Polly Akhurst is the Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Amala, a non-profit organisation providing transformational education to refugee youth worldwide. A UWC Atlantic alumna (2004–2006), she later joined UWC International in 2013, where she led alumni and community engagement initiatives, including UWC Day, UWCx and the UWC Hub.

Inspired by UWC’s mission-driven education model, Polly co-founded Amala in 2016 to expand access to high-quality secondary education for refugees. Under her leadership, Amala developed the first high school diploma created with and for refugee learners, alongside short courses in peace-building, social entrepreneurship and leadership. Her work centres on agency, ethical leadership and empowering young people to drive positive change in their communities.