There is a huge amount of talent in Merseyside and many of the younger generations are already carving out futures for themselves with determination.
From Hollywood to Liverpool town hall, these young people are working to change the shape of our futures whether it be through telling their own stories, the stories of others or working to make the world a nicer place. Here we have rounded up 30 people, under the age of 30, who are doing Liverpool and Merseyside proud.
This list couldn't possibly include every single amazing person under 30 out there, so please add others and their incredible stories in our comments section for other readers to see.
You can read last year's 30 under 30 here and 2020's list here and 2019's list here and 2018's here.
Nikita Parris
Parris wrote herself into football folklore when she helped the Lionesses triumph at the Euros in the summer, becoming part of the first England squad to clinch a major honour since 1966.
A Toxteth native, Parris came through Everton’s youth ranks before spells with Lyon and Arsenal. And, despite being a childhood Liverpool fan, the 28-year-old has massively impressed for arch rivals Manchester United in the Women’s Super League this season.
Sam East
Sam East was just 25 when he secured his position as Labour councillor for Wabreck ward in April 2022.
Having been taught about the importance of politics by his family from an early age, he was inspired to stand for election after taking part in community volunteering and being encouraged by neighbours and friends.
He said: "I've lived in my ward of Warbreck for my whole life and I really believe that the current cost of living crisis and chaos in central government demands local councillors who are embedded in their communities, passionate about serving the people who elected them and willing to fight for our shared interests as residents. It's been a hectic year since I was elected in April but I'm working really hard to be that sort of representative."
As a councillor he hopes to take a stand against the rapid rise of HMOs, which he said were "a crude solution to our housing shortage and play into the hands of developers and landlords who buy up large family homes and divide them up into multiple dwellings".
He said: "Most of these landlords are not local and do not see the issues caused by HMOs which include an increased pressure on parking, drainage, antisocial behaviour and waste management.
"Current government legislation gives councillors and residents very little power to oppose most HMO conversions, however one option when an issue is identified is for the council to impose an "Article 4 Directive" to require all applications to go through a planning scrutiny process. I am leading a campaign for this to happen in my ward and have recently launched a petition which has gathered great support from local residents. This is a difficult issue but it is really rewarding to feel like we are working constructively as a community to find a solution."
He also hopes to represent Warbreck in the organisation of Eurovision 2023 as part of the Culture and Visitor Economy Select Committee.
He said: "Eurovision will be amazing for our city and there will be huge benefits to the local economy. Representing a ward in the far north of the city, I am determined that these benefits should be felt not just in the city centre but across our entire city and I am working hard to make sure that is the case."
Tom Cannon
This has been a year to remember for Tom Cannon. After impressing for Everton’s under-23 side, the forward’s fine form was rewarded when he was handed his first-team debut. After coming off the bench against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, the Aintree-born 19-year-old then made his Premier League debut just days later at the same stadium against the same opponents.
As reported by the ECHO recently, Cannon believes he can make an impact in the first-team, but several Football League clubs are tracking his availability. However, either way, the club’s under-21 boss Paul Tait is braced to lose him for the rest of this season.
He is certainly one footballing talent who looks to have a bright future ahead of him, and he is almost certainly going to be a name on the lips of Everton supporters in the coming weeks and months.
Dys Alexia
As a professional drag queen, Dys Alexia is said to be the epitome of someone who is truly themselves. The 21-year-old has faced adversity at every turn in their life but has continued to be their authentic self and encourages others to do the same.
The city centre performer experienced a tough childhood in Romania, being spat at, pushed and insulted after coming out at 12-years-old. However, wanting to make the best of their story, the entertainer rebuilt their life here in Liverpool and can be found on your TV screen as they landed a cameo role in Sky's Original series, Funny Girl.
Emma Jarvis
After a difficult birth, a Childwall mum decided to support other women during their pregnancies as she did not want them to "suffer in silence". During her first birth, Emma Jarvis felt "unprepared" and struggled throughout with various health issues.
The mum-of-two then had a "difficult" labour for five days before she was rushed for an emergency caesarean section and the 32-year-old then struggled during her maternity leave.
But after her second pregnancy and issues with returning to work, she realised she did not want others to go through what she went to and so launched a wellbeing programme, Dearbump. The aim of the project is to help expectant mothers, supporting them through pregnancy and return to work.
