Jane Kenyon, a Manchester-based social entrepreneur and founder of the non-profit Girls Out Loud, has been awarded the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to gender equality in women and young girls in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List.
Jane, a fearless changemaker and passionate advocate for female empowerment, has spent more than three decades championing women and girls, helping inspire confidence and helping them realise their full potential.
She founded Girls Out Loud in 2010 and has since helped shape brighter futures for more than 30,000 teenage girls through her early intervention programmes, mentoring and advocacy.
This includes its flagship Big Sister programme, which partners 12- to 13-year-old girls with female mentors for 12 months of guidance and support, helping them grow in confidence, improve self-esteem, and develop ambitious aspirations.
Under Jane’s leadership, the social enterprise has partnered with more than 80 schools and trained over 2,000 professional women as mentors, with a further 3,000 volunteers supporting school-based initiatives. Through her tireless fundraising, she has personally raised over £2 million to fund this vital work.
Jane is also a vocal advocate on issues such as body image, gender-based violence, and the impact of social media on teenage girls.
Jane said: “I’m deeply honoured and humbled to receive an MBE for my services to gender equality and youth empowerment. This work has been my life’s purpose – from mentoring girls one-to-one to building an organisation that champions them at scale. I’ve always believed in helping women and girls see the power they already have and reminding them that they aren’t alone.
“This is more than just a personal honour, it’s recognition of the thousands of girls, mentors, volunteers and changemakers who have been part of the Girls Out Loud journey over the past 15 years and stood behind our mission.
“With teenage girls facing immense pressure, from social media and mental health challenges to rising misogyny and limited representation, our work has never felt more urgent. This award gives me hope that society is listening, alongside a renewed drive to keep pushing forward.”
