The Judges


 

Tom is a Senior Organiser for Citizens UK working in Leeds and West Yorkshire. Over the last 7 years Tom has equipped hundreds of people of a variety of ages, faiths and backgrounds with the skills to take positive social action.

Tom began his career at Citizens UK with Money Mentors, an innovative community financial literacy campaign in response to the UK recession. He then spent 3 years as a Community Organiser in the London Borough of Lambeth, where he worked with the local council to achieve Living Wage accreditation in 2012. He later directed CitySafe, an initiative that rebuilt relationships between young people, small businesses and the Metropolitan Police and opened over 600 safe havens across the capital. In 2015, he launched Leeds Citizens, an alliance of 30 faith, education and community groups campaigning to address issues of low pay, mental health and youth opportunities around the city.

Tom holds a BA in Geography from the University of Cambridge, where he made history by becoming the university's first black Student Union President. During his term of office, he successfully campaigned for the university to fund a Student Advice Service and multimillion pound sports centre. His achievements were recognised by Rare, who named him the first No.1 Rare Rising Star in 2009. Tom also has an MA in Community Organising from Queen Mary, University of London. He serves on the Board of Directors for Amnesty International UK, an NGO working around the world to promote human rights.