This involves answering questions, giving advice and information, emotional support, gift deliveries, wellbeing checks and more. Founding the service back in 2017 at the age of 27 as a gift subscription service, it has since grown from strength to strength and thousands of women have been helped.
Now, there is a team of midwives on hand to offer support as well as a digital support community to help employees and funding to improve the health and wellbeing of parents. Emma now has concerns about the demand on midwifery services in the UK.
She said: "We have people apologising to us for the amount of questions they have because they are not used to receiving support. It’s a fundamental right to have access to safe healthcare so it’s shocking and so sad for us each time we interact with people in this position."
More about her service can be found here https://www.dearbump.com/
Dominic Corness
A cultured, left-footed midfielder, who signed his first professional contract with the club in February 2021, Corness has impressed for Liverpool’s Academy side so far this season. Corness joined the Reds’ Academy at the age of five, and has since progressed through the ranks at Kirkby, earning himself the nickname 'The Wand' along the way.
And having watched Trent Alexander-Arnold go from Academy boy to first-team star, Corness, 19, will no doubt have his eyes on taking 2023 by storm in a bid to write his own name into the Anfield history books.
Olivia Masoja
Olivia Masoja is a Liverpool activist who helped organise one of the first-ever Pride events in Poland.
The receptionist, who lives in Fazakerley, played an integral role in not only demonstrations for the LGBTQ+ community but also for women in the “generally conservative” country she grew up in.
The 21-year-old assisted in bringing together the first-ever Pride in Kielce, Poland, by managing a team of volunteers and ensuring the parade ran smoothly. Consisting of a handful of drag queens and 1,000 attendees the city celebrated what makes everyone different but not all the locals were approving of the event.
Georgia Morgan
Georgia Morgan, 29, is the co-founder of PR, Communications and Event Management company Propel PR. Since creating the business in March 2019 with her sister Jade Morgan, Georgia has been the driving force behind PR strategies from a plethora of Liverpool businesses including award-winning restaurant-bar group GSG Hospitality.
Georgia, who started her career as a journalist before moving to PR, has helped many Liverpool companies including working with a range of hospitality businesses including Laros on Bold Street and in Mossley Hill, and has hosted events on behalf of Dash and new restaurant-bar Zenn, while also working with local businesswoman Kate Stewart who is currently focussing on her bid to help as many people in Liverpool during the cost of living crisis with complimentary Community Events each week at The Sandon Complex in Anfield.
Georgia has also been helping businesses post-covid with a number of pop ups showcasing local Liverpool brands and will continue to do so through 2023.
Peter McGrail
Boxer Peter McGrail immediately set his sights on challenging for titles next year after becoming just the second man to stop Hironori Miyake earlier this month.
The 26-year-old entered the pro ranks in late 2021, having been among the stand-out amateurs in his division for several years. As well as winning gold at the 2017 European Championships and Commonwealth Games the following year, the former Team GB athlete also claimed bronze medals at the World Amateur Championships in 2017 and 2019 during his amateur career, which also took him to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
McGrail, who is a lifelong Everton fan, has also set his sights on becoming a world champion at the club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium in the not so distant future, and a strong 2023 will see him move one step closer to making his dream a reality.
Laura Lunn-Bates
Laura Lunn-Bates became Sefton's youngest councillor when she was elected in May this year, aged 27.
The Labour councillor's interest in politics first sparked around 10 years ago, after coming out as a proud member of the LGBT community. She said the hostility she faced inspired her to take a stand for other marginalised people, and now hopes to represent young people in politics, who are often overlooked.
She said: "I think there's a lot of issues affecting people my age, and we often don't get representation or a voice in local politics. I had been involved in politics for a number of years, having worked on Angela Raynor's deputy leadership campaign
"These days it's hard to afford rent, it's hard to afford a house. People of my generation face more obstacles in that respect than our parents did. I was finding it difficult and I thought it couldn't just be me. We've got to have a say.
"Thinking that, I decided to put myself forward as a councillor for the Labour party. Growing up in the area, people were really happy to support me. Ultimately I got involved in politics because I saw how struggling people are treated, and I wanted to stand up for them and be a role model."
