Thursday, July 30th, 2026
Established in 2010 as a legacy to Anjool Maldé, the Anjool Maldé Trust recognizes and awards the UK’s most talented young individuals for their outstanding achievements. The Trust’s annual awards encourage young individuals to ‘do well, do good’ in both their personal and professional lives.
Tom Latchford, the founder of LocalGiving and previous sponsor of the Anjool Maldé Social Enterprise Award, recently issued a statement after his move to California. Latchford expressed his admiration for Maldé and how he had a profound effect on his life. He shared how Maldé’s kindness and generosity had inspired him to launch his own company and that his impact continued to endure.
In honor of Maldé’s legacy, this year’s Report will adopt kindness and generosity as its theme. These qualities are also embodied in the other important individuals that the Trust will celebrate this year, Matt Hall and Ken Eason.
Trustee Rick Saunders spoke about Matthew Hall, a senior colleague of Maldé at Deutsche Bank, who passed away in 2011. Hall was known for his wisdom and interest in mentoring younger members of the sales team. Saunders shared that Hall’s influence has endured and that the Trust takes great satisfaction in dedicating this year’s Awards to his memory.
The Trust also remembers Professor Ken Eason, a supporter, advisor, judge, and summariser for the Trust who sadly passed away in early 2026. Anjool’s father, Bharat, who was Eason’s first PhD student, remembers him as a kind and generous man who helped shape many careers. In honor of Eason, the Trust is sponsoring the Ken Eason Design Award at Loughborough University.
The winners of the 2026 Awards were announced, including the Ken Eason Human-Centred Design Award, which was awarded to Sarah Brown, Samuel Skelcher-Maxwell, Isabelle Stoneham, and Oli Starke. Each of these individuals impressed the judges with their strong human factors element and thorough research.
The Anjool Maldé Scholarship was awarded to Charlie Bach, Hannah Russell, Lucy Butlin, Jia (Anders) Hei, and Megan Radcliffe. The Master of St Peter’s College, Professor Judith Buchanan, expressed her pride in these young individuals and thanked the Trust for their generous support.
The Anjool Maldé Jazz Prize 2026 was awarded to Tom Barber, a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Dr. Andrew Bain, the Head of Jazz at RWCMD, spoke highly of Barber’s outstanding musicianship and expressed his gratitude for the Trust’s support.
The Anjool Maldé Photography Award was awarded to Roo Ford for her portfolio titled “Not Your Enemy”. Dr. Emile Shemilt, the Programme Leader for Photography at Edinburgh Napier University, spoke about the impact of the award on their students and the community.
The Anjool Maldé Journalism Award 2026 was awarded to Eva Madden and Georgia McPoland for their documentary “History on our Hands”. The judges commended the students for their exploration of the history and resurgence of the Claddagh ring.
The Trust’s founder, Rick Saunders, closed the event by thanking all those who have played a part in the Trust’s mission. He expressed his pride in the accomplishments of the winners and wished them continued success. The Trust could not thrive without the kindness and generosity of those who support its mission.
-ENDS-
NOTES:
– The Press Release was distributed by a third-party press release distribution service and is not affiliated with the Anjool Maldé Memorial Trust.
– For any press inquiries, please contact Gemma Shaw at gemshaw@hotmail.com.
– To learn more about the Anjool Maldé Memorial Trust, please visit www.anjool.org.
– For Tom Barber Quintet’s performance, please visit https://youtu.be/k48EZcYDwWc?si=VXqEMxRLYPjg5kcO.
– For the RWCMD AmserJazzTime performance on Friday, July 3rd, 2026, please visit https://www.youtube.com/live/kY0YJgHy3-M?si=4bp323W5CBIkDtek.
