Ofsted win the title!

Last week in Lancaster, Tamlin Cave from Ofsted won the title England and Wales Young Thinker of the Year 2025. Her winning paper analysed the damaging effects of purity culture on women and girls. The adjudicator said: ‘This brave paper was beautifully written, hard-hitting and original. It was controversial but not confrontational. Tamlin was an assured presenter, with excellent eye contact and measured delivery’.

The runner-up award went to Elena Cates from the Civil Service for an intriguing and current paper exploring whether AI could step in and fulfil the role of friendship.

The winning group in the Group Challenge was Group B (Faith Akinware, Pension Protection Fund; Mo Deria, Civil Service; Tom Nash, Civil Service; and Regan Richards, Civil Service). Their presentation on the concept of ‘respect’ was thoughtful and lively. Tom Nash also won the award for best 90-Second Challenge presentation. When asking ‘How important is the preservation of the English countryside to the creative industries?’, he gave a memorable reminder of the beauty that surrounds us.

Thank you to all delegates for their hard work and great support for each other.

Our next Young England and Wales Programme will be held in Crewe in April 2026. To book now, please see upcoming events (a brochure will be available at the end of October).