Cambridge Reveals Social Innovation Prize Winners 2026

Key Points

• Winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026 were announced for their proven achievements and future potential to create positive social impact across the UK in fashion, accessibility, training and entrepreneurship.
• The Prize is jointly awarded by Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, and the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School, funded by a donation from Trinity Hall alumnus Graham Ross Russell.
• The Cambridge Social Innovation Prize focuses on mid‑career founder‑CEOs of scale‑up social enterprises, recognising leaders with an established track record who would benefit from support to reach the next level of impact.
• Each winner receives a £10,000 cash award for personal and professional development, targeted at strengthening their leadership and long‑term social impact.
• Prize‑winners also gain mentoring from experts at Cambridge Social Ventures at Cambridge Judge Business School, plus support from an expanding community of social innovators at Trinity Hall.
• The 2026 cohort spans diverse social venture sectors: equine‑based wellbeing and leadership programmes, school‑based food insecurity and education work, specialist support for survivors of sexual violence, and employment pathways for people facing major barriers to work.
• The winners are: Danielle McKinnon (Eat, Sleep, Ride, Scotland), Nathan Atkinson (Rethink Food), Lucy Hebberts (GINA) and Matt Parfitt (Grace Enterprises).
• Winner Danielle McKinnon said founders rarely have the chance to invest in their own development and described herself as “gobsmacked” to receive the award, saying it “means the world” to her and the people her organisation serves.
• Nicole Helwig, Executive Director of the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation, praised the winners as examples of the “transformative power of purpose and social innovation” in addressing pressing societal challenges.
• Helwig highlighted specific areas of impact: empowering the next generation to lead healthier lives, harnessing horses to transform lives, creating supportive employment through sustainable businesses, and providing specialist support for survivors of sexual violence.

Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) July 20, 2026 – Winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026 selected for their social impact achievements and what support will they receive to scale their work across the UK.

What is the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize and who awards it?

The Cambridge Social Innovation Prize is an annual award recognising founder‑CEOs of scale‑up social enterprises who are in the middle stages of their careers and who have already demonstrated a meaningful track record of social impact. It is jointly awarded by Trinity Hall, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, and the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School. The Prize is supported through a generous donation from Trinity Hall alumnus Graham Ross Russell, whose contribution enables both financial awards and structured support for each winner.

Uniquely among many social enterprise awards, the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize is designed to spotlight mid‑career social innovators rather than early‑stage founders or lifetime achievers. It focuses on leaders who have proved their model works in practice, but who require tailored backing to expand, deepen or sustain their impact. The organisers emphasise social innovation that improves lives in different parts of the UK through approaches including fashion, accessibility, training and entrepreneurship, while also recognising work in health, wellbeing and social justice.

How does the Prize support mid‑career social innovators?

The Prize offers a £10,000 cash award to each winner, specifically earmarked for personal and professional development rather than direct organisational costs. This focus reflects the view that founder‑CEOs are central to the growth and resilience of social enterprises, and that investing in their skills, leadership capacity and wellbeing can unlock wider benefits for the communities they serve. The financial award is intended to enable recipients to undertake training, coaching, study or other forms of development that they would otherwise struggle to prioritise while running demanding ventures.

In addition to the cash grant, winners receive mentoring from experts at Cambridge Social Ventures, a programme based at Cambridge Judge Business School that works with social entrepreneurs to refine their business models, impact strategies and growth plans. They also gain support from an expanding community of social innovators connected to Trinity Hall, giving them access to peer learning, networks and opportunities for collaboration. This combination of funding, mentoring and community is designed to help mid‑career leaders reach “the next level” of social impact while maintaining the integrity of their mission‑driven work.

Who are the 2026 winners and what ventures do they lead?

The 2026 cohort spans several sectors of UK social innovation, reflecting the breadth of challenges addressed by social enterprises. The winners are:

• Danielle McKinnon – Founder of Eat, Sleep, Ride, a Scottish social enterprise and charity.
• Nathan Atkinson – Co‑founder and CEO of Rethink Food, a UK social enterprise working with schools.
• Lucy Hebberts – Head of GINA, a social enterprise supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
• Matt Parfitt – Founder and CEO of Grace Enterprises, a social enterprise focused on employment for people facing severe barriers to work.

