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Passionate about Diversity & Inclusion and fighting to break the stigma around Mental Health and suicide.
Former Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate, RAF veteran, writer, speaker, broadcaster, photographer, self harm and suicide survivor… and transgender
Dr Sophie Cook FRSA became the first transgender woman to work in football’s Premier League as club photographer for AFC Bournemouth following her transition from Steve to Sophie in the summer of 2015.
Europe’s first trans TV newscaster, Sophie has hosted her own TV and radio chat shows and is an experienced broadcaster.
In the 2017 General Election she contested the East Worthing & Shoreham seat, increasing the Labour vote by 114% and narrowly missing out on becoming the UK’s first trans MP.
Sophie is an in-demand public speaker, delivering keynote talks internationally including a TEDx Talk on change, fear, vulnerability, diversity, mental health and LGBT workshops for high profile organisations such as JP Morgan, Virgin Media, Asda and Stonewall.
With extensive experience of working with organisations of all sizes Sophie Cook provides out-sourced Mental Health and Diversity & Inclusion advice that helps businesses to work more effectively and be more cohesive through the power of shared experience and recognising the things that we have in common rather than those which divide us.
The Sophie Cook Foundation has been formed to advance the education of the general public in all areas relating to mental health, particularly challenging the stigma around self harm and suicide.
In 2019 as recognition of her work around mental health Sophie was awarded the title of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by Bournemouth University and invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in 2020.
Recently announced as the 13th Most Influential Person in Brighton according to the Brighton Power 100, Cook is also named in the Top 10 Outstanding Contribution to LGBT+ Life in the 2020 British LGBT Awards.
Sophie’s autobiography ‘Not Today: How I Chose Life’ which charts her personal journey from despair to redemption and acts as a self help book for anyone struggling with their mental health and identity is out now. Her second book ‘Not Today: Losing My Addictions’ is due for publication in 2020.
