered a connection with TripAdvisor, from freuds PR to develop his new Excellence Award Campaign and from Egon Zehnder to hire a new CEO.
Photo: Moira Malone
He is further benefiting from Ashoka Senior Advisor Cristina Escallon’s expertise on leadership and organisational structure. Oren was able to connect with Ashoka US Silicon Valley to meet experts in cutting-edge technology and discuss his work.
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JAMES BEVAN
ESTHER RANTZEN
CONFLICT ARMAMENT RESEARCH Elected in 2014 www.conflictarm.com
CHILDLINE & THE SILVERLINE Elected in 2015 www.childline.org.uk www.thesilverline.org.uk
THE IDEA The illicit proliferation of conventional weapons fuels war and insurgency across the globe. It undermines security and impedes the development of peoples, nations and regions. In response, CAR works on the ground in active armed conflicts to document weapons at the point of use and track their sources back through the chains of supply. The first-hand collection of this data has led to iTrace, a global weapon tracking system funded by the EU, which is profiling supply routes and facilitating effective international counter-proliferation policy. THE IMPACT Since 2011, CAR has documented nearly half a million weapons, ammunition, and items of related materiel.
THE IDEA Esther initially pioneered “ChildLine”, the world’s first 24/7 helpline for children in distress, offering free, safe and confidential support. She then created “The Silver Line”, a similar concept for older people across the UK suffering from “intense” loneliness. In addition to the benefits of the counselling services offered to both demographics, these calls gave invaluable learnings and insights into the issues and challenges that young as well as old people are facing in today’s society. By creating these helplines and using aggregated data to raise awareness, Esther put an end to widespread denial and brought the topic onto the national agenda. ChildLine presents these perspectives to government and uses them to inform public campaigns and influence the judicial system.
CAR’s field investigation teams have deployed into 22 conflict-affected states, including areas currently suffering high intensity armed conflict, such as Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
THE IMPACT During 2014/15, ChildLine carried out 276,956 counselling sessions with children and undertook 10,000 sessions with children who had serious concerns about another child.
CAR supports a wide range of external bodies with concrete evidence, including more than 35 national governments, 3 UN agencies, 6 UN peacekeeping missions, 7 UN sanctions monitoring groups, and 4 EU stabilisation missions.
When ChildLine launched in 1986, it received 50,000 attempted calls on the first night, with children reporting issues such as sexual abuse, violence and emotional distress. Today, ChildLine counsels more than 300,000 children each year, and over 4 million since its creation.
CAR is increasingly prominent on the international stage as the primary provider of concrete, verified information on illicit weapon transfers. This places CAR in a critical position to effect system change, including:
The Silver Line received more than 1 million calls since national launch in 2015 of which 51% say they have no one else to speak to at all and 36% of callers are men, a traditionally hard-to-reach group.
Continuous policy shaping alongside national diplomatic delegations, such as the UK, and expert support to international arms control processes.
Since merging with ChildLine the NSPCC is aiming at training 3,000 volunteers to roll out this prevention training in more than 23,000 primary schools across the UK. Volunteering hours equate to £1.28 million a year.
Direct reporting on cases of post-export weapon diversion to key arms control decision-making bodies, including the UN Security Council and EU External Action Service and Commission.
Over the last thirty years, Esther’s model has inspired replication in over 150 countries allowing millions of children to reach out for help and be heard. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Since she joined the Fellowship in 2015, Esther participated in the Ashoka Leadership Retreat which helped her reflect on and further plan her leadership journey. She also benefited from ASN insights on the scaling strategy for the Silver Line.
