Ronan McKenzie and Rhiannon Kruse-Edwards from Walthamstow School for Girls are our new winners of the Steve Sinnott Award for Young Global Education Campaigners of the year.

They now have the chance to travel out to Ghana, with their teacher, and report back on the progress of the Education Millennium Development Goals.

Plan UK is proud host this year’s Steve Sinnott Award. With World Cup fever high this year, the winners will investigate how football is helping to keep girls in school and will meet with political leaders, school teachers and students to hear about education issues and challenges in Ghana. The trip will take place in February half term 2010 (15-19 of February).

Read more about Ronan and Rhiannon's award-winning campaigning ideas and plans in The Guardian.

Background to the award

In 2000, world leaders promised that every child in the world would have completed a quality primary education by 2015. Although progress has been made there are still 75 million children who are tragically missing out on an education.

Steve, who sadly died in 2008, was a passionate advocate for Education for All. During his time as General Secretary of the NUT he was a committed member of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), which believes that education is the route out of poverty.

“As an advocate of humanity, there were many causes that Steve held dear. He was a vociferous campaigner for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to see all the world’s children in school by 2015, as well as a trustee of No More Landmines. The decision to nominate these two organisations to receive donations in Steve’s memory was already made for us.

“We can think of no better way to remember Steve than ensuring that the work of these two great causes can continue.” Mary, Stephen and Kate Sinnott (Steve’s wife, son and daughter).

As a result of these donations, this award has been set up and will initially run for three years.