Through the Bright Future Prize, ACT, The Ardonagh Group’s independent charity, 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.
To date, Bright Future Prize has invested over £140,000 in young people, with the 2025 prize expanding this impact further.
After receiving applications from young people aged 15 to 21 around the world, our shortlist of eight finalists who together represent Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal and the UK.
Diverse in their passions, each finalist has their own project to make a difference. Over the past month, we met them all to create films to showcase the drive and inspiration behind their amazing ideas and to learn more about their dreams to do good.
All our finalists
Supporting aspiring musicians to kickstart their careers
Jarvis Rohr, UK
In rural Devon, there are fewer opportunities for young people to perform and create their own music. That’s where Jarvis and Sound Communities Records CIC make a difference, by empowering young people to pursue their ambitions and breaking down barriers to music production. Jarvis uses his own musical talents and drive to help other local young people dream big. Whether it’s the means to record music, getting slots at venues, and even marketing skills, Sound Communities Records even has its own youth-led festival – with aspirations to do even more.
Using robotic technology to enable reforestation
Marta Bernadino, Portugal
Marta embodies the spirit of invention, with a life-long love of mechanics and electronics. She’s taken her passion for problem solving to the next level, designing a hexapod robot that can cover difficult terrain to plant trees to support reforestation in rural areas of Portugal. Her robot, Trovador, is totally autonomous, programmed to both navigate to a chosen location and plant young trees. Self-founded, Marta has recently established a small team – ready to take her prototype for further testing and up-scaling.
Creating a new way to learn sign language
Donna Mae Quinto, Ireland
Donna is on a mission to create a world where communication knows no boundaries. Having taught herself sign language to support a friend, Donna has gone on to use her passion for coding and technology to create GESTURA, a dedicated sign language app. She hopes the app will help people of any age to get to grips sign language more easily, with interactive games and finger-spell translation, to provide more engaging resources than she was able to find herself when learning.
Innovating green energy to provide community lighting
Adriely Cravo, Brazil
Adriely is on a societal and environmental mission. As leader of the Biolume project – she’s create a new to provide lighting in Amazonian communities using green energy. Together with her team members at the Federal University of Pará, Adriely has spearheaded the design of a streetlamp powered by biodiesel made from cooking oil that would otherwise be thrown away. Already, the project has installed streetlamps in the region of the Lower Itacuruçá River. And there are even bigger plans ahead, with the aim to operate in five more communities that would otherwise have no public lighting – improving security and sustainability.
Gaining social insights through an immersive app
Nicole Phan, UK
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.
Upskilling young entrepreneurs of the future
Farhad Gohar, UK
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.
Inventing smart solutions to support independent living
Kanishk Aggarwal, Australia
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.
Championing equality for deaf students
Maria Eduarda Rocha De Oliveira, Brazil
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.
Who will be our 2025 winners?
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.
Learn more about Bright Future Prize on the ACT website.
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