Prompting measurable policy changes in arms control, including the revision, by governments, of national arms export licensing policies and international regulatory frameworks. In 2015, CAR reported that Sudan had been supplying South Sudanese rebels with weapons and ammunition which led to the first ever Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in South Sudan. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT James is receiving structured consultation support from ASN members on his business plan and on exploring different revenue streams. Ashoka Senior Advisor Cristina Escallon has also advised on organisational structure and Egon Zehnder on recruitment. Finally, James is benefitting from collaboration with Ashoka Fellows such as Oren Yakobovich. 32
KEN BANKS
RUFUS POLLOCK
FRONTLINE SMS & MEANS OF EXCHANGE Elected in 2011 www.frontlinesms.com www.meansofexchange.com
OPEN KNOWLEDGE | Elected in 2013 www.okfn.org
THE IDEA The technology revolution is failing to reach certain segments of society. Technological solutions are often not locally devised and designers are missing the real needs of end users. Ken was elected for founding FrontlineSMS, an open source text messaging system enabling grassroots NGOs to communicate effectively with their beneficiaries, which Ken stepped back from in 2012. Ken has now set up Means of Exchange. MoE looks at how a combination of everyday technologies and human ingenuity can democratise opportunities for economic self-sufficiency and promote a return to local resource use. The platform provides the tools to engage in sustainable behaviour from bartering and cashmobbing to developing local currencies.
THE IDEA Open Knowledge is a worldwide network of people passionate about openness, using advocacy, technology and training to unlock information and enable people to work with it to create and share knowledge. By opening up all essential, public interest, information and making it free for anyone to use, share and build on, Open Knowledge creates skills and tools to turn data into insight. These skills ultimately empower citizens and organisations to use the data revolution for good — to drive transparency and accountability, to accelerate innovation and research. This way, knowledge creates power for the many, not the few. THE IMPACT There are over 40 countries with Open Knowledge groups that are actively working for openness.
THE IMPACT To date, FrontlineSMS has had over 500,000 downloads in over 170 countries, with tens of millions of people benefitting from its use.
More than 70 countries are being tracked on their open data status by Open Knowledge’s Open Data Index and in 20+ countries “Where Does My Money Go” sites are making Government finances visible and understandable.
In 2012, MoE launched its first ‘tool’ – CashMobbers.net – since then, regular cash mobs have started taking place across the UK.
Open Knowledge’s Open Definition provided the first definition of open data in 2005 and remains the key internationally-recognised “standard”.
In 2016 Ken also started work on a new kind of mobile giving app called “Altruly”, combining micro payments with the analytics of investment tools to help people build, manage and understand their giving portfolio
The CKAN software, Open Knowledge’s world-leading open source tool, has been downloaded 45,000 times and used to publish more than 1 million open datasets.
In April 2007 a coalition of Nigerian grassroots NGOs used FrontlineSMS to monitor their presidential elections.
Open Knowledge’s School of Data has trained thousands of people in person on 4 continents and online to use data for good.
Ken believes one of the biggest impacts of FrontlineSMS and Means of Exchange is giving people hope, self-belief, and a sense of achievement: “People meeting their potential is the impact.”
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Rufus has been able to connect with other Ashoka UK Fellows, including Mohammad Al-Ubaydli with whom he has discussed and sought data advice.
Ken is constantly advancing his thought leadership position in the field of empowering technology for social change. Among others, he recently published his second book which reached the top rank in Amazon’s charity/ philanthropy list, is Entrepreneur in Residence at Care International and Chief Executive at the Global eHealth Foundation.
Rufus has also received advice from Ashoka on writing a book. He has been connected with ASN members to develop his strategy and he has attended Ashoka Fellow’s days, receiving support and training.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has provided platforms for Ken to discuss and promote his work, such as the Makers of More summit, Virgin, Forbes, and King’s College to a wide audience in the social entrepreneurship sector. Ken is also receiving support from ASN on the development of his new app.
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KELLY DAVIES
MICHAEL SANI
VI-ABILITY | Elected in 2015 www.vi-ability.org
BITE THE BALLOT | Elected in 2015 www.bitetheballot.co.uk
THE IDEA The unemployment rate in the UK for 16-24 year olds is now 13.6% which makes this age group about three times more likely to be jobless. With poor GCSE results and preparation for the working world, too many young people leave school without aspiration and with little chances for employment opportunities. Through various training programmes and employment opportunities, ViAbility is working to transform sports clubs into centres of ‘opportunities & leadership’ for individuals in their community. In doing so, Kelly is developing thriving and financially stable sports clubs at the heart of communities. Following success from replicating her model in London, Vi-Ability is now further diversifying their offerings including the launch of the mobile gaming app Football CEO™ and “Corporate to Community” which allows skilled individuals within a corporate organisation to work with a community sports club.
