Anthropy25: #iWill Ambassador Gemma Shares Her Experience

A few weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of attending Anthropy25 at the Eden Project in Cornwall with the #iWill Movement. Anthropy25 is an event which brings together leaders from across a huge range of sectors including tech, law, business, finance, politics and many more to discuss their vision for a brighter Britain in the next 30 years and how we, as a collective, can make actionable steps towards achieving this vision.

As an emerging leader, I was honoured to be part of a program that brings together young leaders aged 18-30 who are already making remarkable contributions and progress within their communities and have them be actively involved in important discussions.

Over the three days, I immersed myself in thought-provoking workshops and panels, engaged with so many incredible young emerging leaders, took part in meaningful discussions and overall was able to be part of an event which aims to make real, tangible progress towards a better Britain for the future!

My Anthropy journey began bright and early at 5am on Tuesday 25 April, as I embarked on a series of train journeys – beginning at Motherwell and passing through Birmingham New Street and Plymouth before arriving in beautiful Lostwithiel where I was staying. After collapsing on the couch and taking a much needed nap, I popped to the local shops for some dinner and had an early night before Anthropy Day 1!

Day 1

Anthropy Day 1 was a total whirlwind of insightful sessions and engaging discussions. After checking in and receiving my lanyard, my day began with ‘Our National State’; a session featuring numerous esteemed panellists including Ben Page (Ipsos), Martha Lane Fox (British Chambers of Commerce), Sir Jeremy Darroch (Reckitt) and Anthropy Founder John O’Brien. The panel discussed Britain’s current state, its future and what there is to be positive about by referring to key data and insights from the panellists. There was also discussion on the impact of technology and social media in creating change and the feeling of hopelessness and despair that can often come when looking at the state of the world at present. Sir Jeremy Darroch’s poignant words; “there’s always enough time if we start today” reminded us of the importance of events such as Anthropy and acted as a call to action for the attendees to use their sphere of influence to make change.

I then attended an emerging leaders only session which discussed youth perspectives on issues such as sustainability, the importance of eco-conscious choices and aimed to encourage the emerging leaders to consider their own sphere of influence and how they can use this to enact positive change. The session was largely interactive, with leaders

being split up into groups to discuss throughout. For me, this session was one of my favourites of the whole event, as I was able to hear from young leaders across many different sectors, hear about their social action and discuss and share my own thoughts on key issues. My group touched on a variety of aims and solutions including intergenerational collaboration, exchange of ideas, holding older generations to account, school and community outreach and, perhaps the most important, never underestimating the value of young people.

My next session was hosted by Rewired Earth and was centred around the theme of unlocking a better future, sustainable finance and a new social contract and looking at how can we work together to drive systematic change. The session was structured like a panel discussion with some fantastic panellists from across different sectors including Sami Gichki – co-chair of the #iWill Movement! It was so incredible to hear the panellists’ thoughts on key issues, hear more about their social action work and learn more about the Rewired Communities initiative.

The highlight of my day was ‘Breaking Barriers: Lessons on Leadership from Women in Sport’ an exceptional panel featuring Julia Wall-Clarke, (Extreme H) and Dr Cath Bishop (The True Athlete Project). The session covered a huge range of areas within sport including the impact of social media, social change, role models, women’s health, equal investment and the value of sports. Key statistics including the fact that 94% of female leaders participate or have participated in sport and reference to current events in the world of sports including Leah Williamson raising the profile of endometriosis and women’s health and the election of a female president of the IOC deepened discussion. What really struck me about this session was the audience was completely full and that there were men in the audience which solidifies how important women’s sport is and the value of female leadership.

Sports remained a recurring theme in my sessions as I next attended a panel which explored the ways that sport can help engage, drive and inspire the rebooting of Britain, with insights from key figures at the London Marathon, ‘The True Athlete Project’, Plymouth Argyle Football Club and ‘Pledgeball.’ Discussion ranged from school P.E. tainting the image of sports for many, the value of meditation in sports, mental health and the climate crisis from the view of sports fans.

My day concluded with a reverse mentorship session, based on discussing key questions relating to the idea of bridging generations. My discussion point was “Are Gen Z and Millennials rejecting traditional careers, or just demanding better workplaces?” and it was amazing to hear diverse opinions from across many different sectors and backgrounds.

Day one of Anthropy25 was packed with impactful conversations and learning opportunities and I returned home to my Airbnb exhausted but excited for day 2!

