After the launch of its ground-breaking Change The World Fund earlier this year, The University of Law has now announced the first ever winner, Katie Landsborough.
The initiative, aimed at supporting students in making a significant impact on societal issues, offers a £5,000 grant alongside specialist mentorship, to empower students to affect real change on key issues across the globe. This could be through charitable endeavours or new business initiatives.
After being selected as the winner by a panel of industry experts, Katie Landsborough, who is 21 and currently an LPC LLM student at ULaw’s Chester campus, intends to use the fund to educate young people and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities on social attitudes.
Titled ‘A Race for Justice’, Katie’s campaign will be made up of a series of workshops taking place within educational institutions and community centres around the UK, to help tackle the challenges members of the BAME community face.
Speaking about the campaign, Miss Landsborough said: “As a Mixed Black Caribbean & White person, I have unfortunately been subject to some racism throughout my childhood and in most of these cases it was a result of ignorance. This is why I believe it would be hugely beneficial to society if we facilitate a setting where open and sometimes difficult conversations about race and unconscious prejudice can take place”.
“Knowledge is power, and for some it can be a form of protection and this is why, especially in this current climate, our charity could help bridge the gap between all races.”
Having originally pledged £5,000 in funding to the winning initiative, such was the quality of the entries, The University of Law decided to donate an additional £3,000 to the runner up, Musa Nela.
Originally born and raised in Albania before being granted asylum to the UK in 2017, Musa is now in his third year of the LLB course with ULaw and aims to become a barrister in the future.
After enduring a long and difficult process to gain asylum to the UK himself as a child, his proposed ‘Distress Signal’ campaign aims to give better support for unaccompanied young asylum seekers, through the means of lobbying for an allocated guardian to be provided for minors in these difficult situations.
Rachel Wang, ULaw alumni and an independent judge on the Change The World Fund panel, commented on the competition entries: “The Change the World Fund is exactly what the world needs right now. I was privileged to be invited on to the judging panel and I found it inspiring to see The University of Law create such an innovative and progressive opportunity.
“Today's students have an appetite for social justice and so it is refreshing to see that my university is behind such essential endeavours. Seeing the range of ideas and the passion behind the projects that were pitched made me feel hopeful and inspired by what future generations will bring to society.”
Professor Andrea Nollent, Vice Chancellor and CEO of The University of Law, added: “The Change The World Fund initiative has highlighted the passion and enthusiasm of our students to make significant change in the hard-hitting global issues effecting society today.
“We were delighted to receive such a large number of impressive and considered entries and we have no doubt that those receiving the funding will put it to good use and make an impact on the issues that they are passionate about. We look forward to seeing their progress.”