Meera Naran, a lecturer from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), has won this year’s Spirit in the Community Award at the prestigious GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards.

Meera, a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at DMU, was recognised for her tireless work as a road safety campaigner following the tragic death of her eight-year-old son, Dev, in a smart motorway collision in 2018. Since then, she has dedicated her life to campaigning for safer roads - her work has influenced national policies on road and vehicle safety as well as on driver education, and raised awareness in the UK and further afield.

The GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards are widely seen as the UK’s foremost celebration of excellence in inclusion, diversity, and leadership. They recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions in various sectors including medicine, law, technology, and community service, and showcase the GG2 Power List of the most influential Asians in Britain.

Meera, who received an MBE for services to road safety, and who last year addressed the World Health Organisation's global road safety conference in Marrakech, attended the glittering award ceremony in London last week where Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy gave the keynote speech.

Meera said: "It’s an honour to receive this recognition among such esteemed and inspirational leaders. It is also a proud moment to represent De Montfort University as we champion our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"This award reflects the dedication of our community to advancing safe and sustainable communities, expanding opportunity, promoting diversity, and empowering individuals to drive meaningful change and make a positive impact in society."

The 2026 GG2 Spirit in the Community Award was sponsored by the Royal Navy. Meera said: “That’s especially meaningful to me - Dev always thought the Navy were really cool.  He loved the discipline and would watch the videos of their training - he wanted to be a surgeon and it was just something that really inspired him.”

Posted on Tuesday 31 March 2026