SEED recognition at the University's Making a Difference Awards 2025
The University of Manchester's 11th Making a Difference Awards ceremony took place on Thursday 8 May in the University鈥檚 Whitworth Hall and was live streamed on YouTube.
The Making a Difference Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of our staff, students, alumni and external partners, and celebrate how they are making a difference.
We are proud to have the School of Environment, Education and Development represented in the following categories. Congratulations go to all those involved.
Outstanding contribution to social and environmental impact through entrepreneurship - Winner
(Global Development Institute) and One World Together
Communities are on the front line against poverty. While community leadership makes responses agile, effective and sustainable, most financing systems don鈥檛 work for community organisations. They privilege professional organisations and place huge costs and barriers on community groups. One World Together is fixing this. The growing movement of global citizens has sent more than 拢11,000 of flexible funding to community partners, who say these are 5 times more powerful than project-based finance. The partners are deepening their impacts, responding to crisis and investing in new priorities. The initiative supports communities with long-term, predictable and unrestricted funds to help them cope with crisis and invest in their futures.
Outstanding alumni contribution to social responsibility 鈥� Winner
Charles Bakolo Mvula (Geography alumnus)
The voluntary Malawi Creation Care Network (MCCN) is a movement aimed at addressing environmental issues such as plastic pollution and deforestation. Since its inception in 2019, MCCN has united churches, youth groups, NGOs, and academics, organising nationwide marches that contributed to Malawi鈥檚 landmark ban on plastic bags. Charles has continued to build a vibrant movement of young people across universities, colleges, secondary, and primary schools in Malawi, advocating for environmental sustainability through tree planting and growing. The network drives collective action towards a zero-carbon future and the preservation of Malawi鈥檚 rich biodiversity. One of the most impactful achievements has been MCCN鈥檚 instrumental role in securing the landmark ban on plastic bags in Malawi, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019 after a prolonged legal battle. Through nationwide marches, advocacy, and collaboration with various stakeholders Charles mobilised widespread support for this critical policy change.
Outstanding public engagement initiative - Highly commended
and (Manchester Institute of Education) and Dr Emma Pagnamenta, Prof. Vesna Stojanovik, Dr Rebecca Baxter (University of Reading)
Parents and Children Together (PACT-DS)
Children with Down syndrome require support for language development from an early age but overwhelming demand for speech and language therapy (SLT) and a lack of evidence-based interventions make it difficult to get support. The PACT-DS project works with families from the DS community to adapt and evaluate a parent-delivered early language teaching programme for young children with DS. The aim is to provide parents with knowledge, skills, resources, and confidence to support their child鈥檚 language learning. Outcomes include a tailored intervention programme and data indicating benefits.
Outstanding public engagement initiative - Highly commended
(Honorary Professor, Geography), Professor Melanie Giles and Professor John McAuliffe (School of Arts, Languages, and Modern Languages) and Professor Matthew Paterson (School of Social Sciences)
Learning from the past, looking to the future: peatland communities
This project helped local communities see peatlands 鈥榙ifferently鈥�, supporting civic engagement with nature and heritage: enhancing belonging and wellbeing. This project aimed to 鈥榤ake a difference鈥� by sharing interdisciplinary research with peat practitioners, working and learning alongside our community partner Transitions Wilmslow, local schools and adult education groups based at The Wilmslow Guild. They co-produced research activities and events; sharing cutting-edge wetland restoration 鈥榖est practice鈥� with other academics, conservation bodies, heritage practitioners and charities, through a workshop, Peatlands: learning from the past, looking to the future; enhancing the sustainability of this network by curating an online Peat Caf茅 which continues today to widen its international membership. Through the conference and lecture series, they supported over 180 adult learners: creating a rich research culture in which knowledge flows both ways, entangling academic and civic research to mutual benefit.
Find out more about the Making a Difference awards on our