Innes Morgan is a second-year HSPS student at Churchill College, Cambridge, and already someone Whitehall is paying attention to.
Raised in a remote Highland community on mainland Britain’s northernmost point, Morgan grew up watching public services pulled away and young people leave in search of a future elsewhere; a recent statistic suggests nearly half of young Highlanders plan to do the same within five years. That early frustration became the engine behind Act with Purpose, the non-profit he founded in 2022 to help governments, businesses, and civic institutions turn good intentions into measurable impact, work that has already seen him advising the Cabinet Office on the decentralisation of Whitehall.
We met up with Innes to find out more about his journey, including plans to launch an Act with Purpose Fellowship, a programme aimed at developing the next generation of leaders.
Background
Can you describe what growing up in your Highland community was like, and what specific moment or experience first made you think “something needs to change here”?
Growing up in the Highlands is a unique experience. It’s an incredibly beautiful part of the world. But it is also incredibly remote region, which makes communities there particularly fragile and amplifies all kinds of socio-economic challenges.
As a primary school kid, I remember vividly being told, time and again, that there was no future for me in the Highlands. Public services were being cut and centralised. The local economic situation felt precarious. And it felt, above all, like we were being ignored by the people who were supposed to represent us. Against the backdrop of our communities being worn down and pulled apart, it felt as though government couldn’t understand our realities. This sense of frustration and anger kickstarted what has now been a lifelong journey to understand how we can build more prosperous communities.
To be honest, that feeling of frustration has never left me and continues to drive my passion. Indeed, even recently, I came across a statistic suggesting that almost 50% of young Highlanders plan to leave the region within five years.
How did witnessing depopulation and policy neglect translate into a passion for civil society work rather than, say, politics or law?
It’s a very interesting question. When I was younger, I was quite indecisive about what I wanted to do. Some days I wanted to be an architect or urban planner, as I though design could be an interesting way to build better, more resilient communities. For a while as well, I wanted to become a lawyer – driven by a similar sense of social justice. Ultimately, along the way, I’ve tested all kinds of weird and wonderful jobs: from a Danish liquorice company, and a nuclear power plant, to the UK Parliament, and a ferry company.
Of course, on this bizarre quest to work out what I want to do (I still don’t know!), trying to strengthen civil society has been a consistent passion point. In terms of ‘why’ I am passionate about this work, I think it comes from a simple understanding that a stronger society, and stronger communities, creates better outcomes for everyone.
Act with Purpose
How and when did you found Act with Purpose? Were you already at Cambridge, or did the organisation come first?
I founded Act with Purpose back in 2022 when I was reaching the end of my time in high school. I was (and I still am) incredibly naive. My goal was to turn my own experiences of seeing organisations work well in communities, delivering good value, and think about how we could scale it. Since coming to Cambridge, I’d like to say the project has matured a bit, with much thanks owed to those in the community here at Churchill for all their help.
What does ‘turning a mission into measurable impact’ look like in practice? Can you give a concrete example of a project you’re proud of?
The million-dollar question, and an important one to push on! Every organisation has a mission – whether this mission is orientated towards optimal, positive impact for society, or something else entirely. In the past, the majority of Act with Purpose’s work has focussed on supporting organisations with a clear social mission (e.g. government) become more driven by clear, tangible outputs. For instance, this involved working with the Cabinet Office to consider what the decentralisation of Whitehall could represent in relation to improving decision making outcomes.
However, on this journey we’ve realised that organisations, our economy, and our society are facing prodigious pressures. We know that the organisations of tomorrow are going to need to look very different, yet we aren’t preparing the next generation of leaders to lead through this change. That’s why our renewed focus is on developing the talent our future economy requires, given the existential questions faced by our organisations, and communities.
Appointments and Recognition
You’ve recently been appointed both to the Prime Minister’s Council of Civil Society and as a Churchill Fellow through the Churchill Fellowship: a UK charity which supports individual UK citizens to follow their passion for change, through learning from the world. What do these recognitions mean to you personally, and what are you hoping to achieve through them?
Honestly, I was shocked to have recently been appointed to these two roles.
On the first count, the Council is doing some incredibly significant work around sponsoring the delivery of the Civil Society Covenant – a framework which serves to reset the relationship between civil society, and government. To serve alongside such a high calibre team, and to be trusted to do this role, is deeply humbling. On a personal note, it is quite disorientating as well. I’ve spent pretty much all of my living memory banging on doors in government trying to shed light on issues in my part of the world; and to have the door opened to No. 10 is surreal in many ways.
It’s also something which I take very seriously. In our everyday lives, we see countless examples of the relationship between civil society and government not working in the way it could, or should. Whether this be uncertain funding/procurement for frontline service providers, or policy-making processes that can struggle to capture lived experience. In my eyes, people expect the Council to get on with championing, and sponsoring transformation, in collaboration with colleagues across the sector, and in government. There is a strong bias for action, and long must that stay!
Being appointed a Churchill Fellow has evoked a similar feeling. As cliché as it sounds, ultimately, recognition is a nicety (and hopefully a product of action). What matters most is what you do recognition, and the legitimacy this gives you. Through the Churchill Fellowship, I intend to look at how we can build a better energy system; trying to uncover solutions to issues such as the horrifying levels of fuel poverty we have.
Cambridge & Churchill
Why did you choose to study HSPS at Cambridge, and how has the course shaped your thinking about policy and social change?
Everyone says HSPS is very ‘big picture’ and systems thinking. I didn’t realise how much my way of thinking would change being here. It’s taught me to question everything, and to test my own assumptions about the world, in a way that’s (hopefully) made me a more considered, and curious person.
Has Churchill College specifically played a role in supporting your work or ambitions ie through tutors, peers, resources, or the College’s culture?
100%. Recently someone said to me that Churchill doesn’t change who you are, but it allows you to become who you truly are (or words to that effect). The student body is a melting pot of highly talented and kind people from all kinds of backgrounds. Similarly, the staff team (including academics) are relentlessly in pursuit of trying to support you as an individual. For me, the support has been wide-ranging. Whether that’s college fellows being generous in their time, and support with me as I seek to scale Act with Purpose; or the porters always being there (with a smiley face and great chat) to help with my many questions. Or you in communications taking the time out to listen to me today!
Looking Ahead
What’s next for Act with Purpose?
Our immediate focus is launching the Fellowship – a programme designed to give emerging leaders the skills, networks, and experiences they need to lead organisations fit for a changing world. It’s also an opportunity to convene genuinely intergenerational conversations about the big challenges our economy and society face, with a strong emphasis on applied learning rather than passive instruction.
We’re working with partners including at the university to develop and deliver the programme. Anyone interested in applying or finding out more can join our mailing list at actwithpurpose.org – applications will be opening in the coming weeks.
What’s your longer-term ambition? Do you see yourself in public life, the third sector, or somewhere else entirely?
I genuinely don’t know, and I’ve stopped pretending otherwise…. As I said earlier, I’ve been on a bizarre journey that probably doesn’t make much sense to an outsider. Despite this, like many people, I’d say my passion is under spelled by a sense of wanting to help make a difference – in particular, by improving public services and addressing economic inequalities.
I’m very aware that being at Cambridge and having the opportunities I have now is a huge privilege. So, in whatever comes next, I want to maximise what this affords me and put what I’ve learnt to good use. I think trying to spend some time scaling innovation, and building a meaningful product/service might be a good starting place. However, I’m also conscious of the importance in being able to shape policy. So, in short: I’m open to ideas!