Alex Holmes OBE

Some more excerpts from Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Nadine Dorries Online Safety Bill speech: “…This Government promised in their manifesto to pass legislation… and to make the UK the “safest place in the world to be online” especially for children…while at the same time providing enhanced protections for freedom of speech. …The second part of the Bill makes sure that platforms design their services to prevent them from being abused by criminals. When illegal content does slip through the net, such as child sex abuse and terrorist content, they will need to have effective systems and processes in place to quickly identify it and remove it from their sites. …The third part seeks to force the largest social media platforms to enforce their own bans on racism, misogyny, antisemitism, pile-ons and all sorts of other unacceptable behaviour that they claim not to allow but that ruins life in practice… If platforms fail in any of those basic responsibilities, Ofcom will be empowered to pursue a range of actions against them, depending on the situation, and, if necessary, to bring down the full weight of the law upon them. …As a result of that feedback process, over the past three months or so I have strengthened the legislation... There were calls for cyber-flashing to be included; cyber-flashing is now in the Bill. There were calls to ensure that the legislation covered all commercial pornography sites; in fact, we have expanded the Bill’s scope to include every kind of provider of pornography. There were concerns about anonymity, so we have strengthened the Bill so that it now requires the biggest tech platforms to offer verification and empowerment tools for adult users, allowing people to block anonymous trolls from the beginning. …Under the new version of the Bill, the largest and highest-risk companies…must tackle scam ads that appear on their services. …We erect streetlamps to make our cities and towns safer. We put speed limits on our roads and make seatbelts compulsory. We make small but necessary changes to protect people from grievous harm. Now it is time to bring in some fundamental protections online.”

Spent a huge amount of my life tackling bullying, this year is 10 year anniversary @dianaaward @antibullyingpro so it was great to speak to @awallprintss about my journey. Read the full piece via link story #bullying #bully #school

Super proud of @dianaaward @antibullyingpro team As a result of their work millions of kids & adults won’t look up word bully / bullying and read that it only happens to people who are ‘weak’. Big thank you to agency @wcrs_ldn who we worked with this on. Watch the full video on YouTube.com/antibullyingpro

Is My Child Safe Online? Internet Safety Expert Alex Holmes Shares His Top Tips for Parents and Guardians.

Wednesday was a powerful reminder of what youth work and youth-led social action make possible. When young people have somewhere to go, something to do, and trusted adults around them, confidence grows and communities get stronger. Proud to welcome The Prince of Wales to meet young people supported by BBC Children in Need’s We Move FWD, our 10-year commitment with BBC Radio 1Xtra to create opportunities for Black children and young people across the UK. Huge thanks to Big Zuu, Richie Brave, Aneesa Dawoojee and all the young leaders who brought so much energy. Hosted by The Ubele Initiative and Wolves Lane Centre, who have been the most amazing community partner (and more) of our fund. So excited for what’s next: We Move FWD Academy launches later this year, connecting young people to skills, mentors and real pathways into work. ✨

2025 highlights (and a lot of gratitude) 
• Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee: chose the site (St. James’s Park) + design finalist (Foster + Partners), final design reveal coming v.soon + legacy community work underway. 
• BBC Children in Need, We Move FWD: £4m out to Black children/young people + Black-led orgs- youth-led photo/film showcase, early years focus & so much more. 
• Collected my OBE at Windsor Castle with my Grandma, Dad + brothers. Thinking of Mum. 
• The Diana Award: we kept going in a tough climate for charities, and kept pushing youth-led anti-bullying work, new org strategy coming soon. 
• Eastbourne summer with the nieces/nephews, recreating childhood holidays for Mum. 
• Took Prince William to Toxteth (Liverpool), for BBC Children in Need, bikes, youth social action, big energy. 
• NYC trips: Central Cee with cuz, Tech company HQs, United Nations with Will Poulter + lots of great community projects stop offs along the way. 
• Youth Matters: National Youth Strategy launched, shaped by 14,000+ young voices, served as Expert Advisory Group Member. On to 2026 ❤️ 🎵Zak Abel- ‘Hallelujah’, highlight hanging out and getting to know Zak after he performed at Princess of Wales’ Christmas Concert.

Yesterday was one of those pinch-me moments. Actor @willpoulter and change maker @abcholmes came to visit @emmastorchfood . They joined our students for breakfast , listened to their stories, and spoke with me about what’s at stake for the restaurant industry if we don’t invest in and support refugees. Will even shared a bit about his restaurant experience preparing for his role on @thebearfx !! It meant so much to see someone with his platform genuinely care about the people we serve and the future we’re building. Our students are talented, resilient, and determined—and they deserve every opportunity to thrive. If you believe, like we do, that food can be a tool for change, I invite you to learn more, visit us, or support our work. Every meal we share is a step toward a more just and welcoming future #refugeeswelcome

Today we launched a public online exhibition showcasing the five potential design concepts for the site of the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial site in St James’s Park. Public feedback gathered through the exhibition will be considered by myself and the committee, and will make the final decision on the winning design team in early Summer 2025. For the past year I’ve been a member of The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, advising the Government and Royal Household to develop, consult and advise on a national memorial and legacy programme(s) to Queen Elizabeth II, to mark her extraordinary 70-year Reign and life of public service. We’ve been working closely with a number of stakeholders to develop these plans, and continue to work on the legacy programme design. The five finalists were asked to design a concept that celebrates the late Queen’s extraordinary life of service and provides the public with a space for reflection. You can view the proposed designs and provide feedback at: /queenelizabethmemorial/gallery Closes 19th May 23:59

Dear G̶o̶v̶e̶r̶n̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶d̶a̶c̶t̶e̶d̶ Cench, As your Head of House/Year at school, I was always one of the proudest... My letter to @centralcee

We were delighted to unveil our new, bespoke street signs at Bruton Street in Mayfair, commemorating Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II @theroyalfamily These signs replace our standard street signs and mark the birthplace of Her Late Majesty, on 17 Bruton Street. In our video hear from our @lordmayorofwestminster Cllr Robert Rigby, our Leader of the Council, Adam Hug, and @abcholmes Alex Holmes OBE, Queen’s Young Leader @queensyoungleaders , founder of @antibullyingpro Ambassadors, and member of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. We hope you will be able to pop by Bruton Street and see the new signs in honour of the life of Queen Elizabeth II, and the rich cultural and historical heritage here in Westminster, London.

The Government is creating a new ten year National Youth Strategy to tackle the challenges for this generation of young people and ensure that every young person can thrive. I have been appointed as one of the Expert Advisory Group sitting alongside the Youth Advisory Group to help guide the national conversation, provide expertise and challenging thinking throughout the National Youth’s Strategy development. The National Youth Strategy will bring power back to young people and their communities and improve youth focused services, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach from the Government. The survey deadline is tomorrow 16th April and deadline for Express Orders 25th April: .uk/nys-deliver-you #DeliverYou #WhatsYourOrder

Had a great day at a very sunny Windsor Castle attending my investiture for my OBE this week, with His Royal Highness Prince William, Prince of Wales🎖