Jodie Comer
Jodie's career continues to shine brightly as 2022 saw the the 29-year-old, from Childwall, star in the one-woman play Prima Facie in London's West End.
Following on from her successful 2021 when she starred alongside Hollywood giant Ryan Reynolds in comedy action film Free Guy and her acclaimed performance as a care home worker in the Channel 4 drama Help, the scouse actor has been announced in a number of new projects this year.
The actress - who is best known for playing Villanelle in Killing Eve - is set to appear in HBO's series Big Swiss - an adaptation of Jen Beagin's novel about a sex therapist who falls in love with her client. And she has been confirmed for the environmental thriller The End We Start From as well as a film about motorcycle clubs The Bikeriders alongside Tom Hardy.
Oliver Jude
Oliver is a teenage entrepreneur who launched a 'positive' clothing range after being bullied. From St Helens, the 17-year-old had a difficult time in school, where he said he was often misunderstood because of his Tourette's and autism.
However, wanting to make good of his story, Oliver channelled his energy into creating clothing which includes t-shirts emblazoned with positive thinking life mantras. The range has gone from strength to strength after being shown at London Fashion Week and worn by TOWIE favourites and Real Housewives of Cheshire stars including Gemma Collins and Dawn Ward.
Isabelle Kirkham
After spending years of her childhood in the care system, Isabelle Kirkham, from St Helens, knew she needed to advocate for change.
The former drama student co-founded Reclaim Care - a collective, safe space for care-experienced people to exist together. This space created a spark in her to write and create change for her community. It was in her third year of university in London, she took on the topic of Tracy Beaker for her dissertation and developed a piece of spoken word about the care system.
One of Isabelle's main objectives is to ensure those who are in care can continue to be so until the age of 18. Isabelle moved back home with her biological family, when she was 16, a decision she “shouldn’t have made”. However, if this option wasn’t available to her, she would’ve had to live in unregulated supported accommodation such as a hostel.
Sarah Waters
This year, Sarah Waters was given some devastating news after she returned back from her holiday abroad. She had been diagnosed with poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma that was an "aggressive and fast growing" cancer. She has only just turned 30 and we felt her message was too important not to include.
Back in 2020, Sarah's smear test was postponed due to the pandemic, meaning she could not be seen until April 1, 2022. Since the diagnosis, she has undergone a full hysterectomy and seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy as she faces a gruelling wait for further tests next year.
But determined to help others, Sarah bravely shared her journey in the hopes of raising awareness and urge people to not put off their cervical screening tests. Since sharing her journey, Sarah has already helped dozens of other people, with complete strangers even reaching out for support.
She told the ECHO: "It's nice I'm still getting people message who say they've had positive HPV and it's raising awareness of that. Parents have said they aren't sure whether to let their kids get the vaccine at school but we want them to, it can help prevent further down the line.
"I can't fault the care from the Clatterbridge, the staff and care is amazing, I can't thank them enough and also my mum and sister and whole family. We really have gone through all of this together, my mum has taken time off work to look after me."
Sarah's can be contacted via her Instagram page where she has been sharing all her latest updates https://www.instagram.com/sarahwaters44/
Missy Bo Kearns
A lifelong Liverpool fan, midfielder Missy Bo Kearns played an instrumental role in securing the Reds promotion to the Women’s Super League back in April.
Since returning to the top-flight, Kearns has featured in all nine of Liverpool’s league games this term and, having also represented England Under-23s in November, the 21-year-old looks set to have a bright future for both club and country.
Marcus Wilton
Marcus, from Warrington, was excluded from three schools because of his ADHD and had to travel over 40 miles to attend a private independent specialist provision.
Wanting to make sure others don't go through the experiences he did, Marcus has been working towards making the education system more inclusive to those with ADHD. Noting that “everyone deserves the right to education,” he has been campaigning for schools and their staff members to be trained in neurodiverse conditions.
In just over half a decade, Marcus has gone from a “feral child to a public speaker,” having starred in a BBC documentary, represented the UK at The World EXPO in Dubai during education week and delivered a lecture at Imperial College London, making him the youngest person to do so.
