Championing Youth Minds
2185. Tanya Marwaha
Tanya Marwaha, from Worthing, is a mental health advocate who founded ‘Championing Youth Minds’ during the pandemic to provide free mental health resources for young adults, guardians and schools in the UK.
Tanya has struggled with her own mental health after developing long-term disabilities, Fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and is passionate about breaking the stigma of talking about mental health and non-visible disabilities among South Asian communities. This drove her to set up ‘Championing Young Minds’ in 2021, to provide a platform for young people to connect with their peers and help care for their mental wellbeing, which has supported over 800 young people globally. To help provide appropriate materials, Tanya has researched and devised initiatives to offer greater mental health resources to the local community, including constructing and delivering a free virtual summer ten-week workshop program.
Tanya also works with a range of organisations and charities to aid them in supporting young people across the UK and globally and partnered with fellow point of light, ‘Baton of Hope’, earlier this year, the UK’s largest suicide prevention awareness campaign.
Tanya said:
“I am so surprised and grateful to have received this award. My journey is one that was born from the darkest moments of my life, so to receive a Points of Light Award is an incredibly special moment. I am honoured to be recognised in this manner, and would like to thank the Prime Minister and everyone who has been a part of this journey.”
Find out more about ‘Championing Youth Minds’