Peter Cruddas Initiative Internship- “Telling the story about Award participants who are making a difference”

The Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative aims to recognise participants who demonstrate enterprising attitudes, and who have used their Award Programme to benefit a specific section of society. The Initiative has been set up to recognise these individuals for their commitment to changing the lives of others.

This initiative aims to encourage social innovation amongst Award participants around the world. The measures of success (or KPIs) will be an increase in the number of case studies and stories featuring social change being collected by the Secretariat and an increase in the number of media articles featuring such stories.
The initiative will be managed by the head of communications based in the London office and utilising the services of the regional directors. In each region a young Gold Award holder will be engaged as an intern for 3 months each year, whose role will be to identify and write up the social innovation success stories within their own region and feed these into the Secretariat structures. These young people will be called Peter Cruddas Regional Interns. (See appendix for further details of recruitment, selection and management of these posts.) In addition, there will be a Peter Cruddas Initiative Co-ordinator, based in the London office, who will co-ordinate the initiative on behalf of the head of communications, and report into them.

At the end of the year, three social innovators from each region will be selected to attend a showcase event to be held in London attended by Peter Cruddas and HRH The Earl of Wessex. The most impactful of these social innovators will be chosen by Peter Cruddas, on recommendation from the IAA, to enjoy a tailor-made one week induction course, possibly within the CMC Markets environment. This reward will be flexible and aims to provide the social innovator with a further opportunity to gain experience internationally either within CMC markets or an appropriate work place experience at a national or international level.

Social innovators will be Gold Award participants who saw a problem or opportunity in their community or halfway around the world, and took action to develop a solution. They will combine accentuated leadership, a drive for social justice, and excellent managerial ability to create social projects that benefit human and community development. The shortlisted individuals selected to attend the London event will be distinguished as Peter Cruddas Social Innovators.

The Peter Cruddas Foundation, established by Peter Cruddas, chief executive of CMC Markets plc, in 2006 and the International Award Association’s Global Benefactor, is supporting the Initiative. Peter has been a passionate supporter of the International Award since 2005, when he became our first Global Benefactor, and is underlining his continuing commitment through this exciting project.

Year two of the Peter Cruddas Initiative will build on the success of year one, widening the scope to focus on youth engagement. A paid intern is to be recruited at regional level to provide support on communications and research projects and activities.

The Asia Pacific Regional office will be calling for applications for a 6-12 month internship commencing in April. The Initiative's first ever intern Rahul Shankar (pictured left) reflects on his experience: "Thousands of young people are creating social change and this initiative enables us to find these innovators and give them due recognition. I was honoured to have been the first intern to find such stories and look forward to the second year of the initiative."

Know more about the Peter Cruddas Initiative.

- Information from Asia Pacific Regional News Letter and the IAA Website