14 Jan 2026
We are delighted to announce that a NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North Thames initiative has been shortlisted for the British Diversity Awards 2026.
The nominated programme, Mental Health Research for All (MH-ALL), aims to tackle the social, professional and structural barriers that prevent people from lower-income backgrounds and non-traditional career routes from entering research.
By funding accessible entry routes, creating bespoke training, and embedding inclusive co-production, MH-ALL is transforming who gets to become a researcher and ensuring mental health research reflects the full diversity of the communities it serves.
The MH-ALL programme has been shortlisted for the Social Mobility Initiative of the Year, which is “given to the company or initiative which has best addressed social inequality over the past year.” Previous winners of this category include initiatives by Virgin Atlantic and the National Grid.
MH-ALL's programme lead and Professor of Applied Health Research at UCL Jenny Shand, says:
"Being named a finalist for Social Mobility Initiative of the Year is a powerful recognition of what MH-ALL set out to achieve. For too long, mental health research has excluded the very people most affected by mental health inequalities and those working closest to communities. MH-ALL has demonstrated that when structural barriers are removed and lived experience is genuinely valued as expertise, research becomes more inclusive, more relevant, and more impactful.
“This recognition belongs to our peoples panel, peer support workers and fellows working in organisations across the mental health and care system who stepped into research and to the partners and mentors who supported them. We are incredibly proud of what MH-ALL has shown is possible through inclusive research."
The British Diversity Awards are a national and long-running award, which “shine a spotlight on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, recognising the individuals and organisations working tirelessly to build more inclusive workplaces and a fairer society.”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 25 March 2026 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, hosted by Charlene White and Dr Ranj Singh.
We congratulate everyone involved in MH-ALL for this incredible achievement.