Young Active Minds
1613. Montgomery Lord
Montgomery ‘Monty’ Lord, aged 15, from Preston, is the creator of a free Alexa app which provides mental health advice to young people, and helped set up the charity 'Young Active Minds', which aims to advance mental health awareness by helping others improve their memory retention and learning skills.
‘Young Active Minds’ started out as an initiative set up by Monty from his interest in enhanced memory techniques, which he put to the test by memorising the names of protagonists and first lines from novels for two Guinness World Record-breaking challenges. ‘Young Active Minds’ has since been registered as a charity to help young people with developing techniques that can not only improve their learning but support their mental wellbeing. Monty’s interest in the field has also seen him author a 55,000 word research paper into the effects of modern technology on young people’s mental health, presenting his findings to the UN, as well as conducting another more recent piece of research into the effects of Coronavirus isolation on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. His extensive research and Alexa app are now supporting Greater Manchester’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
In a personal letter to Monty, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Congratulations on all that you have done over the last year to help other young people.
“From your pioneering peer research, to the creation of your app, you have opened up conversations around mental wellbeing which are more important than ever at the moment. Through your charity ‘Young Active Minds’ you are also making a fantastic contribution to learning and mental wellbeing.”
Nigel Evans, Monty’s local MP for Ribble Valley, who surprised Monty with news of his award by video call, said:
“Monty is an inspiring young person, and I am thrilled that his achievements have been recognised by the Prime Minister in this way. The Points of Light awards recognise some of the most inspiring and impactful people in our society. Given Monty’s drive to help the community, I look forward to seeing what he is able to achieve in the coming years.”
Monty said:
“I felt very honoured to be presented with this award from the Prime Minister. I think every person, in their own small way, has helped their friends, families and neighbours throughout this difficult time. It’s testament to the great British spirit that we are resilient and help each other to pull through such difficult times. I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Points of Light awards programme for this wonderful recognition.”