Nicholas Nikiforou

2019 Children’s Rights Defender Award holder

The 12-year-old Nicolas Nikiforou, a Cypriot resident of the UK, was born with rare type of precancerous melanomas in his face, which despite its successful removal, left scars on his face. His scars had him face bullying and this urged him to launch a campaign against bullying.

His actions led him become the face of Kinder in 2016, to win the Diana Award in 2017, the British Citizen Award and this year's "Positive Role Model" prize in the National Awards Diversity of the United Kingdom. In 2017 he was voted as one of the 24 most sensitized Bristolians under the age of 24.