Mollie-May Cartwright
At just 25, Mollie-May Cartwright has created one of the North West’s leading fashion brands, CARAMELLA. CARAMELLA has a huge nation and worldwide following but still has a strong local customer base, particularly in Liverpool and Wirral. From starting the business in 2017 at her mum’s kitchen table, whilst studying for a psychology degree, Mollie-May has taken her kitchen start-up to the next level, now being one of the North West's leading fashion brands reporting huge year-on-year growth in almost six years of trade.
Focusing on empowering women to feel their best in her pieces, director, Mollie-May has recently changed the brand's direction by hiring a fashion designer and appointing UK production factories. CARAMELLA is now predominantly produced in the UK and size ranges ranging from XS to XXL with the aim to be a truly British label with exclusive and unique designs to fit all sizes.
Mollie-May credits CARAMELLA's growth to her hard work and determination with the help of more than 270K followers on Instagram and a growing presence on TikTok. Mollie-May now employs 12 members of staff in Merseyside and said she will continue to develop her business with intentions to focus on inclusivity and sustainability in the near future, starting with her new Christmas Collection.
Jess Hanko
Jessica Hankinson, known professionally as Jess Hanko, is a self-employed artist and illustrator originally from Tuebrook.
Based in a design and print studio in the Bluecoat, Jess creates personalised commissions from portraits to cityscapes, which she sells through Instagram and Etsy. The 28-year-old's unique style is born out of a love of architecture and has seen her draw some of the city's most loved venues from the Cavern Club to Keith's Wine Bar on Lark Lane.
She has also recently worked with the likes of INNSIDE Liverpool, designing staff uniforms and merchandise for their new city centre hotel. Jess studied Graphic Design and Illustration at the University of Salford and has been self-employed for the last six years.
She is currently designing her first wall mural for a beverage company and is set to create an exhibition of some of her work.
Jessica Williams
Jessica Williams became the youngest woman with Downs Syndrome in the UK to complete a skydive when she jumped out of a plane at 10,000ft in March. Jessica, 18, from Aigburth, raised more than £1,700 for Palmerston School for disabled children with her adrenaline-fuelled challenge after convincing organisers her disability was no obstacle.
She said: "It was breathtaking. I feel really good and my face was hurting. I wanted to do a skydive for the longest time. I love my life for doing it. You can do anything you want to, so keep going, you're a superstar. I can do anything, so can you.
"Some people think that I can't do this or I can't do that but I say 'watch me'. Having Downs Syndrome shouldn't stop you from being brave and enjoying life. My message is to make friends with everyone, but don't judge someone by how they look."
April Grierson
A young woman has gone viral after bravely sharing her difficult health journey. April Grierson, from Belle Vale, began to suffer from night sweats during the covid lockdown and her skin became increasingly itchy.
Despite being treated for suspected scabies, further tests were needed after she noticed a lump on her neck. At the young age of 20, April was given a life-changing diagnosis - she had Hodgkin Lymphoma.
The make-up artist underwent IVF egg retrieval at Liverpool Women’s Hospital before starting chemotherapy which could affect her future fertility. But sharing her journey on social media platform TikTok in the hopes of raising awareness for others, April's videos soon went viral.
Speaking previously, she said: "When I first started documenting my journey online, I never expected to receive the response I did. I got about five million views and thousands of likes for my first video. I had to turn all my notifications off as I couldn’t keep up.
"It was strange but nice in a way to be able to share my experience and hopefully help other people going through similar."
April regularly updates her TikTok account, sharing her journey to her 122.6k followers. A recent video showed her at the end of her treatment as hundreds of messages of support came pouring in.
April's TikTok can be found here https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilgrierson2?lang=en
Jamie Webster
What a year for Jamie Webster. The 28-year-old sold out the M&S Bank Arena in his hometown.
The singer-song writer played the venue after finishing his first UK tour in 2021 following the release of his debut album We Get By in August 2020. He became a household name for Reds fans after his version of Allez Allez Allex went viral and kick started his journey.
While the arena gig was a dream for Jamie, some of it was overshadowed by what he described as a "horrific" situation. Speaking on the Have a Word podcast, he spoke about congestion at the bar and how he was "livid" about the situation as he came off the stage.
Despite this, many said they had an incredible night and there is no doubt Jamie will continue to sell out venues in 2023 and has already been announced as the headline act for the On the Waterfront show in Liverpool city centre on June 29 and 30.
