Big Issue’s 100 Changemakers of 2026: Health and disability

These people are going the extra mile for those living with disability and chronic illness. Many of them have experienced it in their own lives.

Every year Big Issue compiles a list of 100 organisations and people who are bringing change to their community. It’s a chance to celebrate the agenda-setting activists and grassroots groundbreakers delivering change.

Headhere to see the full Big Issue 100 Changemakers list

Harry Smith

Smith is taking on the UK’s Three Peaks Challenge in an inflatable poo suit to raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK. Living with ulcerative colitis and an ileostomy, Smith has spoken openly about the physical and psychological toll of inflammatory bowel disease, including anxiety, depression and the stigma that keeps so many people silent. By leaning into humour and vulnerability, he is helping make invisible illness impossible to ignore. His goal is to raise £10,000 and remind others that they are not alone.

My Quick Emergency Response (MYQER)

Anita, founder of MYQER, built her free emergency QR system after her toddler survived a severe anaphylactic reaction and she realised that, without her, no one would know what her daughter needed in the first critical seconds. Drawing on frontline NHS experience in urgent and emergency care support, she taught herself to create a privacy-first tool that shares vital health information instantly, even offline. As chronic conditions, allergies and an ageing population rise, MYQER improves digital health inclusion and helps bridge dangerous information gaps that can slow care in overstretched A&E departments.

The Wren Project

This organisation offers free, confidential listening sessions for UK adults living with an autoimmune disease, filling a gap left by stretched health services. With more than 120 conditions affecting up to six million people in the UK, The Wren Project provides space to talk openly about the emotional toll of chronic illness, from fatigue and isolation to work and relationships. Support is delivered online or by phone, making it accessible even during flare-ups. Founded five years ago by Kate Middleton, who was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at 17, it now delivers one-to-one and facilitated group support through trained volunteers.

Spread a Smile

Nominated by Suzi Ruffell, comedian

Bringing laughter to the hardest places, Spread a Smile supports seriously ill children in NHS hospitals and hospices through joyful, creative bedside experiences. Nominated by comedian Suzi
Ruffell, the charity made a lasting impact on a close family friend’s daughter during long treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, showing how much their visits can lift children through fear and fatigue. Founded in 2013, Spread a Smile delivers in-person and virtual entertainment from magicians to musicians, artists and therapy dogs, alongside family events and hospital art projects. In 2024-25, they delivered 13,200 bedside visits across 39 NHS hospitals.

John Phillips MBE

Building inclusion from the ground up on the Isle of Wight, Phillips MBE founded John’s Club to create welcoming social opportunities for people with learning disabilities. He also supports people through day-to-day challenges, helping them build confidence and independence. A long-standing advocate with Mencap, Phillips has volunteered for 30 years, served as a trustee for nine, and is the outgoing chair of its Voices Council, ensuring lived experience shapes decisions at the highest level. Calm, patient and determined, he works to make accessibility and equality a reality, not just an ambition.

Young and Free Charity Bristol

Built around friendship, choice and independence, Young and Free Charity Bristol supports young disabled adults to enjoy the social life many take for granted. The charity runs two events each month, from day trips to shared meals, shaped directly by what members want and need. Once a year it fully funds a long-weekend holiday for around 25 members and volunteers, with accessible breaks to places like Centre Parcs and Parkdean. Young and Free also offers buddy support, helping members arrange smaller meet-ups from cinema trips to bowling or dinner. All fundraising goes straight back into
activities, giving members a stronger voice and lasting community.

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Ciara Lawrence

At the heart of Mencap’s push for genuine co-production is Lawrence, who has worked at the charity for 24 years. A person with a learning disability herself, Lawrence helps ensure that people with learning disabilities are involved from the very start of decisions that affect their lives, instead of only being consulted once choices have already been made. Lawrence leads work to embed power-sharing relationships across Mencap, including developing practical guidance rooted in accessibility and respect. By challenging tokenism and advocating for real collaboration, she is helping to build a more inclusive culture within the organisation and beyond.

Kim Moore

Moore founded Blossome, a trauma-informed community for people affected by a loved one’s addiction. After losing her husband Chris to chronic alcoholism in 2017, she began her own recovery from codependency and, during the pandemic, started sharing her journey online before launching Blossome as a CIC in 2022. Now a trained mindful self-compassion teacher, Moore runs practical sessions and peer support to help families process grief, shame and anxiety, rebuild resilience and feel less alone.

Sam Styan

Working on the front line of HIV prevention, Styan is the prevention and testing coordinator at the GMI Partnership, taking testing out of clinics and into communities across London. Through outreach work, he helps people who can be underserved by traditional healthcare, including those experiencing homelessness, refugees and migrants. Alongside providing accessible testing, he also builds knowledge and trust, helping tackle stigma and health inequality. With his experience in community-based HIV prevention, Sam’s work supports London’s commitment to the UNAIDS goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.

Kingston Carers Network

Nominated by Ed Davey, politician

Supporting unpaid carers across Kingston upon Thames, the Kingston Carers Network (KCN) provides vital advice, advocacy and practical support for people caring for someone with illness, disability or substance misuse problems. With more than 30 years’ experience, the charity helps carers of all ages access benefits advice, counselling, peer support groups, mental health support and tribunal representation. It also delivers a dedicated Young Carers Project, offering youth groups (right), respite activities, school outreach and one-to-one mentoring. Nominated by Ed Davey, KCN ensures carers are recognised, listened to and supported, helping prevent isolation and burnout while strengthening local communities.

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