Job Description
Alex is a deputy CEO of the charity The Diana Award, founder of Anti-Bullying Pro, an ambassadors for Queens Young Leaders, and a Director of BBC Children in Need.Regarded as an expert on anti-bullying, he is also an advisory member of the boards of some major social media platforms, including TikTok, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook.Growing up with Spanish Jamaican heritage, Alex was on the receiving end of racial bullying behaviour during his school years which, as he got older, developed into homophobic bullying.These early experiences of bullying left their mark and at the age of just 15, Alex made the brave decision to make a stand – not only for him but for others experiencing bullying behaviour – when he set up the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Programme.Since then, through this Programme, he has helped train over 40,000 young people in 4,000 schools across the world to stand up to bullying online and offline.Alex is also a trusted government advisor and regularly appears on ITV’s This Morning and CBBC Newsround to share his expertise.Alex is a champion for young people and mental health. He notes studies showing the reality that 10-13-year-olds who have experienced bullying at school will suffer from worse mental health, poorer job prospects and lack the ability to trust other adults in their workplace as they get older.Alex Holmes and the Anti-Bullying AmbassadorsIn 2003 and at the age of 15 Alex founded the peer support programme ‘Anti-Bullying Ambassadors’, training young people with the skills needed to prevent peer-to-peer violence and bullying. Its success came from the fact it was young people speaking to young people, rather than a teacher or authority figure.This programme is now in over 4,000 schools across the UK, Ireland, Greece and the United States. It is Alex’s belief that there should be a trained Anti-Bullying Ambassador in every school.There are over 40,000 young people who have now been trained as Ambassadors with support and financial backing coming from Vodafone, Facebook, Instagram, Nationwide Building Society and the Department for Education.Alex Holmes Recognition and AwardsFor nearly 20 years Alex has been campaigning and making a difference in the lives of young people, and for this he has received a number of awards and accolades.Alex received the Diana Award in 2004, an award given to young change-makers in honour of the memory of Princess Diana and given to Alex for his efforts to tackle bullying across the country.Alex Holmes has also received the Forbes 30 Under 30 award and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. The Independent on Sunday named Alex on the Happy List as one of the ‘100 people who make Britain a happier place to live’. In 2017, Alex was made a a Queen’s Young Leader, which sees him extending his work to the commonwealth.In 2023 Alex was invited to become a Director at BBC Children In Need working on their ‘We Move’ programme empowering black led organisations and black children.Alex Holmes | Campaigning and AdvisingAlex has been campaigning since his teenage years. One of his proudest moments is his successful campaign to have the dictionary definition of the word ‘bullying’ changed. The old definition stated that bullying was ‘happening to people that are weaker’. Working with young people and celebrities Will Poulter, Cel Spellman, Millie Bobby Brown and Richard Branson he campaigned for a change. Collins Dictionary was the first to change the definition, with others and Google following after.In addition to his work as a Deputy CEO for charity The Diana Award, Alex Holmes also has an advisory role at the following global organisations:– Spotify Safety Advisory Council Board Member– Snap Safety Advisory Board Member– Fair Play Alliance Advisor– Barnardo’s Foundation Advisory Board Member– TikTok’s European Safety Advisory Council– Twitch Global Safety Advisory Council Member– Yubo Safety Board Member– Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Advisory Board MemberBelow: Beat bullying; why young people hold the key at talk by Alex Holmes at TEDx ExeterWhy book Alex Holmes?Alex is a trusted expert on all issues relating to bullying and the mental health of young people. His work has had a global impact and, as an advisor to large social media platforms, his contributions will touch the lives of millions of children worldwide. His passion for change and for helping young people shine through in all he does and he makes an impact on all those he works with.Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book the anti-bullying ambassador and speaker Alex Holmes for your next live event or corporate video. Contact us .Director of Creative Diversity at the BBCFounder WIE Network (Women: Inspiration and Enterprise)Topics: Inclusion & Diversity, Female Empowerment & Broadcasting #J-18808-Ljbffr