Leanne Prescott
Leanne Prescott is a self-taught baker who now owns two cake shops at just 21 years old.
The businesswoman opened her "dream shop" the Cake Corner on Liverpool Road in Birkdale in 2021 and opened a second outlet in Southport Market in November last year. Leanne spent most of her teenage life playing in different football academies across the North West from Manchester United to Everton.
After starting baking for family and friends, she soon started to pick up a clientele. Just three years Leanne, along with her mum, Petula, and dad, Peter, the outhouse at their home was soon transformed into a workshop.
Following the massive success of her shop, finding herself regularly selling out of cakes each day, she opened a stall in Southport Market and now has a shop.
Courtney Gooley
Courtney Gooley, from St Helens, was left in intensive care as a teenager after she attempted to take her own life.
The 21-year-old began struggling with mental health at the young age of 11, citing the transition from primary school to high school as a cause of stress. This immense pressure, combined with family issues culminated in Courtney attempting to take her own life at the age of 14.
Now in a happy relationship and working a job she loves as a fitness instructor, Courtney is keen to share that it does "get better".
With support from family, friends and teachers, despite continued struggles with mental health, Courtney has managed to build a successful life. She said: "The big turning point was getting into the gym and finding a community that had been through similar things to me.
"Knowing that I’m not alone, people do care, what happened to me isn’t my fault, my bad days don’t have to determine my life. Getting by day-by-day isn’t ideal but it’s an amazing start. I’m in a position to say I love my life finally. Are things perfect? no.
"But who cares, I love my job and the people I work with are a second family to me. I’m in a stable and positive relationship with someone I love and I feel understands me. I still have my bad days but I know things always get better. I won’t say I’m cured of anything because that would be a lie. However, I’m nowhere near as bad as I was. It’s now my responsibility to show my younger sister how positive life can be, you can struggle and still come out the deep end."
Sam Kelly
Sam Kelly, from Southport, was working at a cafe and cycle shop in Ainsdalewhen he spotted a customer slump into his chair.
Duncan Snell was enjoying a cappuccino when he became motionless at MeCycle but thankfully 16-year-old Sam spotted the 78-year-old slouched over his coffee. The Formby High School pupil was on work experience at the time and said: "I was having a break when I noticed he looked strange so I went over to see if everything was alright and asked him if he was ok.
"He didn’t say anything so I tapped him on the shoulder but he did nothing and looked white.”
Sam rushed off to find his manager and an ambulance was called immediately and the shop was quickly cleared so they could move Duncan onto the floor. Staff ran off and managed to get access to the defibrillator at Ainsdale train station before ripping his shirt open and using it on the pensioner.
Liam Quirk
Liam Quirk, 25, started his own business in his parent's box room during lockdown that's now set to turnover half a million pounds.
After leaving school with three GCSEs, Liam, from New Brighton, started working for a company helping clients with search engine optimization (SEO). SEO helps companies to increase their visibility online when people search for products or services related to their business on search engines like Google.
Liam soon realised this was his passion and decided to quit his job to become his own boss the day before Boris Johnson announced the UK was going into the first national lockdown. Aged 22 at the time, Liam set up a limited company, Quirky Digital, in May 2020 and moved into an office in Liscard.
The company now operates from a bigger office in Oriel Chambers in Liverpool city centre and is expecting to make £500,000 in revenue at the end of this financial year.
Liam told the ECHO: "I left school with 3 GCSES but I had a passion for something and that's what I committed to since I was 16. I'm not good in a classroom with people telling me what to do.
"I've found something that I'm passionate about and I've completely committed my life to it for nearly nine years. I've worked really hard and when I've had setbacks I just haven't let them get in the way."
Sophie Jo Millican
Sophie Jo Millican discovered her "natural talent by accident" and has gone on to win gold for Team GB.
Sophie, from Prescot, was just four years old when her coaches at Focus Gymnastics in Widnes first noticed her flair for trampolining after she ran onto one of the trampolines at the club and instantly took to the sport. The 13-year-old, who is a pupil at Tower College at Rainhill, later became a member of Liverpool Trampolining Academy and went on to win her first competition, the Northwest Champion, in 2018.
