Diversity and Inclusion: The Brenda Eastwood Award 2026
As part of our ongoing commitment to equity and justice in education, UKLA has decided to pause our Diversity and Inclusion Award for the coming year. This decision reflects our desire to focus our collective energy on a vital and timely initiative: developing robust resources to support anti-racist teaching practices.
In today’s climate, where issues of racial justice remain urgent and complex, we believe it is essential to come together—drawing on the expertise of our members and external specialists—to create meaningful, practical tools for educators. Our aim is to support teachers in fostering inclusive, critically aware classrooms where all children feel seen, valued, and empowered.
By concentrating our efforts on this specific area, we hope to make a deeper and more lasting impact. We look forward to sharing updates on this work and to reintroducing the award in a way that reflects the evolving needs of our community. We will then be excited to re-launch our award alongside launching the materials.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Diversity and Inclusion: The Brenda Eastwood Award 2025
The winner of the 2025 UKLA Diversity and Inclusion Award is Dr Cheryl Dianne Parkinson. We wish her congratulations on a very well-deserved win. You can read more about what the judges thought here: https://ukla.org/ukla-diversity-and-inclusion-the-brenda-eastwood-award-2025/
About the Award:
The Diversity and Inclusion: The Brenda Eastwood Award is intended to be given annually to a member of UKLA who is either a school, Early Years setting or practitioner, teacher, HE Tutor, librarian or publisher, to recognise good practice in empowering children to respect and appreciate diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, LGBTQ+, socioeconomic status, national origin or age.
The Brenda Eastwood Award in memory of our much-loved friend and colleague who managed our office for many years. Brenda was patient, welcoming, generous, and she was someone who honoured and celebrated diversity. At that time, UKLA was and continues to be keen on expanding the Association’s reach to teachers who might not feel they are part of the UKLA ‘family’. This inspired the Association’s diversity and inclusion initiative. After the loss of UKLA’s wonderful colleague, it was particularly relevant to name this award after Brenda as her own life had been devoted to working for inclusion both in the UK and around the world.
Submissions:
- Submissions open in September each year with a closing date in April.
- Competition winners will be announced at the beginning of the summer term.
- The winner/s will be invited as guests of the UKLA to the International Conference to share their work in a conference “expert practice” session.
- The award will be presented at the conference gala dinner on the Saturday evening.
Find Out More:
Further information, including the judging criteria and more information about the submissions process can be found below. This Award is a brilliant way for schools, teachers and institutions to be recognised for the work they do to fight for inclusivity in education.
Please note: This is a self-sponsored award and an opportunity to reflect on your practice and the contribution you make to diversity and inclusion in practice. We encourage you to enlist the support of a UKLA member to mentor your submission and provide a supporting statement.