This year we launched our new volunteer awards to celebrate the amazing work you do as volunteers. One of our priorities with the awards was to give schools and volunteers the opportunity to nominate others and recognise their role in inspiring young people (and them!).
We could not be more grateful for the thousands of people who volunteer with us and inspire young people across the UK.
Whether it’s one in person event that took half an hour to prepare for, or 10 virtual events for different age groups, you’ve made a tangible difference.
Award winning volunteers 2026
The categories and our winners for 2026 are:
🌟Volunteer excellence
Andy Dinsdale, Submarine Engineer
🌟Most Rewarding Moment
Aparna Potluri, Senior consultant
🌟Above and Beyond
Sajana Kabaria, Business Manager at Bank of America
🌟Incredible Impact
Jyoti Saini, Senior Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation at NHS Black Country
🌟First Time Star
Hannah Estruch HRBP at Netflix
🌟Outstanding Contribution
Bal Choda, Lead Engineer
🌟Above and Beyond
Mike Glen, Head of Airspace and Noise
🌟Incredible Impact Penny Parker, Head of HR at Imperial Healthcare Trust
Winning volunteer stories
Read more about the stories behind these volunteers’ awards. There are some heartwarming moments in there that made us smile, so we hope they do the same for you too.
🌟Volunteer excellence: Andy Dinsdale, Submarine Engineer
Andy was nominated by multiple teachers who all sited the effort he puts into volunteering, returning to schools many times over the years to speak to new groups of students and inspire not just them, but the staff too!
What came across very strongly is the care Andy puts together his presentations – making sure they are thoughtfully pitched for the correct age group. He’s keen to ensure children come away with new insights into the maritime sector and knowledge of the challenges, as well as the jobs available. One teacher wrote “He was an incredible, inspiring, thoughtful volunteer who I cannot praise enough” and another said “Once the presentation had finished, many children still had millions more questions about his amazing job, he offered for teachers to write the questions down and email them so no child missed out.”
Thank you, Andy!
🌟First Time Star: Hannah Estruch HRBP at Netflix
Hannah was a new volunteer to ITF and she accepted an invite to attend a virtual session in May. It was Hannah’s first time and she was described as “absolutely incredible”!
Hannah gave fun insight into her career which was pitched perfectly for pupils 7-12 years old on the session and she even shared part of her personal journey, which was coming from a single parent household. In the debrief, our partner highlighted the impact of what she had shared as many of the young people come from single parent households and have now heard, some of them for the first time, that they can still be successful and go on to work for big companies such as Netflix! Hannah also left feedback that she had been smiling all day since the session. Thank you, Hannah!
Many of the young people come from single parent households and now have just heard how they can still be successful.
🌟Most Rewarding Moment: Aparna Potluri, Senior consultant
Aparna shared one of her many rewarding moments of volunteering with us.
“I remember one session in the afternoon, and the students had that familiar “we’re done for the day” energy.
One boy didn’t engage at all during the session. He stayed quiet throughout and looked completely disconnected from what was being said. After the session ended, while chairs were being stacked and students were leaving, he stayed behind. He didn’t rush into a question. He just stood there for a moment and then said, “People don’t really come here and do what you do, do they?”
It wasn’t asked with surprise or emotion. More like he was checking something he already believed.
We spoke briefly. He mentioned that he was good at maths but didn’t really put himself forward in class because it didn’t feel like something people around him did. He talked about how most careers felt distant from his world. I didn’t try to turn it into a big motivational conversation. I just spoke honestly about my own uncertainty when I was younger and how most people figure things out gradually, not confidently from the start. Before leaving, he said, “I thought you’d have it all sorted by now.” It was a simple comment, but it stayed with me because it reflected something many students quietly believe that adulthood is more certain than it really is.
A few months later, I received a short update from the school. It simply said he had started contributing more in lessons and had joined a school club.His teacher added that he was “more willing to take part than before.”
Nothing dramatic. Just a small, steady change.
And that is usually how it happens.
I’ve come to see volunteering less as something you do to make a difference in a single moment, and more as being part of a wider system where schools, teachers, organisations, and volunteers all play a role in widening what young people believe is possible for themselves. Most of the time, you don’t see the full effect. But occasionally, you see enough of it to understand why it matters to keep showing up.”
Thank you, Aparna!
Over time, you start to realise the impact isn’t about one big moment. It’s about small shifts that you often don’t see happening at the time.
🌟Outstanding Contribution: Bal Choda, Lead Engineer at Aston Martin
Bal is currently in his 25th year of volunteering across schools and colleges, inspiring students’ futures, building their confidence, and broadening their aspirations. He has exhibited exceptional personal commitment over many years.
To date Bal has participated in more than 500 events and has directly engaged with over 100,000 young people!
One particularly impactful example of Bal’s work, is the drawing competition organised in 2013 to celebrate 100 years of Aston Martin, at William Morris Sixth Form in Hammersmith, West London.
Bal co-ordinated the visit with the Inspiring the Future team and ensured the Aston Martin CEO took part. It involved some really inspiring speeches and included a design competition that 100 students took part in.