Each of these ventures operates with a distinct model but shares a common emphasis on improving lives for individuals and communities often excluded from mainstream support. The breadth of sectors – from equine therapy to school food, from trauma recovery to inclusive employment – illustrates the Prize’s commitment to recognising social innovation wherever it emerges, provided it has demonstrable impact and potential for further growth.

How does Eat, Sleep, Ride use horses and nature to support wellbeing?

Eat, Sleep, Ride, founded by Danielle McKinnon in Scotland, is a social enterprise and charity that uses horses, nature and community‑based programmes to support personal development, wellbeing and leadership. Its work particularly targets young people and disadvantaged communities who may lack access to structured development opportunities or who are dealing with adversity in their lives. By engaging participants in horse‑related activities within a natural environment, the organisation seeks to build confidence, emotional resilience and practical skills.

As reported in the Prize announcement, Eat, Sleep, Ride’s programmes combine equine interaction with community‑based engagement, allowing people to develop relationships with animals, peers and mentors in a supportive setting. For young people, especially those at risk of exclusion or experiencing mental health challenges, this can offer an alternative route to building trust and self‑belief. For disadvantaged communities more broadly, the organisation’s work contributes to wellbeing and leadership development that can ripple out across families and neighbourhoods.

What did Danielle McKinnon say about winning the Prize?

Winner Danielle McKinnon described the significance of the award both personally and for those her organisation serves. As quoted in the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize materials, she said:

“I applied because, after years of pouring everything into this, founders like me rarely get the chance to invest in their own development and because I find it hard to capture just how much we’ve achieved. Honestly? I’m gobsmacked to have won. It means the world, both to me and to every person we’re here to serve.”

This statement underscores a recurring reality in the social enterprise sector: founder‑leaders often prioritise organisational needs over their own development, working long hours under resource constraints. By highlighting that “founders like me rarely get the chance to invest in their own development,” McKinnon points to the importance of the Prize’s focus on personal and professional growth. Her reaction describing herself as “gobsmacked” conveys both surprise and gratitude, emphasising that recognition from established institutions such as Trinity Hall and Cambridge Judge Business School carries symbolic and practical weight.

How does Rethink Food work with schools to tackle food insecurity?

Rethink Food, led by co‑founder and CEO Nathan Atkinson, is a UK social enterprise that partners with schools to address food insecurity, improve food education and shape healthier futures for children and families. Its model integrates the provision of food with educational initiatives that teach pupils about nutrition, sustainability and the links between diet and long‑term wellbeing. Working through schools allows the organisation to reach children in a familiar environment and engage families indirectly through school‑based activities and communication.

By tackling food insecurity, Rethink Food seeks to ensure that children have access to sufficient, nutritious food, reducing the risk of hunger and related impacts on concentration, attendance and learning. Its educational work aims to empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices and understand how food systems work. The Prize announcement specifically notes that the winners’ work includes “empowering the next generation with the knowledge and skills to lead healthier lives,” a description that aligns closely with Rethink Food’s mission in schools and communities.

How does GINA support survivors of sexual violence and abuse?

GINA, headed by Lucy Hebberts, is a social enterprise that supports survivors of sexual violence and abuse through specialist counselling, advocacy and educational resources. Its work focuses on providing tailored, survivor‑centred support that recognises the complex impact of sexual violence on mental health, relationships and everyday functioning. Specialist counselling offers a safe space for survivors to process trauma and begin recovery, while advocacy helps them navigate systems – from criminal justice to healthcare and housing – that can be difficult or retraumatising to access.

Educational resources developed and delivered by GINA aim to raise awareness of sexual violence, challenge stigma and equip professionals, communities and organisations to respond more appropriately to survivors. By combining direct support with education and advocacy, the social enterprise works to improve both individual outcomes and wider societal responses. The Prize organisers’ description of GINA’s work highlights its role in “providing specialist support for survivors of sexual violence,” placing this alongside other award‑winning initiatives addressing health, employment and social inclusion.

What is Grace Enterprises doing to create life‑changing employment?

Grace Enterprises, founded and led by CEO Matt Parfitt, is a social enterprise that creates life‑changing employment opportunities for people who face significant barriers to work, including homelessness, addiction and modern slavery. Its approach is to build supportive, sustainable businesses that can hire and retain staff who might otherwise be excluded from the labour market due to their history, circumstances or lack of conventional qualifications. Employment with Grace Enterprises is framed not only as a source of income but also as a pathway to stability, dignity and long‑term recovery.