Day 2

I started day 2 of Anthropy25 by exploring the wonderful Rainforest Biome. The Eden Project is an unbelievable venue that totally transports you to another world and it was such an enjoyable start to the day.

My first session focused on tapping into creativity and community to unlock the skills of tomorrow. Panellists including Sam Squire (Inspire 2 Ignite) and Lánre Adeleye (The Junior) started by introducing their work and giving us discussion points for the day. My group examined what it means to create a safe space for young people and what this looks like before feeding back to the room and hearing the insights of the other groups on their chosen topics. Some key discussion points throughout this session included how we can nurture conviction and resilience in young people, how do we recognise the skills that young people already have and many more!

Next, I attended a session on marketing, brands and communications and whether or not they are a force for good in our society. Touching on topics including the threat of AI and fake news, affordable media space and where to put brand message, the panellists discussed the question of whether or not we are harnessing the full potential of marketing and communications to create positive change and explored how storytelling and brand activism can enact change. The session, as always, featured industry leaders including Professor Hugh Wilson (Warwick Business School), Marianne Waite (Interbrand) and William Bosanko (Brandpie).

The third session I attended addressed confronting youth violence, focusing on the impact of gangs and knife crime in the UK. Within the session there was discussion around how women and girls are losing trust in police after the murder of Sarah Everard, stereotyping, and the idea of the problem lying with how police and governments define gangs. An incredibly powerful quote from Faheem Khan (Power the Fight), offered a powerful perspective in relation to children as young as nine years old carrying knives, when he said that it is “not a sign of a criminal in the making, but the sign of the system failing.” The interactive format of the panel made the conversation deeply engaging and thought-provoking.

My final session of the day explored online violence against women and girls, and discussed topics including deepfakes, the pervasive nature of online abuse, sextortion/romance scams, hate campaigns, the Netflix series Adolescence and it’s impacts, the role of the media and the idea that what is happening online is an extension of what is happening offline. This session was so important and really insightful and the turnout of both men and women underscored the importance of addressing these challenges.

Before wrapping up for the day, I spent some time networking with some of the other attendees and even got the opportunity to take part in an interview reflecting on my

experience so far, sharing highlights and challenges. Day 2 of Anthropy was inspiring and impactful, and after a short taxi trip back to my accommodation, I was ready to recharge for the final day!

Day 3

The final day of Anthropy began with my favourite session of the week; a panel discussion on ‘A Vision for Britain’ featuring co-founder of the #iWill Movement, Dame Julia Cleverdon. In the session, the panellists set out their hopes and aspirations for the future and discussed how we can help work towards a better, more positive, equitable and sustainable Britain. I was lucky enough to ask a question in this session about how young people fit into this vision and what their role is in achieving the aims set out by the panel, and the panel’s thoughtful and optimistic responses were both insightful and inspiring.

Much like day 2, I spent a portion of day 3 exploring the other biome in the Eden Project: The Mediterranean Biome and was just as stunning as the Rainforest Biome I explored on day 2. Getting the chance to have a look around was the perfect conclusion to my Anthropy experience as after a quick bite of lunch, I took a taxi back to my Airbnb before packing up and hopping on the train to head home, reflecting on the last incredible few days that were filled with learning and inspiration.

Final Thoughts

Overall, my experience attending Anthropy25 was nothing short of extraordinary. Each session offered fresh insights, different perspectives, and the chance to engage with inspiring leaders and emerging changemakers across various sectors filled me with hope for a better future.

While the future can sometimes appear bleak and uncertain amidst global challenges, events such as Anthropy serve as a powerful reminder that collaboration, partnership and passion can create change. Seeing people of all ages, backgrounds and industries all come together actionable was deeply inspiring and a reminder that al hope is not lost.

The sessions I attended were led by some of the most remarkable and panellists, and featured deep and engaging discussions with other change-makers. I walked out of every single one with a renewed sense of motivation and with something to think about. I also was so grateful for the chance to explore topics that I am passionate about whilst also gaining insights from a variety of sectors.

Being an emerging leader at Anthropy was especially meaningful and is something I will always cherish. Connecting with inspiring young changemakers, hearing about their social action, collaborating on discussions and seeing them lead panels was so powerful and a true testament to the power and passion of young people. I left Anthropy feeling hopeful for the future after witnessing the dedication the attendees had to creating a better future.

I am eternally grateful and want to say a huge huge huge thank you to the #iWill Movement, and the team at UKYouth for making this experience possible and forgiving me the opportunity to attend Anthropy and who made sure that I was comfortable and