Meet our Next Generation Game Changers
19th May 2025
This year, we’re shining a spotlight on the remarkable young people building stronger and more inclusive communities across the UK. From pioneering inclusive education to reshaping local heritage, their work is proof that with support and passion, anything is possible.
Thanks to National Lottery funding, these inspiring individuals are making a real and lasting difference in classrooms, on stage, through sport and in their neighbourhoods.
NEXT GENERATION GAME CHANGERS: COMMUNITY
Eve McIvor (Northern Ireland)
25-year-old Eve McIvor, born with Down syndrome, teaches Makaton to Year 8 pupils at St Mary's in Derry~Londonderry. Makaton is a language programme that uses signs and symbols to help people with learning or communication difficulties. After Eve was born, her parents were told she wouldn’t be able to do things on her own. Now, Eve teaches full time and is seen as a leader in her community.
During lockdown, Eve was inspired by online Makaton videos. The Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, funded by The National Lottery, helped her access training. Eve is now qualified to teach to level 4. She’s taught at her old school, launched ‘Makaton Monday’ for older adults, taught pantomime casts for inclusive performances, and performed at the Guildhall in Derry using Makaton.
Eve was the Winner of Derry Journal Volunteer of the Year Award in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Diana Award.
Elvire Mavusi Matu (London)
Growing up in Barking and Dagenham, Elvire saw local community centres close and gang violence rise. At 14, she created Konverse Dance Crews to provide a safe space for young people.
In 2021, she expanded Konverse. With funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, it now offers accessible dance sessions, employment, training, and qualifications.
Now 26, Elvire has worked with over 900 young people, with 46 attending weekly. She also works full-time as a school learning mentor. A self-taught dancer inspired by her sister, Elvire has performed at major festivals and continues to prove dance is a powerful tool for connection and change.
Nirushan Sudarsan (Wales)
Nirushan came to the UK as an asylum seeker and now leads community-focused projects in Wales. He became engaged in politics through local neighbourhood dynamics in Grangetown, Cardiff.
He leads Grange Pavilion Youth Forum CIC and Ffair Jobs CIC, engaging and empowering young people and promoting fair work.
He also serves on several trustee boards and founded the Radical Reading Room – a space for debate, education, and organising on social issues like inequality, climate change, and workers' rights.
NEXT GENERATION GAME CHANGERS: SPORT
Anna Hursey (Wales)
Anna began playing table tennis at age five and quickly made history. Half-Chinese, she spent time training in China and practised for 7–8 hours a day while attending school.
In 2017, aged 10, she became the youngest known athlete to represent Wales at a senior level. She later debuted at the Commonwealth Games and won bronze in the 2022 women's doubles – the first for Welsh women in the sport.
She competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team GB, qualifying via her world ranking and a tournament win. Living with severe asthma, Anna is a UN ambassador for climate change in sport and uses her platform to promote sustainability.
Ruby McDonald (Scotland)
18-year-old Ruby is a champion disability athlete and coach, representing Disability Sports Fife. She excels in swimming, athletics, archery and para football with Glenrothes Strollers.
Raised in care and diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, Ruby overcame challenges with support from her foster mum Fiona.
She now coaches, volunteers with youth programmes, and sits on Disability Sport Scotland’s Young Persons Sports Panel. Her awards include the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero and the British Citizen Youth Award.
NEXT GENERATION GAME CHANGERS: ARTS & FILM
Magnus Turpie (Scotland)
Magnus Turpie, a musician with Down’s Syndrome from Edinburgh, plays and composes across several instruments, especially the accordion.
Performing since 2017, Magnus’s band reached the final of Celtic Connections’ Battle of the Folk Bands in 2024 and toured Skye with the “Kitchen Ceilidhs”.
Supported by Creative Scotland’s LMNS Pathways Programme, he’s played ceilidhs, festivals and with inclusive music groups. He recently launched his debut album at Feis Rois Ullapool.
Simisolaoluwa Akande (Midlands)
Simi is a Nigerian-British filmmaker whose work explores identity, queerness, and community. Born in Lagos, she moved to Kettering at age eight and was shaped by grief, racism and culture shock.
Frustrated by a lack of representation, she took up filmmaking and attended the BRIT School. Her short film Dudu explored colourism and won Best Experimental Film at the BFI Future Film Festival.
During lockdown, Simi was diagnosed with dissociative seizures and PTSD. She created The Archive: Queer Nigerians, funded by the National Lottery via BFI, which won at the BFI London Film Festival. She’s now finishing her first fiction short and studying for a master’s.
Nyrobi & Chaya (Midlands)
Sisters Nyrobi and Chaya formed Alt Blk Era in 2020. Despite Nyrobi’s chronic fatigue, they began recording music during lockdown after joining a songwriting course.
With support from Inspire Youth Arts and Youth Music (via Arts Council England), they wrote nine songs in their first year and released their debut single in 2022.
They’ve performed at major festivals including Glastonbury and Reading. Their debut album Rave Immortal was released in January 2025 and won a MOBO Award for Best Alternative Music Act.
NEXT GENERATION GAME CHANGERS: HERITAGE
Hayley Melrose (Scotland)
Hayley, a fourth-year History student at Stirling University, volunteers with the eco-museum of Scottish Mining Landscapes, which explores coalfield heritage through local walking and cycling routes.
Growing up in ex-mining Danderhall and with miners in her family, Hayley began volunteering in 2023. She now sits on the board of the National Mining Museum of Scotland’s collection trust – its youngest and second-ever female member.
Hayley is working to bring more young women into heritage leadership roles.
Lisa Manning (East of England)
25-year-old Lisa began her journey in the wildlife/heritage sector after seeing a job advert for New to Nature three years ago. Before this, she worked for the National Trust. New to Nature was created to offer life-changing experiences to people underrepresented in nature careers, as part of a push for a more inclusive environmental sector.
Funded by The National Lottery via The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the programme offered 12-month paid roles to young people who are disabled, from ethnic minorities, or low-income backgrounds.
After completing the programme, Lisa became a Policy Officer for Wildlife and Countryside Link – the largest nature and wildlife coalition in England, representing 89 organisations. Her role involves creating reports and campaigns to influence government policy on nature.
Redefining leadership
These Game Changers are redefining what it means to lead. With courage, creativity, and support from The National Lottery, they are creating lasting impact in their communities and beyond.