Caroline Southgate, a Chartered Physiotherapist based in Essex and founder of Doris Jones homecare, has been awarded a coveted Churchill Fellowship which will enable her to travel to Australia, Netherlands and Denmark researching the roles physiotherapists play in supporting older adults in their own homes across the world.
Caroline, is one of 109 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, the Churchill Fellowship. 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.
Caroline says she is delighted and honoured to be selected and looks forward to bringing back to the UK new ideas to share with her profession. She has worked with older adults in the UK for many years, setting up a unique company to provide physio-led homecare and support, with physiotherapy leadership in everything she does. She hopes other physiotherapists will be inspired and encouraged to make a career choice to join with social care and support our incredible ageing population.
Alongside Caroline, this year’s Fellows’ research will span a wide range of pressing issues – from tackling social media harm and creating climate-friendly school canteens to strengthening dementia care in rural communities. They will draw on experience and share knowledge with innovators in countries across the globe from Greenland to Taiwan, New Zealand to Argentina, South Africa to Jamaica.
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: “In a world where looking outwards has never mattered more, there is something genuinely hopeful about people choosing to seek out new ideas, build connections across borders, and use that knowledge to create positive change.”
“I am delighted to welcome our 2026 Fellows. Each of them shows the power of curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn from others. We’re all looking forward to following their journeys and seeing the difference they make across the UK.”
The 2026 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 over 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.
Applications to become a Fellow are next open from 1 September to 20 October 2026.