The $30 million toe in the water

Ellen Roome's life changed forever in April 2022 when she discovered her 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, dead in his bedroom. An inquest found no evidence of suicidal ideation, but Ellen is convinced her son was exposed to harmful online content in his final hours.

As a mother, she was horrified to learn that social media companies held his digital data but denied her access, citing legal barriers. This personal tragedy ignited a fierce advocacy campaign, with Ellen selling her company in 2024 to campaign full-time for online safety and bereaved parents' rights.

Her investigation led her to the case of a 12-year-old who died after participating in an online 'blackout' challenge—a stunt involving oxygen restriction that can cause seizures, brain damage, or death.. Ellen asked police if Jools might have done the same; their reply was, 'It could be but we can't prove it.'

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

Ellen's relentless pressure contributed to a major policy shift: the government agreed to amend the Crime and Policing Bill, mandating that children's social media data be automatically preserved within five days of their death.

She also co-founded the Raise The Age campaign, urging stricter social media restrictions for under-16s, and recently met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to demand reform. Honored with an MBE in January, Ellen now channels her grief into a mission to spare other parents the agony of uncertainty.

'Jools is in everytihng I do,' she says. 'It's very nice to be acknowledged as a Daily Mail winner. I remember winning Businesswoman of the Year back in 2017 for my work in financial services and Jools being so proud of me.'

Who is the unnamed buyer?

For 25 years, grandmother Patricia Parker OBE has operated from her home in Surrey to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid in Darfur, western Sudan—a region devastated by conflict and famine.

Her work began after a chance encounter in the desert, where she saw a nine-year-old boy trudging for seven hours in blistering heat with a jerry can to fetch water. The image seared into her memory and spurred her into action.

Since then, she has helped more than 600,000 people, drilling wells, establishing schools, and providing emergency food and medical care . Her organization, Sudan Aid, has become a lifeline for communities under siege.

Tehran's two-track response

Patricia's approach combines direct relief with long-term development, empowering local leaders and ensuring aid reaches the most vulnerable . Despite the dangers—Darfur remains a hazard zone with ongoing violence—she has made dozens of trips, often navigating treacherous terrain to oversee projects.

Her efforts earned her an OBE and now recognition as an Inspirational Woman of the Year. At the awards, she described how that small boy in the desert transformed her life and sparked a quarter-century of service.

'It was a sight I shall never forget,' she says. 'It would not only change my life, but affect literally thousands of other people's lives for years to come.'