The overall winner was a young girl who created a highly detailed collage using thread and textured materials. Her work stood out for its originality and creativity. It was later revealed that she was visually impaired, making her achievement even more remarkable.
Winning the competition significantly boosted her confidence and outlook, demonstrating the life-changing impact of such initiatives. Thank you, Bal!
🌟Above and Beyond: Mike Glen, Head of Airspace and Noise
Mike has volunteered for several of our aviation sessions in partnership with Department for Transport. He is a passionate volunteer, who young people respond really well to and his aviation insights are fascinating.
Most recently, Mike stepped in at the very last minute when a volunteer had to cancel just ahead of a virtual event with schools. Nothing was too much trouble, he changed his own work plans, hurriedly made a few notes and then got on with it. He was amazing for really putting himself out to enable the session to go ahead and not disappoint the children. Thank you. Mike!
Mike steps in last minute to support our sessions and most recently stepped in a day before a virtual session when a volunteer dropped out
🌟Above and Beyond: Sajana Kabaria, Business Manager at Bank of America
Sajana was nominated for the Above and Beyond award for her exceptional commitment to Inspiring the Future since 2015. She has accepted numerous teacher invitations, supported Bank of America events, and served as a school governor through Inspiring Governance (a school governor recruitment service we ran with the Department for Education). Sajana is a reliable and enthusiastic volunteer who not only attends Inspiring the Future events but actively encourages others to get involved.
As a member of the Asian Leadership Network, Sajana helps drive strong engagement with Inspiring the Future and recently organised an apprenticeship panel to benefit young people. She also represents our charity (Education and Employers) on panels and uses her platform to inspire others to volunteer. Huge thanks for all your hard work, Sajana!
Sajana is a reliable and enthusiastic volunteer who not only attends ITF events but actively encourages others to get involved.
🌟Incredible Impact: Jyoti Saini, Senior Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation at NHS Black Country
Jyoti received multiple nominations, from both primary and secondary school teachers who have had her volunteer at their schools to share her career journey and take part in mock interviews and workshops. They have seen first hand the impact she has made.
One teacher said “The impact she had was remarkable. The children were completely captivated – asking thoughtful, curious questions about what it means to be a Pharmacist, what a typical day looks like, and what qualifications and skills are needed to pursue similar careers. Jyoti generously extended her Q&A sessions to ensure every child who wanted to ask a question had the opportunity to do so. Her patience, warmth, and genuine interest in the children’s aspirations made a lasting impression.”
“Importantly, Jyoti openly addressed stereotypes and spoke about representation within healthcare careers. As a strong role model within our wonderfully diverse school community, she inspired many pupils who could see themselves reflected in her story. For some children, this was the first time they had met a healthcare professional who looked like them – and that representation matters deeply.”
“Jyoti is a truly inspirational volunteer whose dedication, authenticity, and commitment to widening young people’s horizons make her exceptionally deserving of this award. Her contribution has had a meaningful and lasting impact on our pupils’ confidence, ambition, and understanding of the world of work.”
Incredible thanks, Jyoti – an award very well deserved!
As a strong role model within our wonderfully diverse school community, she inspired many pupils who could see themselves reflected in her story.
🌟Incredible Impact: Penny Parker, Head of HR at Imperial Healthcare Trust
Penny’s nomination to our awards was unique in that she was nominated, not only by a Pastoral and Academic Mentor for a sixth form, but by two students whose school she had volunteered at, who are now pursuing their own careers in the medical field after being inspired and supported by Penny.
Both students took the time to write about the extra work Penny had put into helping them, including securing work experience and work place visits. Penny’s guidance provided these young people with opportunities to explore careers in medicine and nursing, meet inspiring professionals, and gain new experiences.
One students said “She has always encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, believe in my abilities, and continue to strive for more. What truly makes her special is not only her dedication for her work, but her kindness, generosity and genuine care for others. She is constantly advocating for others and helping them voice their thoughts and opinions without judgement or discouragement. Even to this day, she continues to support and encourage me”.
Another said “It is evident that I would not be where I am today without Penny, and I owe her all of my success as she helped me find and cultivate my love for studying medicine, and the fact that she inconvenienced herself to get me to see the hospital will always stay close to my heart, as she had no idea the impact it would have on my life, and I am positive that what Penny has done for me has completely changed the trajectory of my life, so I have nothing but thanks and gratitude to offer her.”
Another of Penny’s nominations came from a Pastoral and Academic Mentor of a sixth form who said that every year Penny speaks to students in a warm and friendly manner, explains the huge variety of roles within the NHS and signposts students to resources that can help them explore different routes further. “The most important outcome for me is that year on year, the number of students from our school applying for courses like physiotherapy, osteopathy, radiography, midwifery and biomedical sciences has grown; Pen has broken the myth that the NHS is only for doctors and dentists”.
Thank you, Penny, you are truly an inspiration!
The impact she has had on my life has been truly life-changing.