A PHILANTHROPIC teenager from Dorset, who was granted a wish last year, has become one of the 10 young people recruited to children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK's new advisory board

Sophie Pritchett, from Ferndown, joins STARboard to raise awareness and help increase visibility around the charity’s fundraising activities.

The 17-year-old was selected to represent the South West region on STARboard following a two-step application and interview process, as the charity’s aspires to become a child-led organisation by 2021.

Sophie said: “I am thrilled to be a part of STARboard. I am looking forward to applying the skills I have learned through my work with other charities and helping to raise Make-A-Wish’s profile across the UK. My London experience was the best ever. I was so well looked after by everyone and truly felt like royalty. I would love to help other wish children feel equally as special.”

Sophie, who lives with cerebral palsy and regularly works with children’s charities like Leaders Unlocked and Children’s England, was granted her wish to stay at a London hotel last year.

Sophie had her own butler who made sure she felt like royalty every moment of the day. Over the course of the weekend, activities included dinner at The Shard, a trip on the London Eye, box seats at a West End production of Aladdin and afternoon tea.

STARboard’s primary role is to be the voice of wish children. Each member will represent their region and fellow wish children to help Make-A-Wish better serve its communities.

Sophie was involved in the first meeting of STARboard on Saturday May 16 which was hosted online.

Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley said: “Every day, the lives of 15 families in the UK are changed forever when their child is diagnosed with a serious illness. Medical appointments become the utmost priority with the innocence of childhood and simple family pleasures taking a backseat.

“Having a wish provides something positive on the horizon that they can look forward to and we feel it’s vital that young people are at the centre of making those wishes as brilliant and memorable as they can possibly be.

“That’s why we’re so pleased to have recruited 10 former wish children to our new STARboard panel. I’m looking forward to working with them.”