For Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza
I debated where to put this blog on my website and decided it was more modelling (role modelling) than travelling or sports – it’s not a perfect fit, but I wanted to chart this really cool part of my life.
Back in Nov 2024 Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, happened to be watching BBC Breakfast when a segment on me winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Colombia was played:
She said she saw me talking with such passion and such hope that she just had to meet me! So I was invited to the Department for Education in Dec 2024 and we met for the first time:
I must have made a good impression, despite being caught in a massive rain storm moments before I entered the building, because she invited me to apply to be one of her Youth Ambassadors… and by Jan 2025 I was in position!
The job so far has been incredible and I’ve felt so privileged on so many different occasions… and I do actually feel like I’ve managed to make a difference to children’s lives already. Whether that be through talking on a panel with Andy Burnham and Baroness Cass, ensuring – through my own personal testimony – that all schools support the needs of all students:
Or hosting a podcast with Ali Oliver from Youth Sport Trust about the importance of inclusion in sport:
Or talking to Josh Pelled the CEO of Bright Futures UK what children need to stay connected to their education when they’re away from school due to long-term illness:
But I think my favourite moment so far has been hosting a podcast with Lord Nash about the proposed social media ban for Under 16’s. If you’re going to give one of the podcasts a listen I’d definitely make it this one as it’s such an important area for everyone to get right:
I think this podcast really highlighted why it’s so important to include children in discussions about their future… and that’s what being a Youth Ambassador to the Children’s Commissioner enables… our voices are heard at the very top level of decision making.
That’s what being a Youth Ambassador to the Children’s Commissioner enables… our voices are heard at the very top level of decision making.
On a superficial level I’ve loved whizzing around London to meetings on my Lime scooter and the commute has thankfully always been easy:
Another element I enjoyed was recording video content about the various research reports that were being published. The idea was so visual learners didn’t have to sift through lots of paperwork to find out what was going on… but for some reason the videos were never used, so I’ll put one below simply because it took me ages to learn the lines and get right in one take! Great practice for my acting career though so no harm done! This video was due to run alongside the research report that made clear the urgent need to protect children from the harms of online pornography:
I’ve taken part in ministerial round tables with people like Minister Gould, discussing how schools can work better for children with additional needs, I’ve been involved in SEND panels, Big Conversation conversations, discussions about the assisted dying bill… there’s simply too much to list here – but how wonderful that it’s been so busy and so full on – exactly how I like to live my life!
Thank you to Dame Rachel de Souza for including me in her wonderful Youth Ambassadors Programme. It’s a real honour.
