SPORT POSITIVE FOUNDER AWARDED CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP
1 July 2026, London: Claire Poole, founder of Sport Positive has been awarded a coveted Churchill Fellowship which will enable her to travel to Scandinavia and the U.S.A to research how neglected urban spaces can support sport, recreation and nature, to tackle climate, health and social gaps. Poole believes that combining increased access to green spaces and the community that comes from sport and recreation can tackle cascading crises of climate, biodiversity, loneliness, mental and physical health.
Poole is one of 109 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, the Churchill Fellowship. These remarkable individuals span the length and breadth of the UK, representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions, and passions. Each shares a commitment to inspiring change and building a better society through global learning.
Talking about her award, Claire said: “I am very proud to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship. I’ve worked for nearly 15 years on the power of predominantly professional sport to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. I want to drill more deeply into how we can drive these changes at a grassroots and community level, so being able to visit and learn from projects and places in Denmark and Norway, as well as inner cities in the U.S, to bring back new approaches to embedding infrastructure and community into our cities in the UK is a fantastic opportunity.”
Alongside Claire, this year’s Fellows’ research will span a wide range of pressing issues – from tackling social media harm and creating climate-friendly school canteens to strengthening dementia care in rural communities. They will draw on experience and share knowledge with innovators in countries across the globe from Greenland to Taiwan, New Zealand to Argentina, South Africa to Jamaica.
The Churchill Fellowship offers UK citizens a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the change they want to see. Each Fellowship funds an individual to spend four to eight weeks meeting global experts in their chosen field, in person or online, to build international networks and exchange knowledge. Fellows then turn their insights into action – transforming communities, shaping services, and influencing policy across the UK.
Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Churchill Fellowship says: “In a world where looking outwards has never mattered more, there is something genuinely hopeful about people choosing to seek out new ideas, build connections across borders, and use that knowledge to create positive change.”
“I am delighted to welcome our 2026 Fellows. Each of them shows the power of curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn from others. We’re all looking forward to following their journeys and seeing the difference they make across the UK.”
The 2026 Churchill Fellows join a community of over 4,000 changemakers who work on the frontline of today’s critical issues, developing new solutions based on global research and their personal expertise. From ages 18 to over 80 and from every corner of all four nations, Churchill Fellows have achieved amazing things, from becoming community leaders and charity founders to embedding new services and campaigning for action in fields from climate change to education, technology to the arts.
Applications to become a Fellow are next open from 1 September to 20 October 2026.
NOTES TO EDITORS.
About the Churchill Fellowship
Each year, over 100 Churchill Fellows are funded to discover new ideas and best practice overseas in any practical issue they care passionately about. They build international networks, exchange knowledge, and gather practical ideas and then collate their findings and recommendations. The Churchill Fellowship then provides support to help them to share their insights with communities and sectors across the UK and turn their ideas into action. The international learnings can be undertaken through travel and/or online and Fellows are encouraged to carefully consider their carbon footprint.
Churchill Fellowships are open to all adult UK citizens, regardless of qualifications, background or age.
The Fellowship was set up in 1965 as the living legacy of Sir Winston Churchill for the nation.
The Churchill Fellowship is the operating name of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, registered charity number 313952.
