Sophie Watkinson

30th August 2023

2023 Shortlisted Nominee
Entrepreneur of Excellence Award

Sophie has a proven track record of outstanding (grade 1) delivery in formal education establishments and is committed to inspiring children and young people through the outdoors. She founded Stomping Grounds Forest School 7 years ago, a North East social enterprise working to bring communities together and reconnect them with nature. Stomping Grounds employ people with lived experience of some of the barriers that communities face. They over-represent historically marginalised groups in all areas and as a result, the numbers of marginalised groups that access their provision has increased. Through their work with neurodivergent young people, sophie discovered that she is also autistic. Over the past 4 years she has focused more closely on working with neurodivergent communities, offering a space for autistic and ADHD children, young people and families to recover from trauma and develop self advocacy.