MAG Wins the 2025 Hilton Humanitarian Prize

At Department XYZ, we’re more than just a workspace — we’re a community built around inspiring people doing meaningful work. One of those people is Sarah Tavener, Head of Global Philanthropy and Partnerships at MAG (Mines Advisory Group) — a global humanitarian organisation based right here in our Spinningfields location.

This October, MAG will travel to New York City to accept the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the world’s largest award for a non-profit. They are only the fourth British organisation ever to win it — a remarkable recognition of their work clearing landmines and unexploded bombs in communities affected by war.

We sat down with Sarah to hear more about MAG’s mission, what this award means, and why they chose Department XYZ as their Manchester base.

Tell us about your mission and why that work is important to you?

MAG is a global organisation, and we work around the world to clear landmines and unexploded bombs from conflict-affected communities. These could be places where war has been over for decades, or where conflict is ongoing. We have over 5,000 members of staff recruited from those communities who are dedicated and committed to clearing every single landmine before someone is injured.

Tell us more about winning this amazing award and why it was so significant for your organisation?

The Hilton Humanitarian Prize is the largest humanitarian prize that is given to organisations who are committed to helping humanity and alleviating human suffering. It’s a huge deal for an organisation like MAG — we’re only the fourth British organisation to win the award. It’s a huge moment, and what it really means is profile, a platform, and a moment to shine a spotlight on the work of our amazing staff members around the world. It also gives us a chance to think about how we can continue to make a difference, using that prize money to really invest in how we can reach more of the 60 million people still trapped by landmines and unexploded bombs globally.

Tell us why you chose Department XYZ?

It was a big decision to move from our own office into a shared space like Department, but it’s been a really fantastic one. It’s been a shift and a change, but we love being in a shared space. We love having our own area to work as a team and have our internal conversations, but we also enjoy the open-plan areas. There are so many different zones that suit our needs and flexible working — it’s been a really positive change.

Did you look at other workspace options? What made you choose Department over others?

Yes, we looked at other options once we decided to leave our dedicated office. What stood out about Department was the central location — it’s not far from our previous office and has excellent transport links. But also, it’s the vibe of the place — it’s incredibly friendly, community-focused, and offers loads of events and activities. That really appealed to the organisation.

What do you love most about working in this building?

The thing I love most about XYZ is the location — but also the vibe of the space. It’s very friendly, very community-driven. We love having Lewis looking after us — it’s great to have someone dedicated to our needs. The building offers all kinds of working spaces — the pods are great if you need privacy, and the open areas are perfect when you want something lighter and more collaborative. It gives us everything we need, and that’s why it works so well for us.

Tell us about your upcoming visit to New York where you’ll be collecting the award?

The Hilton Prize will be presented at a gala event in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria on the 6th of October — which is incredibly exciting. Our CEO Darren will be accepting the award, but we’ll also be joined by our ambassador, actress Rosamund Pike, and two members of our programme staff. One is Jeanette, from our Angola programme, who will be speaking on stage — which is an incredible moment to have that authentic voice — and another member of staff from Sri Lanka. It’s really an opportunity to celebrate this award on behalf of all our team members around the world.

A Huge Congratulations from All of Us at Department XYZ

We’re incredibly proud to have MAG as part of our community — their work is life-saving, inspiring, and rooted in values that matter. From Spinningfields to 70+ countries around the world, MAG is proof that a Manchester HQ can be the base for truly global change.

We’ll be cheering them on this October as they collect their award in New York — and celebrating everything they continue to achieve, from right here in our building.