THE IDEA With less than 45% of 18-25 year olds registered to vote in the UK, politicians have little incentive to consider the needs of young people when framing policies, creating a vicious cycle of further disenfranchisement. Bite The Ballot coordinates nationwide registration activities, creates safe spaces for engaging education resources, pioneers digital democracy tools and leads inspirational ‘get out the vote’ campaigns. Through this, Michael is revolutionizing youth democratic participation by empowering a generation of young citizens to become active changemakers with their common misconceptions challenged, a stronger sense of identity within their community, and the skills and confidence needed to embark on journeys of political engagement. THE IMPACT BTB has a 95% success rate in inspiring participants to register to vote.
THE IMPACT 78% of all Vi-Ability participants go on to secure employment. 96% of participants complete their courses and achieve at least 2 qualifications.
441,696 people registered to vote through BTB’s 2015 National Voter Registration Drive campaign. Ahead of the EU Referendum, 1,9 million people applied to register in the 9 days of BTB’s #TurnUp campaign – including 1.1 million under 30s.
In total, Kelly has transformed 12 sports clubs into sustainable community hubs providing individuals with opportunities for self-development, effectively changing 3,000 young people’s lives.
BTB employed young, local ‘Community Engagement Officers’ in 9 local authorities during 2015/16, who engaged thousands of young citizens locally through developing a network of 191 Community Leaders and over 100 local organisations to weave participation into their community activities.
Vi-Ability was awarded Wales & UK Social Enterprise of the year 2015. Kelly has scaled her model in 8 countries across Europe and seen it being replicated by other startups in countries as far as India.
BTB pioneered ‘Leaders Live’; an unorthodox livestreamed debate between party leaders, idols and influencers who were acting as the mouthpiece for their fans. Leaders Live got pledges in 3 of the main 5 political party manifestos.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka’s selection process encouraged Kelly to rework her model and refine Vi-Ability’s goals. Kelly is matched with an ongoing ASN team of 3 business advisors from the network, inputting into her organisational structure and business model.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Michael has connected with several other Ashoka UK Fellows to discuss models and data collection. Ashoka also connected BTB with several Changemaker Schools for him to replicate his work.
She furthermore received £50k PR support from Ashoka’s pro bono partner freuds to launch her new app Football CEO, reaching more that 5 million people through Twitter and another 3.5 million people through online and print publications.
Michael is receiving structured and regular consultation from ASN members and from our pro bono partners Rothschild & Co to elaborate an income generation model for his Verto app. Michael is also receiving coaching on personal leadership. Additionally Michael is also a participant in Ashoka’s Globalizer scaling programme, supported by Lego Foundation.
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RUTH IBEGBUNA
LILY LAPENNA
RECLAIM | Elected in 2014 www.reclaimproject.org.uk
MYBNK | Elected in 2010 www.mybnk.org
THE IDEA Britain has some of the lowest social mobility in the developed world. Young people growing up in clusters of poverty face an inter-connected set of challenges, from gang culture to limited job prospects. Ruth founded RECLAIM to highlight how young people can get involved in civic action, not merely as passive recipients but as agents of distributive social change unleashing their potential as changemakers. Ruth is now codifying RECLAIM’s approach so that a range of partners and youth organizations can adopt it. She is also developing RECLAIM institute, a center to incubate social ventures initiated by her alumni students.
THE IDEA UK personal debt is at a record £1.5 trillion, hardly surprising given that 90% of the UK population have never received any form of money management lessons. Lily set up MyBnk, which teaches young people how to manage their money and set up their own enterprises. MyBnk design and deliver programmes for 11-25 year olds in schools and youth organisations, setting them up for a better future. Together with young people, Lily’s team creates innovative, high impact and high-energy workshops on topics such as saving, budgeting, public finance, social enterprise and start-up entrepreneurship.
THE IMPACT RECLAIM’s mentoring has a transformative effect on the mentors themselves, with retention rates above 90% and improved employment.
THE IMPACT Since 2007, MyBnk has armed over 125,000 young people with money and enterprise skills across 650 organisations.
RECLAIM has transformed the lives of over 1000 young people, building their confidence, resilience, and skills, enabling them to set their own goals and develop their own solutions to complex social problems. These teenagers in turn have mobilized 25,000 local community-members.
MyBnk formed the first ever, independent online and in-school youth-led saving and lending banking scheme, MyBnk-in-a-Box.
