Dr Pooky Knightsmith

The child is always at the centre of Pooky’s work where her first question is always ‘how will this benefit children and young people?’ Question two, which follows fast, is – ‘how can this be made usable, practical and relevant?’

Pooky is a passionate ambassador for mental health who loves to research, write, speak, teach and share all manner of ideas about mental health, wellbeing and PSHE. Her enthusiasm is backed up both by a PhD in child and adolescent mental health and her own lived experience of anorexia, self-harm, anxiety and depression.

Having worked on the frontline, promoting mental health through teaching more than 20,000 young people, their parents and those who work with them in recent years, Pooky is now working towards charity CEOship – she aims to lead a charity with a BIG impact on the lives of young people, or those with mental health issues (or both!)

Family is Pooky’s priority in her free time which is largely spent with husband Tom and her two young daughters from whom she learns more than she ever imagined possible. She is a keen baker, writes a poem every day and has recently started work on her first novel.