John Stopford Scholarship

John Stopford was one of Meyler Campbell’s most esteemed community members. John was a dedicated teacher and a joyful learner right up until his untimely death in 2011. On that sad occasion one colleague said the learning and coaching community had lost its exemplar – the only one who mastered the complete range from full-power strategic advice, right through to “truly listening to the tiniest whisper of what the client wanted inside.” In offering this scholarship Meyler Campbell continues to honour John’s memory by offering a valuable learning opportunity to someone who might not otherwise have access to it. The aims of the scholarship programme are to develop great coaches and grow coaching capability in the charity sector while also building greater sector diversity and understanding within the Meyler Campbell community.

Meet our 2025-2026 John Stopford Scholarship winners, Ged Flynn and Paul Amadi.

Each year we offer a number of places on the Mastered Programme to leaders from the charity sector. The programme is one of the most widely recognised and reputable Executive Coach training programmes in the UK. The Mastered Programme was awarded the European Quality Award (as conferred by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council) and is accredited by the Association for Coaching. See www.meylercampbell.com for more information about Meyler Campbell and the Mastered Programme.

Entry criteria

Applicants for the scholarship must demonstrate that they meet the standard entry criteria for the programme and they must be working in the charity sector in either an employed or voluntary capacity. To be considered for the programme applicants must:

• Be business credible i.e. have a significant track record of experience and knowledge of their own sector such that they have credibility to coach senior leaders in the sector.
• Have an intrinsic interest in learning to coach at a high level.
• This programme represents a transformational journey for learners and therefore is not appropriate for anyone who has recently experienced a significant loss or personal trauma.
• Be open to new learning and personal development including self-reflection.
• Be able to make a unique contribution to our coaching community.
• Be able to commit to a programme of learning that may take between 10-12 months.

In addition, applicants must:

• Intend to and can demonstrate how they will use their training for charitable purposes and how the lives of others will be improved as a result.

Application process:

• Contact Meyler Campbell at info@meylercampbell.com for more information and an application form.
• Email the following documents to info@meylercampbell.com.
  • Completed background information form
  • Up-to-date CV
  • Supporting Statement detailing why you feel you should be the recipient of the Scholarship.

“The John Stopford Scholarship has been an immense gift. I am extremely grateful to have been a recipient, and the charities I’m involved in have already started to reap the benefits. Participating in the Mastered Programme has been transformational in ways I never knew were possible. The journey to discovering the power that lies within me to recognise the power in another through coaching has been mind-blowing! My confidence has sky-rocketed, my leadership skills have been strengthened, and a world of opportunities have opened up because of my participation in the programme. To round it off, I’ve gained new ‘thinking partners’ through my six-pack syndicate and continue to enjoy being part of a generous coaching community.” – Debbie Giwa, Mastered 2024

“Through the John Stopford Scholarship, I was gifted the Mastered Programme and it is a gift that keeps on giving. You gain the tools and the ability to coach effectively; to help others really unlock their potential and find solutions to some of their challenges, providing that space for them to find the answers for themselves, essentially to experience their epiphany moment. That’s the power of coaching. I was given the opportunity to learn from others, but in the process, I also learned so much about myself which was transformational for my self-development. I was nervous in the beginning because I felt like I was challenging myself and putting myself in an environment I wasn’t quite used to, but once I embraced the Mastered Programme and leaned into it, that’s when I started to see the magic happen.” – Lee Lawrence, Mastered 2024

“My time on Mastered allowed me to act more out of curiosity and be more open to the world. It gave me the tools to better connect with others for useful conversations and better support. Coaching skills are making me grow as an individual. I give more attention to people in private or in professional environments, and I am improving my capacity to build relationships and develop staff, as well as significant others, and hopefully influence within and beyond my organisation.” – Josette Vignon, Mastered 2023

“I embarked on the programme in the middle of the pandemic, at a time when – even more than usual – I was in the middle of juggling a million things at breakneck speed. Taking the time out to engage in Mastered was transformative for me. It enabled me to step back, think, reflect – both about what I am doing and how to better enable others around me. I found the small group, hands-on learning really energising and am excited to continue to use the skills I have developed to magnify my social impact. Coming from the charity sector, I would never have been able to benefit from this wonderful opportunity without the John Stopford Scholarship.” – Jo Tiley-Riley, Mastered 2022

“The John Stopford Scholarship has given me a new spring in my step. It opened up a big door into new rooms I didn’t even know were there. A new way of listening. A new way to ask questions to get to the heart of a challenge. A new way to remove blocks and assumptions that get in the way of achievement. It applied as much to my own thinking as to the people I work with as a coach. In my day-to-day life at work. I feel I have a new treasure trove of ideas and models. Ways to get creative with the big and the small issues. Ways to help my team to dig deep to find their own solutions. Ways to boost our own resourcefulness, which in the charity sector is like finding gold. And it’s special to belong to the Meyler community – to meet so many people from varied backgrounds – united in a shared belief in the magic and power of coaching to help us all achieve our dreams.” – Jo Youle, Mastered 2021

“The John Stopford Scholarship opened me up to a world of learning, friendship, partnership, networking and opportunities. My charity has dramatically benefited from the Mastered Programme. I am now a better, calmer and clearer leader and I use these skills to have better communication with my team. The Scholarship allowed me to review our leadership curriculum and we now include coaching training in the program to support LGBTQI+ in Nigeria and develop the skill of asking questions for clarity.” – Bisi Alimi, Mastered 2021

“Receiving a John Stopford Scholarship has really been transformative to my work and to my development as a leader. I had not expected that I might bring such a sense of renewal and growth to my working life at this point and to be able to broaden my contribution into coaching others. Aside from the achievement of the qualification itself, the process of discovery and self-appraisal which comes with the learning has enabled me to re-visit my leadership approach and impact at the charity at which I work. Quite simply, the Scholarship has unlocked an opportunity which I had not thought I might access in my work and in my life – for which I’m incredibly grateful.” – Chris Askew, Mastered 2020

“The John Stopford Scholarship changed my working life by making me a better leader. Whereas I was always considerate and compassionate, my desire to support would mean that I was quick to give my advice, leaving little room for the person I was supporting to activate the power of their own thinking. After learning how to coach, I almost always ask the person I’m talking to “what do you think?” before I make a contribution. Better decisions and decisions that are owned by everyone involved are the result.” – Tunde Banjoko, Mastered 2020