Every year, the Sheila McKechnie Foundation’s National Campaigner Awards celebrate the best campaigners and campaigns. They seek to find those who have made change happen – most effectively, creatively, and courageously.
That change might be in law or policy, it might be in attitudes, social norms or behaviour, it could be in how services are provided, or in the protection of a service or asset. A campaign could be aimed at righting a wrong or holding a body to account.
David & Goliath Award
JRRT is the proud sponsor of the David & Goliath category at the SMK Awards. It celebrates individuals or small campaign groups that take on much bigger organisations and challenge vested power. We make our sponsorship in memory of former JRRT Director, Lord David Shutt.
2025 winners
The winners of the 2025 Award were announced at a ceremony in London in June 2025…
And they are Gambling With Lives
SMK explained that, “Gambling with Lives was founded by families who had all experienced the same loss — the death of a loved one due to gambling-related suicide. In seeking answers, the families discovered an industry profiting from harm, and a system that blamed those most affected. The families came together to share their experiences, challenge the dominant narrative of personal individual responsibility, and expose the structural and political failures that contributed to this harm. They have spoken truth to power and achieved meaningful change to protect others.”
Congratulations to Gambling With Lives!
The other shortlisted campaigns in the David & Goliath Award were:
You can watch the full SMK National Campaigner Awards ceremony on YouTube now!