The John Spedan Lewis Emerging Leader Award

The John Spedan Lewis Emerging Leader Award was last awarded in 2025 and is currently under review.

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Megan Gimber

‘This award is a surprise, delight, and an honour; reflecting the dedication of many. It means a huge amount to me for geekery, passion and perseverance to be rewarded in this way. People and communities are the key to conservation, and our project successes reflect the power of inspiration, education and hope.’

Self-professed ‘hedgerow geek’ Megan Gimber has spent almost a decade advocating for the protection, management, and growth of the UK’s depleted hedgerows.

Megan manages two hedgerow surveys for the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES): The Great British Hedgerow Survey and Healthy Hedgerows, the latter of which she developed into an app for farmers to aid rapid hedge assessment with direct and tailored management advice. Running training courses and walks, her outreach also extends to the media where she has appeared on radio, podcasts, at festivals and in print, with many feeding back that her inspirational work has left them consumed with ‘hedge fever’!