Community champion honoured by University

A community leader who has dedicated more than 30 years to promoting health equity, education and community cohesion has received an honorary degree from the University of Reading.

Cecily Mwaniki, founder of the award-winning charity Utulivu Women's Group, received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in a ceremony on Friday 12 December.

During her career, Mwaniki has worked with many vulnerable communities including survivors of domestic abuse and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), people experiencing mental ill health, the elderly, the homeless, refugees and those living with drug and alcohol issues.

After leaving her teaching career in Kenya, she moved to Reading with her husband to pursue higher education, graduating with a degree in Women's Studies in 2001 and later a BSc in Substance Use and Misuse.

In 2004, Mwaniki founded Utulivu Women's Group. The Reading-based charity aims to tackle inequalities faced by women and girls from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, and Refugee communities.

The charity received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2011, and Mwaniki was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. In 2017, Utulivu established the Rose Centre, a safe space for survivors of cultural domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM. The charity has been chosen as one of the Mayor of Reading’s charities for 2025/2026.

As a Mental Health and Suicide First Aid Instructor, accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, Mwaniki has helped organise community-focused conferences on suicide awareness and champions the annual Health Inequalities and Faith Communities conference. In 2022, Utulivu helped launch the Grassroot Communities Annual Awards celebration to amplify communities’ voices, following the successful establishment of the Community Wellbeing Hub.

Mwaniki is also an award-winning author of more than 15 self-published books covering healthy family relationships, leadership, and career and economic growth. She received the Writer of the Year Award from African Women in Europe in 2017 and the Christian Woman Writer of the Year Award in 2022.

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Reading, said: "For more than 30 years, Cecily Mwaniki has worked tirelessly to empower vulnerable communities. She prioritises seeing the human first, which has helped her view life through different lenses.

"Her work through Utulivu Women's Group has transformed countless lives, from establishing safe spaces for survivors of domestic abuse and FGM to championing mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Cecily's belief in empowering communities to have a voice and co-produce the change they need epitomises what the University of Reading stands for. Her extraordinary dedication to health equity, education and community cohesion makes her a truly deserving recipient of this honour."