Sophie was accepted onto Team GB's junior trampolining team at the start of this year and was the youngest person on her team to perform at the European Championships in Italy in June. She recently won a silver medal at the World Championships and has now been selected for Team GB's squad for 2023.
Her dad, Jimmy Millican, said while Sophie has a natural talent for the sport she dedicates her time to training hard. Jimmy told the ECHO: "I think it's practice and hardwork and dedication, it does get you there.
"I think there's so many kids out there that have some sort of talent, they've just not been exposed to it and don't get those same opportunities. You've got to find something you enjoy and it's easier to work hard at something you enjoy.
"'m really, really proud of her. We don't class ourselves as pushy parents, we've always been down the line of 'enjoy it until you don't' and that would be it.
"We always say 'have fun first you're only young', but our Sophie is so motivated she actually used to go out and play in the garden and play planks - strength and conditioning [training] - herself."
The 13-year-old is now on an Olympic pathway and hopes to make the Olympics in 2028.
Jude Riordan
Jude Riordan has built up a big fan base with his performances as Sam Blakeman on Coronation Street.
Jude's role in the ITV soap earned him a number of awards last year as he took home the Best Newcomer Prize at both the National Television Awards and the Inside Soap Awards. The 11-year-old, from St Helens, won the hearts of Corrie fans when he made his Weatherfield debut in 2020 after he discovered that Nick Tilsley was his father.
But playing Sam isn't Jude's only job, with the young actor also starring in Sky's Brassic as Michelle Keegan's on-screen son Tyler Croft. Jude's mum regularly keeps the young star's 66.7k Instagram followers informed with updates from his exciting life as he forges an impressive career in showbiz.
Earlier this year, Jude shared the exciting news that he had worked with his television director dad, Paul, for the first time on a short film titled, Something Missing.
The young star said the project is close to his heart. He said at the time: "This is a story very close to our hearts, a young carer Sean looking after his Mum Suzanne with early onset Dementia a story that is life for many young carers and needs to be told.
"Proud to be ambassador for St Helens Young Carers @sth.yc and hopefully we will raise awareness of how important their roles are and how important it is to get the care and support. I can't wait for you all to see it."
Lizzie Acker
Great British Bake Off star Lizzie Acker made it to the quarter final of the popular baking show.
The 28-year-old, from Hunts Cross, celebrated her ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia in her final showstopper and now hopes to use her platform to encourage others to embrace who they are like she did on the show. Since her time on Bake Off, Lizzie has been keen to champion neurodiversity by visiting schools across Merseyside and speaking to children with special educational needs.
She has been working with regional charities like Strawberry Fields who help young people to get into the workplace. Lizzie is planning to write her own cookbook tailored to people with special educational needs to encourage them to get involved in baking.
Lizzie previously told the ECHO: "It's so scary when you're neurodiverse as a child because you think what am I going to be able to do when I grow up and stuff, so to see adults that are openly like oh well look I'm doing this, it doesn't half spread confidence.
"My advice would be to never work yourself up in your head and limit yourself. Try everything and say yes to everything because the most bizarre outcomes come from things where you might meet one person that then knows someone else.
"If you just go along and don't be too rigid with your plans and stuff, just go along with it and some amazing opportunities will always come up."
Ruben Landim
The 24-year-old, from Toxteth, grew up in Lisbon before moving to Liverpool when he was just 10 years old and not speaking any English. He is now an international model representing big brands like Nike, Gymshark, JD and Boohoo MAN.
But Ruben is also passionate about giving back to his L8 community and providing opportunities for young people and often credits his mum, Leila Ramos Parreira, for helping him get where he is today. He is currently signed to MGM Models and posts updates on his Instagram of new campaigns and from some of his gym sessions to show the work it takes to keep in shape for his career.
Kate-Molly Petrie
Kate-Molly Petrie, from Southport, has been making cakes for almost a decade - and has made bespoke cakes for ITV's BAFTA win and a BBC wrap party. She started decorating cakes for fun at the age of 18 and now at 27, Kate has made everything from realistic looking pizza cakes to a gigantic bespoke Peppa Pig cake costing a whopping £1,000 to buy.
Kate-Molly, whose business name is Cake Ninja, also runs cake decorating classes online. Photos on her Instagram show incredibly realistic cakes made to look like pizza, hotdogs, and more.
