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A Newry woman who now lives in Edinburgh has been awarded an MBE in the King Charles New Year Honours List.
Helena Good, formerly Cunningham received the award for her services and commitment to championing innovation and entrepreneurship within education for young people. Helena has spearheaded partnerships with educators, employees and students for over 20 years and in 2019 she founded the innovative not-for-profit Daydream Believers initiative which places creativity and curiosity at the heart of its work as key drivers for teachers and pupils to work together to unlock potential future skills.
Helena, a pupil at St Clares Primary School and the Sacred Heart Grammar School in Newry has lived in Edinburgh for over thirty years. Starting her career as a graphic designer, working for a variety of creative agencies across Scotland, it was as a graphic design lecturer for Edinburgh College that she found her passion for connecting educators, employees and students to drive change and innovation for those entering the workforce.
Speaking on receiving the award Helena said: “Receiving an MBE is an incredible honour and feels truly special not just for me, but also for the entire Daydream team and my own family."
Made up of ‘Dreamers and Doers’, and working with partners including Rockstar Games, LEGO and Skyscanner, Daydream Believers provides a free, ready to use, online resource bank for educators. The team also host interactive workshops with pupils and carry out training sessions for teachers.
Helena added “I’ve always been passionate about education and the role creativity plays in shaping resilient, innovative futures. Working with inspiring partners both in education and business and being part of the Daydream Believers team has been a privilege. Working together we are unlocking potential and empowering both educators and students to think differently.
“This recognition is a reminder of the amazing things we can achieve together, and I’m so excited for the journey ahead as we continue to dream big, collaborate, and make real change happen."
Since starting Daydream Believers, Helena and her team have worked with 27 local authorities and 95 schools, reached over 6,000 pupils and over 200 teachers to embed creative learning journeys within their lesson plans.
This not-for-profit business has also launched the first Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Creative Thinking Qualification in Scotland which focuses on solving real-world challenges and saw over 1,000 students sign-up in 2024.
The Daydream Believers concept and model has already caught the interest of an international audience with Helena having recently been part of setting up the inaugural Creative Thinking Festival in Sydney Australia. The Daydream team has also connected learners and educators across 125 countries.
Daydream’s concept was recognised by the HundrED Global Innovation Awards (October 2022) as being one of the top 100 most impactful and scalable education innovations to watch out for, while The British Interactive Media Association identified it as one of the top ten UK digital experiences that would help to shape the industry and inspire a generation of digital professionals.
Ollie Bray, Strategic Director for Education Scotland, who works with Daydream Believers, said: “We are delighted that Helena has been awarded an MBE for services to education. This prestigious honour is a reflection of her unwavering dedication, passion, and hard work, as well as the profound and lasting impact she has made on Scottish education. Helena's infectious enthusiasm, coupled with her pioneering work in creativity and project-based learning, has transformed approaches in both primary and secondary schools across Scotland. This recognition is richly deserved, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Helena on this remarkable achievement.”
Helena’s personal accolades include being inducted into The College Development Network Hall of Fame in June 2021 for the positive impact she had as a lecturer to students and the community. She was recognised as a TES UK Lecturer of the Year (2020) which made her the first-ever winner from a Scottish College and took home the Creative Edinburgh Leadership award (2019) for inspiring the next generation of creatives through mentoring, teaching and leadership.
Ruth Cochrane, Head of Future Skills at the Glasgow School of Art and a Director of Daydream Believers, said: “I’ve known Helena since 2019 when I was one of the many representatives from across the creative and educational spectrum that she convened around the common goal of changing how creativity is taught in schools.
“Helena was uniquely able to allow us to leave our competing agendas and egos at the door and work together around this shared mission; to dream big and reimagine what education could and should be. Even more impressive than that, she is driving that vision into real change in the form of Daydream Believers. Thousands of young people across Scotland have had their school experience changed by Helena’s vision, and I’ve been privileged to witness the transformative effect Daydream Believers has on everyone who engages with it.
“Creative professionals have a meaningful way to contribute to the development of their future workforce, supporting teachers to rediscover their passion for the classroom and most importantly encouraging pupils to reengage with school and love learning. It is a total privilege to work with Helena and call her a friend, and I’m so delighted that her achievements are being recognised in this way.”
Find out more about Daydream Believers at daydreambelievers.co.uk
