Could you be one of the Thrive 35?
Thrive 35 is a mission to find and profile 35 people who we predict will make the world a better place, by 2035.
People talk about being ‘on the right side of history’. This is about being on the right side of the future.
Please note: There is no ‘save’ function within our form. Please prepare your answers separately to copy and paste across when they are ready. We’d hate for anyone to lose their work!
What is the Thrive 35?
A list of individuals making change happen, in places all over the UK.
People who have a strong vision of a thriving place in their minds, know what it takes to get there and who are taking bold steps towards making this a reality – often against the odds.
We are looking for people from every corner of the UK, who challenge ‘things that are wrong’ in the places where they live – and are building tangible solutions.
The Thrive 35 will be equally ranked, with no ‘1st’ or ‘35th’ place. There will be no glossy awards ceremony. This is about getting these stories seen, so that they can be supported and hopefully one day, scaled.
We are looking for vibrant, varied examples that when put together, showcase the power of individuals to make positive, radical change happen.
This is about human determination, the bravery of those who call out wrongs and perhaps most importantly, about providing motivation – so the rest of us to follow their lead.
who can nominate?
Anyone. You can nominate someone and let them know,
Or put someone forward anonymously (we’ll tell them, and we’ll check they are happy to be put forward / that the information given us correct).
Self nominations are more than welcome – we won’t reveal where the nominations came from, when it comes to publishing the final list.
Anyone from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland is eligible to enter.
Groups and collectives of people are welcome to put forward nominations (please do!) – we just ask you to represent the group’s story through the lens of 1 x individual.
Why we are building the Thrive 35
From wars and the climate crisis on the global stage, to growing division, crumbling services and fast growing inequality in our communities, there is much to feel desperate and angry about.
Yet in every corner of the world – including every community in the UK, there are individuals and groups who are channelling that anger and outrage into action for good.
Principled, brave and yes ‘badass’ folks who not just applying sticking on plasters to soften our disquiet, but who challenge systems and build new ways of doing things, that work for people, places and the precious planet we live on.
Across the UK people are saying ‘no’. Putting their head above the parapet, taking risks, gathering others around a solution and making good things happen. People who won’t give up on the areas they live in and who have a future built on the image of a strong, thriving place, held firmly in their mind’s eye.
And we think it’s high time their stories were made public and celebrated.
WHAT THE JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for people who are building fairness, equality, and the potential for all to thrive.
Their actions push back against the damaging systems and structures around them. They create viable alternatives that improve one or more of the key drivers of our capacity to thrive: better health; stronger communities with greater voice; quality local services; reduced inequality or injustice; a cleaner environment where nature is flourishing; or better local education, skills and meaningful work.
Nominees must have done at one or more of the following, and can tell a clear story of change.
Developed a new product, service or way of doing things that has radically transformed outcomes for the community around you (geographic community or a specific group of people).
Reformed an institution or a sector from the inside out (or seriously challenged the status quo).
Fought against an unjust or damaging system; or stood up to a specific wrong doing / injustice; spoken out against people or organisations with vested interests that threaten our futures.
Helped a community to retain or reclaim local assets (eg care services, transport, housing, libraries, swimming pools).
We want to hear YOUR amazing, systems-challenging story. Anyone who is re-writing the future of the place around them, can be nominated for the Thrive 35.
Some examples to get you thinking (but your real life ones will be even better!):
A bold local councillor who successfully campaigned to return a council building to the community.
Care workers who come together to create a co-operative to run a care company themselves, with love and care at the heart of it.
A social entrepreneur redefining work placements to end them being just about access and privilege.
A mother who saw the statistics for maternal care in the BAME community and set up a campaign group from her kitchen table.
A farmer who pushed back on supermarkets and agribusiness and started a food growing collective that is now supplying healthy local food to local schools and hospitals.
An advertising exec who brought together the best creative minds in her industry to support health and equality campaigns on every high street.
WHY NOW?
The national news makes for pulse-quickening reading – and not in a good way. Daily, we give air time, column inches and our internal thoughts and capacity over to those who actively cause harm. People gaining wealth and power through extractive or morally bankrupt means. Who benefit from hammering our earth’s resources, widening inequalities and war.
At Centre For Thriving Places, we say: “in times of darkness – look for sparks of light. If you can join them together – you might just make a blaze”.
JUDGES
mike barry
Sustainability expert
Mike spearheaded Marks & Spencers’ ground-breaking Plan A sustainability programme (‘because there is no Plan B for the one planet we have’). He co-chaired the Consumer Goods Forum’s sustainability work bringing the world’s largest retailers and FMCG brands together over issues such as deforestation, plastics and forced labour. More recently, he co-founded Planeatry Alliance, which bridges the gap between organisations, sustainability and health, to drive real change in food systems.
Zubeda Limbada
Social justice, anti-racism and anti-extremism campaigner
Zubeda co-founded ConnectFutures, a social enterprise that conducts research and delivers training around disinformation, extremism, anti-racism, hate and violence. Zubeda is a Clore Social Fellow, and has been to the White House at the invite of former US President, Barack Obama, to discuss countering violent extremism.
Liz Zeidler
Systems change and wellbeing economy expert
Liz is an internationally recognised leader in new economic thinking and wellbeing. For over 30 years, she has connected, challenged and supported changemakers around the globe. In 2009 she co-founded Centre for Thriving Places, to better measure, understand and grow the conditions for people and planet to thrive. She has led research, advocacy and delivery of innovation and change in towns, cities and regions across the UK.
TELL US YOUR STORY!
Fill out our short nomination form below. Please remember: there is no ‘save’ function, so we recommend you prepare answers elsewhere to copy and paste across when you’re ready.