Amy Davies Receives Churchill Fellowship to Research LGBTQ+ Housing Provision in Europe

Amy Davies, our Head of Independent Living, has been awarded a coveted Churchill Fellowship which will enable her to travel to Berlin, Lyon and Madrid, and conduct online learning with organisations in Sweden and the USA, as part of a research study into specialist housing and care provision for LGBTQ+ older people.

Amy is one of 134 new Churchill Fellows announced by the Churchill Fellowship. These exceptional individuals come from across the UK representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions, and passions, all united by a common aspiration to inspire change and build a better society based on global learning. Each will have the unique opportunity to explore new ideas and learn from experts and stakeholders around the world, bringing knowledge and innovations back into their chosen field in the UK.

Amy is currently part of a project team that is working on the development of the UK’s first purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme in Whalley Range, south Manchester. The plans have been developed with the input of the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation and will deliver 80 one- and two-bedroom social rented apartments for older people. Her award will allow her to learn from others developing similar pioneering schemes across Europe to inform the development of the scheme as the project progresses.

Commenting on receiving her award, Amy said:

I’m thrilled to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship which will allow me to meet with leaders of groundbreaking services across Europe and the USA whose experience and approaches will help to inform the development of services for LGBTQ+ older people in the UK through shared learning.

Alongside Amy, this year’s Fellows will address a wide range of topics including combatting racism in nursing, making towns and cities greener, using AI to support reading, and employing creative arts in dementia care. They will draw on experience and knowledge from innovators in countries across the globe from Ghana to Switzerland, Japan to Brazil.

Amy joins a community of over 4,000 changemakers who work on the frontline of today’s crucial issues, developing new solutions based on global research and personal expertise. From aged 18 into their 80s and from every corner of all four nations, Churchill Fellows have achieved amazing things, from becoming community leaders and charity founders to embedding new services and campaigning for action in fields from climate change to education, technology to the arts.