Smiley News names 100 ‘changemakers’ in new report

Smiley News, the good news and positive news platform from Smiley Movement, has unveiled Impact 100: The New Generation, its inaugural editorial selection of 100 changemakers making a positive difference around the world.

From internationally recognised actors, musicians and athletes to pioneering scientists, grassroots campaigners and community leaders, the list celebrates people turning ideas and influence into action.

The inaugural selection features 41 changemakers from the UK, 36 from the US and 23 from other countries. Its ten categories span creativity, sport, business, climate, health, community, wildlife and equality. Individuals were selected through independent editorial research based on the impact of their work and their ability to inspire others.

British names include Harry Kane, for his support for mental health awareness; Lewis Hamilton, for championing diversity and opportunity in motorsport; Marcus Rashford, for his fight against child food poverty; Emilia Clarke, for SameYou, the brain injury charity she co-founded; and Tom Daley, for his advocacy for LGBTQ+ visibility. They are joined by Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Stephen Graham, Michaela Coel and Stacey Dooley.

International names include Serena Williams, Olivia Rodrigo, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Naomi Osaka and Robert Irwin.

Alongside these public figures are innovators and campaigners tackling challenges in their communities and beyond. They include Fionn Ferreira, the young Irish inventor tackling microplastics in water; Millie Gooch, founder of Sober Girl Society; Bas Timmer, the Dutch designer behind Sheltersuit; and Simidele Adeagbo, Olympian and founder of the SimiSleighs Foundation.

Together, their stories reflect the purpose of Smiley News: to share positive news that informs, inspires and helps people see how they can contribute to change.

Emilia Clarke, actor and co-founder of brain injury charity SameYou, said: "I've told you my story, please tell us yours. When people leave hospital after a brain injury, the future feels a scary place. At SameYou, we champion survivors and their families beginning their complex recovery journey at home, often without enough practical, emotional or psychosocial support.

"We are developing and scaling innovative services, resources and communities to help bridge this gap, combining lived experience, clinical expertise, digital innovation and human connection.

"At our heart we provide peer support through a wide range of services, helping stop isolation, providing hope and creating an evidence base of the need. We would love to hear from people wherever they are in their recovery journey."

Fionn Ferreira, inventor, said: "Being named on the Impact 100 is a real honour, and a reminder of how many young people are out there quietly building solutions. I started experimenting with microplastics as a teenager in West Cork with very little equipment and a lot of curiosity. If that can grow into something, then anyone with an idea and a bit of stubbornness can make a difference too."

Simidele Adeagbo, Olympian and founder of the SimiSleighs Foundation, said: "It's an absolute honour to be recognised on the Smiley Movement's inaugural Impact 100 list. I wake up every single day excited by a simple truth: we can build a better, more equitable world for women and girls through sport. Watching the young leaders we serve step into their power through the SimiSleighs Foundation is the greatest reward. My hope is that this recognition helps us open even more doors and ignite real, lasting change."

Millie Gooch, founder of Sober Girl Society, said: "I'm over the moon to have been selected for this list. So much of what drives me is wanting people to feel less alone in their relationship with alcohol, and to show that sobriety can be positive, empowering and full of possibility. I'm incredibly grateful to be included and to have the opportunity to bring even more visibility to this work."

Bas Timmer, founder of Sheltersuit, whose designs help protect people experiencing homelessness, said: "I believe design can create real impact. Change needs to happen on many levels: in the materials we use, in the way we produce, and in how we protect people who are left out on the streets. Creativity can connect those worlds. And I've learned one thing over the years: teamwork really does make the dream work."

Nicolas Loufrani, founder of Smiley Movement, said: "We live in a world where fame, influence and success are often measured by followers, headlines and financial achievements. But I believe there is a much more important measure of success: the positive difference we make to other people's lives. What excites me about our first Impact 100 is that it brings together some of the most famous people on the planet with individuals whose extraordinary work may never have made the front pages.

"At Smiley News, we believe positivity is much more than a feeling. It's a force for action. My hope is that the Impact 100 becomes an annual celebration of human potential and inspires people everywhere to recognise that they too have the power to make a difference."