Teesside youth mp sophie delivers powerful commons speech on mental health

A Teesside Youth MP has delivered a powerful speech in the House of Commons in her fight for improved mental health services for young people. Redcar and Cleveland’s Member of Youth

Parliament, Sophie Bloomfield has been working with local mental health and wellbeing services and has shared a vital report with her Downing Street colleagues. After being elected to the UK

Youth Parliament (UKYP) last year, the 15-year-old successfully applied to become the North East representative for the UKYP Youth Select Committee as one of just 12 members - and the first

from the Tees Valley. A keen dancer and musician, Sophie explained she was just 14 when she recorded her video manifesto for the UKYP election back in December 2024 (Members of the UK Youth

Parliament are elected for a two year term of office). She said: “I don’t think I realised how much the role meant to me until the day of the election results at Tuned In. I was so nervous

for the election results to come in. I was delighted to be announced as the elected MYP and I’m grateful to have shared the campaigning process with Simrah Dhillon, who presented a brilliant

manifesto and now holds the position as the Deputy MYP for the constituency." Recently, at the UKYP Annual Sitting, Sophie was chosen to speak by Mr Speaker- Sir Lyndsey Hoyle- in the

debate on National Minimum Wage. She said: “During the debate, you have to stand up really quickly following the previous speaker, in order to have a chance of being called upon. As one of

my fellow MYPs was speaking, I turned to look at Mr Speaker, only to see that he and his marshals were pointing at me, indicating me to speak next! It was a surreal moment and I exchanged

excited looks with my friends sat around me before I rose to speak.” Another major achievement came in March when Sophie and her colleagues on the UKYP Youth Select Committee launched an

important report into Social Media and Youth Violence which has gained national attention. The report is a product of oral evidence sessions held in Portcullis House (where MPs conduct much

of their work) and written evidence. Sophie said: “It gives prominence to the need for government to consult young people on the development of policies which will impact them. In order to

combat youth violence, it is vital that government and police alike build positive relationships with the youth population, through age-appropriate engagement and educational interventions.

It’s been an honour to be a member of this committee. I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to seeing our recommendations put into action. Young people have been

the impetus behind this report and it’s time we had our voices heard.” Now – and on her own initiative – the Laurence Jackson School student is developing a website designed to ‘Strike the

Stigma’, ensuring her constituents have easy access to the appropriate wellbeing support. Over the past few months, Sophie has been ‘working with experts in her constituency, to better

understand how she can support young people. She has ‘been arranging and attending meetings with representatives from several of our local mental health services, as a part of a project to

improve the accessibility of mental health services for young people in particular. Once published, her website will not only signpost young people to the services which would be most

beneficial to them but it also offers a plethora of self-referral forms, to ensure young people feel in control of their own support. Sophie added: “During the research phase of this

project, I discovered that many young people were reaching a point of crisis before their wellbeing needs were noticed. This project aims to ensure young people have access to the right

support as soon as they feel they need it. I believe in order to remove the stigma around seeking mental health support, we must first remove the idea that support is granted in a clinical

manner. "Mental health support is not about sitting in a little room, feeling intimidated by a doctor or a teacher - it’s about working with people you trust, who you can build positive

relationships with, and in an environment where you feel 100% safe. I’ve been working on this website with my youth worker, Emma Wright, to ensure the project is handled professionally,

safely and effectively.” Sophie’s youth worker Emma Wright said: “Sophie is extremely dedicated to her post and the energy and effort she has put in is outstanding. Watching Soph at the

House of commons was fantastic - she had the whole room focused on her. Sophie has an extremely bright future in politics.” Hellen Higgs, another of Sophie’s youth workers, shared her pride.

She added: “When you see her confidence talking in the House of Commons, it is astonishing. All the young people of the borough – and all the adults too – should be very proud of her.” Cllr

Bill Suthers, Cabinet Member for Children, said: “Sophie is clearly an exceptional young woman. She’s not only raising these extremely important issues on the highest stage possible for her

in an intelligent and effective way but she’s also working to improve the lives of other young people who may be suffering or vulnerable right here at home. “Our young people sometimes get

a negative press and I don’t pretend there aren’t sometimes issues. But the truth is – and my time in my current role has very much confirmed this – that so many of our young people starting

out on life are really hard-working, thoughtful and a credit to our area, just as Sophie is proving.” GO HERE FOR MORE WHAT'S ON UPDATES, NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM AROUND TEESSIDE JOIN

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