Judging Panel 2026
Bushra Ahmed, Founder, West Croydon Voice
James Banks, Chief Executive, London Founders
Cheryl Hooper, CEO, Cecily's Fund; Independent Consultant, Global Changemakers Oxford
Dalton Leong, Chair, Chartered Management Institute South East Regional Board
Tim Parry, Director, Claremont
George Stevens, Director of Communities, LHC Procurement Group
Amanda Tincknell CBE, Chief Executive, Cranfield Trust
Grant Wilson, CIO, Asset Risk Consultants
Bushra Ahmed, Founder, West Croydon Voice
Bushra is a business leader, non-executive director, board advisor, strategic consultant, and community activist with over 25 years of experience in board development, strategy, governance, finance and community engagement. Recognised for her impact, Bushra was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2025 and was shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards as a Positive Role Model for Gender in 2023. She currently serves as Board Director of the Lloyds Bank Foundation and Board Advisor at the Bevisioneers Mercedes Benz Global Fellowship, alongside other board and advisory roles.
James Banks, Chief Executive, London Founders
James Banks is Chief Executive of London Funders, enabling public, private and philanthropic funders to work collaboratively on the issues that matter to our communities. He helped to bring 67 funders together to distribute £58m through the London Community Response collaboration during the pandemic, enabled funders and social justice organisations to deliver the £100m ten-year Propel systems change collaboration, and encouraged progressive funder practice towards more open and trusting grantmaking by getting over 400 funders to sign the We Stand With The Sector pledges. Alongside his role at London Funders, James also chairs Collaboration Circle, a national organisation that provides a space for funders and partners to pool their people, power and pounds to achieve positive and lasting change. He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2022 for his services to charitable funding in London.
Cheryl Hooper, CEO, Cecily's Fund; Independent Consultant, Global Changemakers Oxford
Cheryl Hooper is the CEO of international charity Cecily's Fund, as well as an independent consultant for Global Changemakers Oxford.
Dalton Leong, Chair, Chartered Management Institute South East Regional Board
Dalton had careers in both the financial services and not-for-profit sectors (leading three charities as Chief Executive and undertaking governance roles as a Chair, Trustee and Governor).
Dalton now has a non-executive portfolio. Other than his position at the Chartered Management Institute, he has roles in healthcare, EDI, and Trustee roles at the National Emergencies Trust (where he chairs their Equity Advisory Panel) and as founding Co-Chair of Board Racial Diversity UK.
He is passionate about communities and ensuring the voice of everyone is heard in an inclusive way, in order to create a better society.
Tim Parry, Director, Claremont
Tim has nearly 25 years’ experience in communications, brand, digital, creative development, partnerships, marketing and public affairs in roles across the public, private and voluntary sectors covering issues from further education to the environment, and medical research.
For the major part of his career, Tim held the role of Director of Communications, Brand and Digital at Alzheimer’s Research UK, one of the world’s leading dementia research charities and sat on its Senior Leadership Team. With a department of 50, Tim led award-winning programmes that included organisational re-brands, digital overhauls, media relations and launches, public health and awareness campaigns, and the charity’s only service which answered public enquiries on dementia.
Tim has presented his work and campaigns and thought leadership at events ranging from the Cannes Creative Festival, to Google DeepMind’s exploration of VR, and from social marketing conferences in Slovenia and Hungary, to a dementia summit in Adelaide. He also once directed Samuel L Jackson in an advert.
At Claremont, Tim sits on the senior management team and has undertaken client work with a growing number of UK and international charities on issues ranging from disease research, care and prevention, safety and crime, childhood sexual violence and mental health.
George Stevens, Director of Communities, LHC Procurement Group
George is a values-driven leader with a strong background in strategy and transformation across the housing, heritage, and charity sectors. As Director of Communities at LHC Procurement Group, she leads on social value, community impact and our partner charities Lintel Trust and Lifting Lives; placing social and community benefit at the heart of public procurement.
With a career highlights including leading the successful transfer of LHC from local authority control to an independent not-for-profit company, leadership of the Group’s first Social Value and Community Impact strategy, developing public sector and charity partnerships responsible for distributing over £1.5 million annually to local communities and setting-up of new charity Lifting Lives. George brings a deep interest in how environmental and social data can support better decision-making, creating long-term value not just for organisations, but for the communities and places they serve. She is a passionate advocate for community led impact, championing inclusive, measurable outcomes that improve lives and strengthen social equity.
Amanda Tincknell CBE, Chief Executive, Cranfield Trust
CEO Amanda Tincknell joined Cranfield Trust as a volunteer in the 1990s, after completing her MBA at Cranfield School of Management. With a background in market research and recruitment, she was an early project manager for the Trust and spent some time as a trustee before becoming Chief Executive in 2000. She holds overall responsibility for the direction and management of the Trust, reporting to the trustee board. Amanda has increased the Trust’s capacity and influence enormously over more than two decades and was awarded a CBE for her contribution to charity services in the Queen's New Year Honours list 2015. With others, she is a founding member of the Pro Bono Association. Amanda is highly motivated by the organisations and leaders that the Trust is privileged to work with.
Grant Wilson, CIO, Asset Risk Consultants
Grant joined ARC in 2015 as Chief Investment Officer. He has worked in International Finance for more than thirty five years, initially as an investment manager and executive director of a number of fund management companies, including Martin Currie Investment Management Limited and Gartmore Investment Trust Management Limited. For the last ten years Grant has worked as an Investment Consultant based in Guernsey. Grant has served as a Trustee or Director on a number boards of charities, private and public companies. Grant is an Associate of The CFA Society of the UK (ASIP), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (MCSI) and an Associate of the Chartered Governance Institute (ACG). He has a degree in Business Administration from Strathclyde University.