The participation of each young participant to the LEAD programme generates state savings upwards of £100k for each student.
MyBnk’s work is being replicated globally and currently benefits young people in many countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Ruth’s new initiative Faith Reclaimed has become a national project endorsed by the Home Office as an effective national response to isolated Muslim pupils within UK highschools.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Lily has worked closely with ASN member Tim Church who has advised her on long-term strategic plans and scaling strategies for MyBnk. Ashoka has also connected her with freuds for support on her venture and a pro bono coach to develop her personal leadership.
MyBnk’s efforts have helped to secure financial education in England’s national curriculum.
A group of participants secured £450k from the national Cabinet Office to invest in new youth services.
Ashoka has also helped Lily to raise £100,000 through the support of Old Mutual Wealth, and has helped her expand MyBnk to new locations around the UK.
Ruth has been recognised in The Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ruth’s stipend from Ashoka went directly into employing a senior manager for strategy, impact and evaluation who has helped transform the organisational vision and structure. Ashoka also connected and nominated Ruth and RECLAIM for the BIG CHANGE grant of £150k, which she then won. Ruth is receiving long term ASN mentoring to refine her strategy and explore different revenue streams as well as personal development coaching. Since July 2016, she has received support from our pro-bono partner Rothschild & Co to create a financial model for the Reclaim Institute to incubate youth-led social change programmes.
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KAREN MATTISON
JANE DAVIS
TIMEWISE | Elected in 2012 www.timewise.co.uk
THE READER | Elected in 2013 www.thereader.org.uk
THE IDEA Part-time work still carries a strong stigma, which often equates in people’s mind to low skills, low reliability, students and junior roles. Karen Mattison is changing the public perception of the status of part-time work by creating high-quality, part-time and flexible employment opportunities. This helps people to find work that allows them to fulfil their commitments in life, without losing their value in the workplace. Timewise is the UK’s first market place for candidates who want some flexibility. It runs: a national jobs board, a recruitment agency, a site showcasing flexible work in practice and consultancy and training services. Karen’s goal is to grow a national market for part time and flexible jobs across all sectors and salary brackets. In June 2016, Timewise launched the new campaign “Hire me my way” to create 1 million more flexible jobs in the UK, with initial funding from the Big Lottery Foundation.
THE IDEA Society is increasingly a place of individualisation and loneliness. The lack of opportunities to share emotions and develop empathy negatively impacts on individual wellbeing, business ethics and policy decisions. At the core of Jane’s approach is the insight that reading can be used as a therapeutic tool to help people articulate their thoughts, feelings, and life experiences. Her ‘shared reading’ model brings people together to read great literature aloud and runs weekly throughout care homes, libraries, hostels, health centres, workplaces, schools and prisons across the UK. Jane is redefining the value of literature. THE IMPACT The Reader delivers over 360 reading groups with over 2,000 people each week. Shared reading groups are delivered across Merseyside (the area with the most activity), London, Manchester, South West England and in prisons nationally.
THE IMPACT The Timewise Foundation now has over 70,000 candidates registered, with over 2,500 jobs advertised each year.
Jane has developed an international training programme for people to learn shared reading techniques – over 5,000 independent facilitators have been trained so far.
The average part time wage Timewise Jobs secured for jobseekers was 51% higher than the market average part time pay of £18,500. As a result, low income families now have an additional £3,818 in their annual household budget, generating additional economic value for the state of over £1million.
The Reader has 125 staff and works with 360 volunteers, many of whom are vulnerable or live with chronic health conditions, and who take weekly shared reading groups to care homes and other places.
Over 3,000 businesses and 31 large corporates are working with, and supporting, Timewise’s mission to transform flexible work.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Jane is receiving mentoring from three ASN members who are advising on her systemic change strategy and are prioritizing her new financial model, communication and influencing strategy.
The Power Part Time List has become a very influential tool to change public perception. Every year, it showcases 50 inspirational role models of senior managers working part time. Karen became an Awarded Member of the British Empire in 2010. In 2014, Director Magazine named Karen and Emma Stewart (co-founder) the UK’s most influential ‘Women Changing the Business World’ following a landslide public vote. ASHOKA’S SUPPORT
“Actually, I think Ashoka has helped me to back myself as a social entrepreneur which is a separate entity to the social business I set up.” Ashoka connected Karen with its corporate partners freuds, Unilever, UBS and Egon Zehnder to foster her “Hire Me My Way” campaign and flexible part time jobs in their organisations.
