Young entrepreneur Sophie Bagchus has been named Young Person of the Year at the Northern Ireland Social Enterprise Awards 2026, recognising her achievements in building her own marketing business and helping Carrickfergus Enterprise reach more people.
Sophie, who became self-employed at just 16, received the award at the Crowne Plaza Belfast on Friday 23 October.
The Young Person of the Year category was sponsored by Construction Futures, represented by Fionnuala McKenna, Head of Strategic Development.
Her success marks a significant milestone in a journey that began with Carrickfergus Enterprise’s Tourism Academy in 2024. After experiencing mental health challenges that disrupted her education, Sophie found a supportive environment where she could develop her confidence, explore her creativity and discover a route into business.
Through the programme, funded by the Labour Market Partnership, she completed training in customer service, digital skills and Canva. Her potential was recognised by mentor Christine Watson of Watson Marketing, who helped her take the next step into providing marketing support to Carrickfergus Enterprise in September 2024.
Since then, Sophie has combined creative ideas with a structured approach to strengthen the organisation’s digital presence, promote business support opportunities and share the stories of local entrepreneurs.
Earlier this year, Sophie also completed the New Opportunities programme delivered by LEDCOM, receiving mentoring and a grant to purchase DJI camera equipment. This support has helped her invest in the tools and skills needed to develop her marketing business further.
Commenting on her award, Sophie said: “Winning this award means so much to me. When I joined the Tourism Academy, I was building my confidence and working out what my future could look like. I could never have imagined that it would lead to running my own business and receiving recognition like this.
“Having people believe in me, encourage my ideas and give me the chance to learn through real work has made such a difference. I’m grateful to Christine and everyone at Carrickfergus Enterprise for their support.
“I love using my creativity to help others tell their stories. This award has given me even more encouragement to keep learning and growing my business.”
In the first seven months of 2026, Carrickfergus Enterprise’s Facebook reach rose to 250,600, exceeding the 189,800 recorded across the whole of 2025. Sophie has also developed skills in photography, videography and editing, and shared her knowledge by delivering an equipment training session for local trainers working with social enterprises.
Her understanding of the Tourism Academy’s impact has proved particularly valuable. Drawing on her own experience, she proposed a campaign using photographs of previous participants and stories focused on confidence, opportunity and personal growth. The approach helped generate almost 30 enquiries.
David McIlhagger, Vice Chair of Carrickfergus Enterprise, said: “We are incredibly proud of Sophie. She brings creativity, care and a willingness to learn to everything she does, and her work has made a measurable difference to how we connect with businesses and our wider community.
“Sophie understands that behind every post or campaign is an opportunity to help someone discover support, develop an idea or take their next step. Having benefited from that encouragement herself, she is now helping us extend it to others.
“Her achievement shows why creating accessible opportunities and recognising individual potential matters. With the right support and space to develop, young people can make an outstanding contribution. Sophie thoroughly deserves this recognition.”
The award comes as Carrickfergus Enterprise celebrates its 45th anniversary, marking more than four decades of supporting entrepreneurship, employment and local economic development.
For Sophie, it provides a platform to continue developing Sophie Bagchus Marketing and helping businesses, charities and social enterprises build their visibility and communicate their impact.