People who have experienced homelessness, addiction or exploitation often struggle to access mainstream employment due to gaps in their CVs, criminal records, health issues or trauma. By designing jobs and support structures specifically for such groups, Grace Enterprises attempts to bridge this gap. The Prize announcement refers to its work as “creating supportive employment through sustainable businesses,” underlining the dual focus on individual support and business viability. This emphasis on sustainable enterprises suggests that the organisation aims to model how commercial activity can be aligned with inclusive hiring practices and social impact.

What did Nicole Helwig say about this year’s winners?

Nicole Helwig, Executive Director of the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation, provided a detailed statement about the 2026 winners. As reported in the Prize communication, she said: “The 2026 winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize demonstrate the transformative power of purpose and social innovation to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.”

She went on to explain: “From empowering the next generation with the knowledge and skills to lead healthier lives to harnessing the power of horses to transform lives, creating supportive employment through sustainable businesses and providing specialist support for survivors of sexual violence, Nathan Atkinson, Danielle McKinnon, Matt Parfitt and Lucy Hebberts are driving meaningful, lasting change. We’re proud to recognise their achievements and support their continued journeys as they grow their impact.”

This statement positions the four winners within a broader narrative of social innovation as a response to urgent social issues. Helwig’s reference to “society’s most pressing challenges” situates their work in the context of food insecurity, youth wellbeing, employment exclusion and sexual violence, each of which has significant consequences for individuals and communities across the UK. Her emphasis on “meaningful, lasting change” reflects a focus on sustained impact rather than short‑term projects.

How does the Prize emphasise mid‑career leadership and scale‑up impact?

Unlike some awards that target start‑ups or offer lifetime recognition, the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize explicitly recognises mid‑career social innovators who are founder‑CEOs of scale‑up social enterprises. This means the focus is on leaders who have moved beyond initial piloting and early validation of their ideas and are now working to grow and consolidate their organisations. The Prize highlights a “proven track record” as a key criterion, suggesting that recipients must demonstrate tangible outcomes from their work.

At the same time, the organisers note that these leaders “could benefit from support to reach the next level,” acknowledging that scaling social impact requires investment in leadership, strategy and capacity. The £10,000 award for personal and professional development, combined with mentoring and community support, is structured to address this need. By targeting this specific stage of an organisation’s journey, the Prize seeks to strengthen the ability of social enterprises to expand responsibly and sustainably, without diluting their mission.

Background of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize

The Cambridge Social Innovation Prize was established to recognise and support social entrepreneurs whose work aligns with the University of Cambridge’s wider commitment to research and practice in social innovation. Trinity Hall, one of Cambridge’s oldest colleges, partners with the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School to deliver the Prize, drawing on academic expertise and collegiate networks. Funding from Graham Ross Russell, a Trinity Hall alumnus, underpins the financial and structural elements of the award.

The Prize’s emphasis on fashion, accessibility, training and entrepreneurship reflects a broad understanding of how social innovation can manifest in different sectors, from creative industries to education and employment. Over successive years, the award has aimed to build a community of mid‑career social innovators connected to Cambridge, offering them ongoing support beyond the initial Prize year. The involvement of Cambridge Social Ventures provides a bridge between academic insight and practical social enterprise development, reinforcing the Prize’s focus on real‑world impact.

Prediction: How could this development affect UK social enterprises and communities?

The recognition and support given to the 2026 winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize is likely to have several effects on UK social enterprises and the communities they serve. For the particular audience of social innovators, practitioners and community stakeholders, the Prize may encourage more mid‑career leaders to seek structured support for their development, viewing investment in their own skills as critical to the growth of their organisations. It may also signal to funders and policymakers that mid‑stage social enterprises deserve targeted backing, not only start‑ups.

For communities directly served by the winning ventures – including young people in Scotland engaging with equine‑based programmes, children and families facing food insecurity, survivors of sexual violence and people overcoming homelessness, addiction or exploitation – the added resources and mentoring could enable those organisations to refine and expand their services. If the Prize helps these leaders to scale sustainably, more individuals and communities across different parts of the UK may gain access to tailored support in wellbeing, education, recovery and employment, reinforcing the role of social enterprises as key partners in addressing complex social challenges.