Last month Be Aware, Be Empowered won a Making a Difference Award in Outstanding teaching innovation in social responsibility category in the 2026 Making a Difference Awards. The Making a Difference Awards recognise those driving meaningful social and environmental impact across the University. Beyond celebration, they play an important role in sharing best practice and encouraging others to learn from innovative approaches. As part of this, we are taking a closer look at this year’s winners, exploring their projects, the people behind them and what motivates their work. 

What is the Be Aware, Be Empowered project? 

Be Aware, Be Empowered supports University of Manchester pharmacy students to build cancer awareness through a dedicated training workshop, including learning from patient volunteers with lived experience of cancer in partnership with the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance. After training, students engage with members of the public through interactive stalls across campus, using resources and activities to start conversations about cancer awareness.  

What inspired the project? 

The project was developed by Sarah Knighton, senior clinical lecturer in pharmacy, and Harsha Parmar, senior lecturer in pharmacy practice and placement lead for the course. It grew from their shared focus on strengthening students’ clinical and prescribing skills while creating opportunities that benefit both student learning and the wider community. 

They recognised that traditional placements often focus on student experience but do not always directly benefit the community. The project was designed to address this by creating a model that supports both student development and public health. 

What impact has the project had?
According to Harsha and Sarah a significant impact of the project is the increase in students’ confidence, particularly in discussing sensitive topics. Students gain hands on experience by designing and delivering awareness activities, helping them to develop a stronger sense of professional identity early on in their studies. The impact extends beyond students.  Volunteers from Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, report feeling empowered by sharing their experiences, while the wider community benefit from increased awareness through student led engagement. 

A feature of the projec that Sarah and Harsha see as particularly important is that it is embedded within the curriculum, meaning all students take part as part of their course. This ensures equal access to high-quality, real-world learning opportunities, rather than relying on volunteering or extra-curricular activity. 

By building the programme into timetabled teaching, students who may face barriers such as time, finances or other commitments are still able to develop practical skills, engage with the community and gain experience in delivering public health messages. 

What does winning a Making a Difference Award mean to you?
For Harsha, the award is about sharing their work with others: “It was lovely to win the award. It’s about showcasing what our students can do and helping others understand how they can deliver something similar.”  

Sarah said: “It’s really nice to have that recognition that this work is important, and that these kinds of experiences are as valuable as other parts of the curriculum.”  

For both, the award supports future development of the programme. It strengthens the case for expanding this approach and creates opportunities to work with new partners, ultimately helping to embed socially responsible, community focused learning more widely across pharmacy education.