Through the Bright Future Prize, ACT searches the globe for aspiring young community leaders and change makers – with a prize fund of £40,000 waiting to invest in their bright ideas.
After receiving applications from young people aged 15 to 21 around the world, at the start of 2025 we announced our eight finalists who together represent Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal and the UK.
Over February, we met them all to create films to showcase the drive and inspiration behind each their projects and to learn more about their dreams to do good.
So get to know them and their bright ideas ahead of our ACT Trustees having the difficult decision of selecting the winners of each of the prize’s four categories, with our winners being announced at the end of March.
This week we meet our four remaining finalists, Nicole, Farhad, Kanishk and Maria…!
Drawing on her passion to further social integration, Nicole has plans for an innovative way tap into empathy through experiencing some the life and issues of minority groups through her self-designed app, Equal Eyes.
Equal Eyes takes the user on an immersive journey to gain an insight into asylum seekers and refugees. In doing so, Nicole hopes the app will help mobilise young people to promote social justice and community cohesion – enabling young people to better participate in politics and beyond.
Based in Manchester, Farhad is the founder of Potential MCR, an incredible project supporting young people across the area.
Off the back of his own experience navigating growing up, school with undiagnosed dyslexia and the risks of violence in and amongst friends, he's determined to give young people an alternative path.
Already, Farhad has led entrepreneurship workshops to instil belief and skills in teens with the potential to dream big. Now, he's on a mission to deliver a new range of sessions to further develop young people and their access to business opportunities. We’re inspired by his commitment to support those around him seek new beginnings.
Inspired by his own family, Kanishk has harnessed his passion for technology and problem solving to design a new way to help people with low mobility to retain as much independence as possible.
Using textile technology, his smart bed sheet monitors movement and pressure real-time to support care through the night so that an individual can sleep independently. Having already created a prototype, Kanishk is now ready to further develop and test the innovative design.
After seeing a close friend struggle to get the same opportunity to perform academically, Maria took action to make sure other deaf students in Brazil don't have to experience inequality – setting up the OBMLibras, a mathematics Olympiad specifically for deaf young people (LIBRAS being Brazilian sign language).
Along the way, Maria has collaborated with deaf and hearing teachers and students to develop the digital platform where the competitions are hosted – making them accessible and engaging for deaf pupils. Now, Maria wants to turn OBMLibras into a fully-fledged NGO to host even more events in schools right across Brazil.
At the end of March, our ACT Trustees will have the difficult task of selecting the winners of our four prize categories, each connecting to a different way young people can make a difference. The winners will share the £40,000 prize fund to invest in their bright ideas.
All our finalists join our global network of Bright Future Alumni, now totalling over 45 incredible young people. Throughout the year, our alumni connect and collaborate, sharing their successes and supporting one another's journeys.
Watch videos from our other four finalists by taking a look at our first Finalists Showcase article.
Learn more about Bright Future Prize and all our alumni on the dedicated Bright Future Prize page.
Stay up to date with the prize by following ACT on Instagram and Facebook @ardonaghct
Get in touch with the ACT team using info@ardonaghtrust.org