Sling The Mesh founder Kath Sansom has been awarded a £20,000 grant to continue her work after being given a Tenacious Campaigner Award.

Kath Sansom is among 10 winners of the prestigious awards which support campaigners working to right an injustice.  

Kath launched Sling the Mesh with just 20 members in 2015. There are now almost 11,000 members from around the world.  

The former journalist has succeeded in getting one type of mesh suspended, another banned and has pushed for a series of regulatory reforms.   

Kath said: “Receiving the Tenacious Campaigner Award is an incredible honour.  This recognition not only highlights the importance of our fight but also fuels my determination to push for lasting change in the arena of patient safety.  I don’t want my children and grandchildren to suffer as we all have.  

“We must not have another mesh scandal where innocent people are harmed from healthcare treatments then face a brick wall of denial.” 

Already the funding has been ear marked for a robust scientific study of the complications faced by thousands in the Sling The Mesh support group

The Tenacious Awards recognises the contribution of campaigning and journalism to the public good, which celebrates exceptional individuals who have shown extraordinary skill and determination in their fight against injustice and for driving meaningful societal change.   

Kath was among 10 campaigners who will each receive £20,000 from the scheme. 

Their varied campaigning efforts range from aiming to abolish residential leasehold tenures in England and Wales to ending the imprisonment of pregnant women.  

Launched in 2023 by Changing Ideas, these awards back campaigners with true tenacity, working to right an injustice. The funding and support gives campaigners the freedom to push for change, the space to explore new approaches, and the networks to build momentum.