Gemma Cartwright
28 May 2025
Kentown Support CEO Dr Helena Dunbar joined fellow recipients of the Churchill Fellowship on 27th May at an event to celebrate the Fellowship’s 60th Anniversary.
The Churchill Fellowship was created in 1965 as the living legacy of Sir Winston Churchill, to support UK citizens with a passion for change. It provides its fellows with the opportunity to travel, research and learn about best practice in their chosen field, to help develop new approaches to current challenges.
This celebration tea at Belfast Castle was the first in a series of anniversary celebrations that will see over 600 Churchill Fellows connect, celebrate and reflect on their work.
Helena met with a diverse group of fellows, the oldest of whom received their fellowship in 1970. A broad group of sectors were represented including fashion, agriculture, policing, education, IT and health. Helena said, “Jeremey Soames, Churchill’s grandson and the current chairman, gave a lovely address congratulating fellows and endorsing the vision of traveling to learn from the world and inspire change in the UK.”
The event came just a few weeks after Helena’s own Churchill Fellowship report was published.
Helena was awarded the Churchill Fellowship in 2020, but due to Covid travel restrictions was unable to complete her work until recently. Her report examines the Children’s Palliative Care Provision in Canada and Australia, and concludes with recommendations that will improve and enhance provision across the UK in the future.
“Having an opportunity to share, network, build connections and learn from other professionals is something to be valued. Across the world there are so many examples of good practice in children’s palliative care. When people work together, crossing organisational boundaries, recognising and respecting their value and expertise, change can happen and children and families can benefit. I am truly thankful to the Churchill Fellowship for giving me the opportunity to travel and be inspired to see change”.
These recommendations, and this incredible opportunity to learn from similar organisations around the world, will help Kentown Support drive change in the Children’s Palliative Care sector in the UK. We will have the ability to bring together organisations to work together, to share expertise in good practice, to create research opportunities, to learn from each other so that children and their families with seriously ill conditions can truly benefit from best practice.
Applications for the Churchill Fellowship open from 2 September to 4 November 2025. Sign up for application alerts now to stay updated.