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PAUL SINTON-HEWITT
MEL YOUNG
PARKRUN | Elected in 2016 www.parkrun.com
HOMELESS WORLD CUP | Elected in 2014 www.homelessworldcup.org
THE IDEA High calorie foods and a sedentary modern lifestyle are today’s primary causes of obesity and other serious global health problems. With a simple but powerful idea, Parkrun breaks down the barriers to physical activity while simultaneously encouraging community cohesion and volunteerism, mobilizing whole nations to be more active. The success of parkrun is founded in its community oriented approach: all runs are free of charge and organised by the local community for the local community. With global reach and ambition, from New Zealand to Poland, parkrun aims to enable every community in the world to set up a parkrun and get its citizens active, healthy and connected.
THE IDEA Estimates indicate that over 100 million people globally are homeless and as many as 1 billion people lack adequate housing. In the UK alone, over 2,000 people sleep without shelter. Mel launched the Homeless World Cup as an annual, international football tournament, uniting teams of homeless people to represent their country. Football is a powerful, inclusive tool. In this case, it puts the people at the centre of the solution, empowering them to improve their own situation. Mel’s ultimate aim is for the Homeless World Cup to disappear, as there simply shouldn’t be homelessness. THE IMPACT The Homeless World Cup directly impacts over 100,000 homeless football players every year with replications in over 74 countries. It has impacted the lives of over 1 million homeless people since it started.
THE IMPACT Parkrun brings together more than 150,000 runners and 10,000 volunteers every single Saturday. Parkrun became a global phenomenon with over 2.5 million registered runners in 12 countries and has doubled its growth every year.
94% say the Homeless World Cup positively impacted their lives with 83% saying it improved their social relations.
With 20,000 new runners registering every week and over 1,000 events (weekly) worldwide, Parkrun has been held up as an example of best practice by the UK government’s Committee for Health and Sport who named it the UK’s most successful and fastest growing organisation for free physical activity.
At the level of public awareness, the Homeless World Cup event attracts thousands of people each year. The largest saw 168,000 attendees in 2012 in Mexico City. Over 90% of spectators stated the Homeless World Cup had changed their own opinions about homelessness, and that it breaks down negative stereotypes about the homeless more widely.
Paul is currently expanding his work into schools with ‘schoolrun.’ Empowering teachers to lead ‘schoolruns’ with their pupils, Paul aims to make physical activity a rite of passage for every young person in the UK.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Ashoka has provided pivotal financial support to Mel as well as a strong platform for network connections. Mel has worked closely with ASN members Ben Caldwell and Andrea Sinclair who are founding investors of the Homeless World Cup Supporters Club.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Paul benefited from an intensive Ashoka Leadership Retreat experience, highlighting that “The generosity here of everyone willing to share and give so much to each other is astounding.”
Mel has received a £50k worth support from our Pro Bono partners freuds to manage media accreditation as well as acting as an extension to the HWC’s own press office to generate stories and coverage.
Photo: Claire Greenway
Ashoka connected Paul with ChangeX to help further scale his model internationally which will be the key focus of our support going forward alongside new programme development.
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JOHN BIRD
FAISEL RAHMAN
THE BIG ISSUE | Elected in 2015 www.bigissue.org.uk
FAIR FINANCE | Elected in 2008 www.fairfinance.org.uk
THE IDEA Homelessness has increased for three consecutive years, partly because of housing shortages and cuts to benefits, with an estimated 185,000 people a year now affected in England. John Bird founded The Big Issue in 1991, to liberate and de-criminalize homeless people by giving them an opportunity to earn a legitimate income, exit poverty and gain freedom over their life choices. The Big Issue has a double role: to help vendors to address issues such as addiction, housing, or unemployment and to prevent poverty, marginalisation and mental illness issues that usually lead to homelessness. Big Issue vendors manage to regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life.
