2023 Shortlisted Nominee
Positive Role Model Award: Race, Religion & Faith
A mental health activist and anti-racism campaigner seeking to shift how the UK addresses mental ill-health within racialised communities, Antonio Ferreira is a living example of someone who continues to break barriers faced by minorities. Diagnosed with Undifferentiated Schizophrenia & Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder as a teenager, he suffered with hallucinations. After an attempt to take his own life, he used his life experiences to shape his ambitions. Currently studying Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Essex, Antonio was pivotal in supporting a groundbreaking storyline with British soap Eastenders to accurately portray the journey of a young black man with schizophrenia. On a mission to tackle the injustice of an inequitable mental health service, Antonio joined the Prince & Princess of Wales for a discussion on BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat to mark World Mental Health Day 2022.