Sophia Kaur Badhan

Though thoughtful, bold, and always curious, Emma's blog is a space for those who love exploring and questioning.

The Author

About

After being hospitalised for mental health conditions including Anorexia Nervosa, Anxiety, Depression and OCD, Sophia now actively campaigns to ensure young people are given the treatment they both need and deserve. Due to her passionate activism in light of her difficult journey with her own mental health, Sophia is a recipient of The Diana Award 2019, which is the highest accolade a young person can receive for their humanitarian work and social action.

Sophia is a member of The Think4Brum Youthboard and has represented them at The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Conference 2019. Here, she addressed an audience of 300 healthcare professionals and spoke about #TeenTalk, a pioneering program which challenges professionals through simulated roleplays to reflect on their medical interactions with young people.

In order to encourage Early Intervention within the education sector, Sophia has designed and delivered workshops entitled ‘Self-Care Isn’t Selfish’ to Year 7 pupils. Consequently, she was appointed as her school’s first ever Wellbeing Prefect as part of The Senior Prefect Team, and has worked alongside both the Pastoral and Senior Leadership Teams at her school to promote positive mental health for both staff and students

In 2019, Sophia was also selected as one of 50 new #iWill Ambassadors for the UK. The Campaign empowers young people to champion the causes most important to them and supports them in making a real difference to their communities. Find out more here.

Additionally, Sophia has volunteered at her local Trussell Trust Foodbank for four years and continues to work tirelessly to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health. Her message of positivity and self-empowerment is infectious, and she inspires everyone she meets.

In early 2020, Sophia was shortlisted for the West Midlands Combined Authority Thrive Mental Health Star Award in the ‘Young Person’ category. She went on to win the highest award of the night, the Super Star Award, and has therefore been recognised on a regional level for her work advocating for the mental health rights of young people. She is pictured here with Sir Norman Lamb MP.