Victoria Bishop-Rowe, Head of Communications and Engagement at Auditory Verbal UK, has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to visit Denmark and Australia to research advocating for equal access to early support for deaf children.

The Fellowship will include looking at how to increase access to Auditory Verbal therapy – an approach to developing language and communication, which supports deaf children to learn how to make sense of the sound they receive through their hearing technology, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, and develop spoken language so they can learn to talk. 

Victoria is one of 118 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, the Churchill Fellowship as it celebrates its 60^th anniversary year. These remarkable individuals span the length and breadth of the UK, representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions, and passions. Each shares a commitment to inspiring change and building a better society through global learning.

Talking about their award, Victoria said: “It is really exciting to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship as I am passionate about advocating with communities and engaging decision makers to inspire positive change to benefit individuals and wider society.

“By travelling to Australia and Denmark I will learn from leaders about how they have, and continue to, advocate for increased access to early language and communication support, including Auditory Verbal therapy, for deaf children and bring back the insights to the UK.”

Three babies are born deaf in the UK every day and they are currently falling behind their hearing peers. But when they have access to early, effective interventions and support to develop language and communication, they can thrive. Auditory Verbal therapy is an approach to developing listening and spoken language with a compelling evidence base and strong outcomes. However less than 10% of deaf children in the UK can currently access it due to a postcode lottery of public sector professionals trained in the approach and no government funding.

Alongside Victoria, this year’s Fellows’ research will span a wide range of pressing issues - from community-owned renewable energy projects to the use of robotic aids in healthcare to breaking employment barriers for neurodivergent people. They will draw on experience and knowledge from innovators in countries across the globe from Sweden to India, Ghana to Peru and Vietnam to Canada.

The Churchill Fellowship offers UK citizens a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the change they want to see. Each Fellowship funds an individual to spend four to eight weeks meeting global experts in their chosen field, in person or online, to build international networks and exchange knowledge. Fellows then turn their insights into action - transforming communities, shaping services, and influencing policy across the UK.

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Churchill Fellowship says: “We are delighted to welcome our 2025 Churchill Fellows and to witness the incredible drive and dedication they bring to their work. As we celebrate 60 years of the Churchill Fellowship, we are proud to play a part in empowering these passionate individuals to become catalysts for meaningful change. Whether making a difference in a local community or shaping national debate, we look forward to following them on their journeys to create lasting impact across the UK.”

2025’s Churchill Fellows join a community of over 4,000 changemakers who work on the frontline of today’s critical issues, developing new solutions based on global research and their personal expertise. From ages 18 to 80 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.

You can find out more here: https://churchillfellowship.org/news-views/news/introducing-our-2025-churchill-fellows/