It’s been a whirlwind - incredibly exciting and far beyond what I ever imagined. I remember seeing the Policy Idol advert on my way into the library and wondering what might happen if I had the courage to channel and voice the experiences, passion, and ideas I’d been carrying into words. The mentorship, encouragement, and conversations that followed guided that little moment of "what if" into everything that’s happened since.
Sophie du Plessis
30 October 2025
NMPC student wins prestigious award for mental health campaigning
Sophie du Plessis wins the 2025 Janey Antoniou Campaigner of the Year award from Rethink Mental Illness.
Sophie du Plessis, MNurs student in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, has won an award for her campaigning around eating disorder awareness in fitness spaces.
Rethink Mental Illness are a charity provider of mental health services in England. Their Janey Antoniou Campaigner of the Year Award recognises people who have campaigned to make a tangible difference to those affected by mental illness.
Sophie was nominated for the award in September and was subsequently chosen as the winner. “It was such an unexpected and really humbling surprise. I met some incredible campaigners, staff, and trustees, and it felt like a real full-circle moment, having benefited from Rethink’s advocacy service a few years ago during my own recovery journey,” she says.
Sophie won Policy Idol 2025, an annual competition organised by the Policy Institute at King’s where students pitch innovative policy ideas, for her pitch arguing that gyms should be better positioned to notice, understand and support those at risk of eating disorders.
Drawing from her own experiences with anorexia and depression, she recently launched the campaign ED Informed and has started to collaborate with Beat to develop the UK’s first CPD-accredited training for fitness professionals.
Back in April, Sophie reached out to Beat about developing the eating-disorder training she’d proposed as part of her safeguarding policy. She then began fundraising and networking with athletes, mental-health campaigners, and charities to spread the word. This led to the creation of social media materials and the launch of the ED Informed Instagram page. The campaign has since expanded to include collaboration with university services such as the Active Wellness Scheme and the Mental Health Support Service at King’s, establishing referral pathways for students at risk.
Over the summer, Sophie spoke at a webinar hosted by Athlete Interactions, wrote to NHS leaders and parliamentarians, and launched a petition calling for eating disorders to be recognised alongside obesity in national strategy. She also created a website bringing together campaign updates, educational resources, fundraising opportunities, and the petition.
Sophie continues to meet MPs, Beat’s CEO, and campaigners in the field to explore further collaboration and national advocacy opportunities.