Powell will encourage other Caribbean countries and the Commonwealth to nominate outstanding young people in their countries for the International Diana Award.

Asafa Powell became the first Jamaican to break the world record and has run more sub 10 second 100m races than any other person in history.

Asafa like the young people presented with a Diana Award is an inspiration to those around him. Tragically two of Powell’s brothers died in the space of one year, despite this difficult time, he found the strength to continue running. Asafa, like many of our Award Holders has channelled pain and suffering and used it to make him stronger. Both meet obstacles with determination and perseverance, inspiring others to do more and strive to be better.

On becoming the Diana Award Ambassador Asafa Powell said: “I am honoured to be the first International Ambassador for the Diana Award. I believe young people have the power to change the world for the better and I am excited to promote the award to the Caribbean. I am really looking forward to meeting the amazing young people who help others and inspire all of us to do more to improve our communities.”

Maggie Turner OBE travelled to Jamaica to welcome Asafa as Ambassador and to promote the International Diana Award to the Caribbean. Maggie was a guest speaker at the University of Technology’s Road to Olympic Glory ceremony. Maggie  said: “I am honoured to be speaking at the Road to Olympic Glory event in Jamaica.  The University of Technology, like the Diana Award inspires, motivates and encourages young people to succeed. Asafa Powell, a former UTech student, is a fantastic role model to young people and we look forward to introducing him to our inspirational Award Holders when he is in London for the 2012 Olympics.”

The Stars Sing Betjeman in aid of the Diana Award, is a musical celebration of acclaimed poet Sir John Betjeman’s work.

Hear Betjamin’s poems as you have never heard them before- set to music by Mike Read. The evening will include musical performances from an array of stars including Tony Christie.

Sir John Betjeman was a poet and writer and held the post of Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was also a popular television personality and an exponent of Victorian architecture, becoming a founding member of the Victorian Society.

Tony Christie recently celebrated 50 years in music and is best known for his hits I Did What I Did for Maria and Is this the way to Amarillo, which he collaborated with comedian Peter Kay in 2005 for Comic Relief.

This fantastic evening will raise essential funds for the Diana Award. The money raised will support the inspirational work of amazing young people across the UK, who work as volunteers, campaigners, careers and anti-bullying champions. With the award young people are encouraged to carry on inspiring the lives of others and improving our communities.

Don’t miss out on this amazing intimate event, keep the 18th March free in your dairies. A perfect gift for mums on Mothering Sunday.

This event will be for ONE NIGHT ONLY and tickets will sell out fast!

Tickets will be on sale soon, watch this space!

All profits from the night will be donated to the Diana Award.

Job description

Trust Fundraiser, 12months contract Up to £25k London (full time role; although part time will be considered)

This is a great opportunity to join a dynamic, inclusive and unbureaucratic organisation in an exciting time of growth, working closely with staff, trustees and Award Holders to maximise income generation for the organisation.

With a strong focus on communication and writing skills, the role will focus on creating inspiring and innovative proposals, identifying funding opportunities, building relationships with decision makers and submitting applications to secure new income from trusts, foundations, the lottery and other funders.

You will then manage the monitoring requirements, continued donor care, maintain and develop individual relationships with donors.

You would need to be energetic, proactive and able to juggle a number of projects simultaneously and work well within a team. You’ll also be an excellent communicator with outstanding writing skills.

If you are a Trust Fundraiser looking for a new challenge or an experienced writer looking to move into the charity sector, this could be the role for you.

The Diana Award was established in 1999 as an official memorial to Diana Princess of Wales and her belief in the power of young people to change the world for the better. Our awards exist to celebrate young people who make a positive contribution to their communities in the UK and internationally. Award Holders come from different backgrounds – they are volunteers, fundraisers, campaigners, carers once they receive their award, they are supported in achieving their true potential through the Diana Network.

The Diana Network enables these community-driven young people to gain skills, training, expertise, project management, work and volunteering experiences. It provides a hub, through which young people are directed to partner organisations – voluntary, government and corporates. It can offer support and structure for young people on their career path and also establish their long-term dedication to build a society in which we would all like to live.

To download a application pack please click on the link below:

Trust Fundraiser Application Pack

For more information; please contact Steve Hallam by email at steve.hallam@diana-award.org.uk  or by phone on 020 7921 4579.

Application closes at 5pm on Friday 24th February. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place on 6th and 7th March 2012.

All the art classes at Quarry Bank Primary School made paper flowers and gave these out on their local high street. They also held an assembly called “lostphobia” in which they explored the idea of how bullying can make you feel and what you must do if you are feeling sad.

Yeading Junior School had some really good ideas, such as Promoting Anti-bullying throughout school by making posters and flyers, Nurturing new year three entrants to the school into their programme. Regular series of presentations/assemblies promoting positive behaviour and encouraging children to speak up when they have any issues and making their own Anti-bullying video saying something about Anti–bullying and how it affects others and what we can do to stop it.

During anti-bullying week 2011 Heart of England School put on a series of events: Balloon release, assemblies, Smile day: Ambassadors and Cybermentors designed posters and T-shirts that were worn throughout the day, 3 members of staff also acted as smile ambassadors, smile cakes were baked, Student support online link was added to the school website Luminites band: a young upcoming band came in with a strong anti-bullying message and performed to the school.

Joan a teacher from Sacred Heart Junior School stated after attending a conference by Alex Holmes a group of children at Sacred Heart Primary decided to set up their very own support group – the Anti Bullying Committee (ABC). The ABC regularly organise events and activities to promote cohesion and friendship in the school, such as compliment days, disability awareness days, acts of kindness rewards and rewards for those with good attitudes. They also oversee the school’s friendship bench, where children can go to on breaks and lunchtime to talk to someone from the committee, and oversee a worry box which schoolchildren use to discreetly express their concerns.

