2025 Shortlisted nominee
SOCIAL MOBILITY PROJECT AWARD
From Toxteth to national recognition, Sara Lawton has dedicated her career to tackling poverty, deprivation, and inequality. With 27 years’ experience across the public, private, and third sectors, including senior leadership roles at DWP and Merseyside Fire & Rescue, Sara has consistently pioneered community-first interventions. In 2015, motivated by a determination to empower the most marginalised, she founded Rise Construction Framework, a purpose-driven social enterprise reinvesting profits into domestic violence services, mental health programmes, and community advice networks. Last year alone, Rise supported over 9,000 people. Sara also launched Thrive, a safe space for care leavers and disadvantaged young people, transforming hundreds of lives through job search support and wrap-around care. Sara’s leadership was recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2024. She continues to drive social mobility through Rise’s upcoming ‘Raise Up’ Summit, galvanising businesses to create real opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
