Stefan Edwards
Event sustainability

Decarbonising power at urban festivals and events

​The purpose of my Fellowship is to research innovative approaches to reducing power usage and transitioning to sustainable energy. In Bristol, where I live and work as the city's Senior Events Officer, I hope to apply this knowledge and support over 200 events to improve their sustainability and move to greener power sources. This work has the potential to save up to 400,000 litres of diesel per year.

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With over 15 years' experience in the events industry, I have begun to specialise in event sustainability and I am passionate about pushing the boundaries in this field. I feel a moral responsibility to improve the planet for future generations and aim to make a positive impact through this work.

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This coveted Churchill Fellowship will enable me to travel throughout Europe, learning about innovation in this field. As one of 134 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, I am delighted to join a group of exceptional individuals from across the UK representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions, and passions. 

All fellows are 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.

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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.

A Churchill Fellowship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, open to all UK adult citizens, to
lead the change they want to see. The charity funds applicants to spend between four to
eight weeks meeting experts in their field anywhere in the world, in person and/or online,
building international networks that promote reciprocal knowledge exchange. It then helps
Fellows to make a difference in their community or professional sector in the UK, based on
insights inspired by these exchanges.

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Churchill Fellowship says: "We are delighted to welcome our new cohort of Churchill Fellows for 2024 from across the UK and to see first- hand their extraordinary passion and dedication to their respective areas of work. Through the Churchill Fellowship we aim to inspire and empower these exceptional individuals to become catalysts for positive change. From the spark of an idea to make a difference in a local community to ambitious plans for influencing policy at a national level, we are looking forward to supporting these inspiring Fellows on their journey to make a long-lasting difference to UK society.”

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2024’s Churchill Fellows join a community of over 4,000 change makers 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.