Runcorn & Widnes World Newspaper had an article on The Grange Comprehensive School: “Each year nine form has been given a day in which to perform an act of kindness, this includes holding the door open for someone, helping someone with their homework, helping clear away the lunch plates and so much more. There is a form photographer who captures and documents the day. The anti-bullying ambassadors have given a presentation to the senior staff and planned assemblies for Anti- Bullying Week”.

This month’s shout out goes to the Park View School, they attended our Anti-Bullying Programme Speak Up! Speak Out! Training event! And here is what they had to say….

Exciting times at Park View School

In December the peer supporters were delighted to be invited to attend the Speakeasy Workshop organised by the Diana Award team. It proved to be an inspirational day and the young people left with an increased confidence and lots of ideas of how to take anti-bullying work forward in the school. The dynamic action plan which has been written includes a ‘Smile Day’, ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ and a visit to local primary schools to release balloons with anti-bullying pledges attached. Watch this space!

This is only a selection! Alex will be visiting lots of you soon and ringing all schools at the end of January!

Alex Holmes, the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Programme Manager, was a previously a victim of bullying and now runs the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Programme.

In the TV episode Alex shows Jodie creative ways of tackling bullying in schools by spreading positive vibes with compliment and smile days. Alex ends the day with a balloon release, with young people’s pledges attached, to show a colorful display of young peoples’ commitment to tackling bullying.

To watch the programme now click here.

Can you help Alex? Alex would love to hear from you. Feel free to share your experience of bullying, offer him support or get involved. Alex also really needs help with funding to make his project National email: antibullying.ambassador@diana-award.org.uk or call 0845 337 2987. To see a video containing more of Alex’s Anti-Bullying work as a Diana Award Holder click here

Donate to the Diana Award – to help us to support more young people. Thank you.

Stand up! Speak out! Event on 6th February – Essex.

If you are passionate about stamping out bullying and are aged 19 and under, or would like your school to take part in our next Anti-Bullying Ambassadors event in the East region on 6th February, then get in touch.

The Speak Up! Speak Out! training event will be held in Basildon, Essex. The aim of the training event is to give Anti-Bullying Ambassadors confidence in campaigning skills and inspirational ideas, so that the young people feel motivated and more confident to tackle bullying within their schools and community in a pioneering way, with the Diana Award supporting them along the way.

The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors programme is free with lunch provided. We only require for schools to pay for their transportation to the event. We are currently recruiting for this event on a first come first served basis so be quick! Spread the word in your School/Academy/College. Get staff to nominate online or contact the Anti-Bullying Ambassador’s Team, Didi Yvonne via e-mail: didi.nwankwo@diana-award.org.uk or call 020 7921 4574.

Growing up in the streets of Mozart, which is one of the most deprived areas in Westminster, gave me a firsthand insight into how young people would get involved with gang violence and get themselves into trouble with the police, and so I decided to change this.

However, when my teacher told me that I received the Diana Champion Volunteer Award, I was not only shocked, but honoured, because I never expected to be rewarded for my work, I just wanted to make a positive difference in my community.

When I got home from the award ceremony at Barclays Headquarters, I joined the Diana Award group on Facebook, where I was invited to Open House, here I met the Diana Award team and had a tiny insight of what they do and how hard they must work to make everything possible!

Although, I am a new edition to the Diana Award family, I already feel part of the team and look forward to the work I will be involved with them in the near future to help inspire the lives of young people!

I would really recommend that you get involved by filling out the Network flyer here

The group came together to perform the acts of kindness which varied from good deeds such as carrying and packing shopping, giving directions, free smiles and compliments, to leaving a box of chocolates on a bench. Both days saw the group visit local old people’s homes to sing carols. All these acts brighten peoples’ day and showed that a little kindness can go a long way and that if everyone was a little friendlier the world would be a better place.

Ryan Hairsine, Diana Award Holder aged 17 said: “We wanted to show that young people are good people and don’t deserve the reputation they sometimes have. We also had a lot of fun and enjoyed doing something really worthwhile for our community.”

The group also featured on London BBC Radio.

To get involved in future events, email: antibullying.ambassador@diana-award.org.uk

Anti-Bullying Ambassadors are the public faces of Anti-Bullying activities happening in schools and communities across the UK. An Ambassador is a young person who wants to be part of a UK wide network that is putting a stop to bullying. There are so many wonderful Anti-Bullying activities being run by young people and we want to showcase and support them.

The aim of the Speak Up! Speak Out! training event is to give Anti-Bullying Ambassadors confidence in public speaking skills, so that the young people feel motivated and more confident to tackle bullying within their schools and community in a pioneering way, with the Diana Award supporting them along the way.

The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors programme is free of charge as it is government funded and the day will include lunch. We only ask schools to pay for their transportation to the event.

We are currently recruiting for this event, places are allocated on a first come first served basis so be quick! If you are in the South East aread and know passionate young people keen on stamping out bullying do get in touch with us. Spread the word in your School/Academy/College.

Nominate now or contact the Anti-Bullying Ambassador’s Team via e-mail: Antibullying.ambassador@diana-award.org.uk or call 020 7921 4574.

We are also offering an opportunity for up to 3 volunteers to get involved and help with making the event a great success, your role on the day will be to ensure the smooth running of the event, helping out with registration and ushering the young Ambassadors as they arrive to the venue. We hope that you will also get the chance to join in on the workshops! Do get in touch for more details.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Team.