THE IDEA Nearly 2 million adults remain unbanked in Britain today. To tackle financial exclusion, Fair Finance offers financial products and services to individuals that aren’t eligible for funding from traditional financial institutions. Moreover, Fair Finance offers tailored and personalised affordable loans, free debt advice services and micro-finance for small businesses and entrepreneurs struggling to access finance. Fair Finance has been at the forefront of tackling financial exclusion while maintaining tailored personal loans and advice. It has been widely recognised by the UK government. Faisel has received two funding rounds, in total more than £6m from social and commercial investors. His organisation was therefore able to scale and is now financially sustainable.
THE IMPACT The Big Issue currently circulates around 100,000 copies every week and works with around 2,000 individuals across the UK, including 500 in London.
THE IMPACT FF provides a much cheaper alternative to lending sharks, which previously were the only other source of funding for the unbanked, charging up to 4000% annual interest rate. Over 20,000 residents across London have received a FF loan already, through its 6 branches
In 2015, more than 8,450 positive outcomes were achieved for these individuals such as access to accommodation (166), employment (99) and healthcare (220).
In 2014-15 alone, FMA helped 1,186 clients in managing their debt, and handled over £7.3 million of debt on their behalf, i.e. an average debt of £6,115 per client – a significant increase from £4,756 in the previous year.
Last year alone, The Big Issue put more than £5million in the pockets of vendors, releasing them from a dependence on hand-outs and providing an alternative to begging. Over 50% of them are supporting families.
As of 2015, FF has approved over 18,000 loans for £15 million and supported 200 London businesses to access the finances they need to get started or grow and helped over 5,000 residents avoid eviction.
Today, The Big Issue is the world’s most circulated street paper, selling editions in a dozen countries from Zambia to Japan and having inspired over 100 other street papers in over 40 countries.
Faisel has contributed an estimated the local economy.
The Big Issue has become one of the most iconic social businesses in the UK and John an inspiration for homelessness charities around the world, including Ashoka UK Fellow Mel Young and the Homeless World Cup, leading a revolution of self-help.
£12 million to
The model has been replicated in 2 other countries and received financing from Santander, Societe Generale, BNPP, Unicredit, European Investment Fund and several other institutional social investors. Faisel strongly influences the scope of predatory lending by encouraging and influencing the government’s regulatory activities such as driving a reform of the continuous payment authority and by educating borrowers through counselling and debt management.
John Bird is a national influential figure. In early 2016, he has been appointed as a crossbencher to the House of Lords, and will work for “social opportunity and social justice”. He also became Social Enterprise Ambassador, a programme supported by the UK government’s Cabinet Office to address a social or environmental need.
Faisel is a columnist for the Guardian and was elected President of the European Microfinance Network where he has helped develop EU-wide policy on fostering financial inclusion across the continent.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Since last year, John Bird participated in two Ashoka Leadership retreats helping him reflect on and further plan his leadership journey and has been helping changemaker schools in framing a manifesto to influence the education system.
ASHOKA’S SUPPORT Faisel worked closely with Ashoka UK’s Hybrid Finance Initiative, who assisted him in setting up a hybrid business model, enabling him to raise funding into both entities. Last year he raised the second round of commercial investment to increase the size of the loan book and serve more clients.
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With Thanks To: Financial Supporters:
Sector Supporters & Partners:
Pro Bono Supporters:
Addidi Wealth Management, BeyondMe, ClearlySo, Euclid Network, Generation Change, Impact Hub, Impetus Trust, London Business School, MakeSense, Mix-Fits, NACUE, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, School for Social Entrepreneurs, Social Enterprise UK, Social Enterprise Scotland, Student Hubs, Teach First, The Economist Foundation, The Funding Network, The Royal Society of Arts, The Young Foundation, UnLtd, Whole Education, With a special thanks to Perdurance Philanthropy.
AlphaSights, Creative Leadership Consultants, Egon Zehnder, Latham & Watkins, McKinsey & Co, TrustLaw.
Media Partners:
With thanks to the staff and volunteers of Ashoka UK. This brochure was produced with thanks to Blackstone Charitable Foundation. We’d love to hear from you: Ashoka UK 15 Old Ford Road London E2 9PJ UK Tel: +44 (0)20 8980 9416 Email: infouk@ashoka.org Website: uk.ashoka.org
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Ashoka UK is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (1113246).
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