The Blog

The Diana Award recently launched our first Youth Insights Report, focused on Youth Voice in Politics. To ensure youth involvement from the ground up, we involved Peer Researchers throughout the process to help connect us with the stories and experiences of young people. Follow Peer Researchers Gracie and Arthur, as they journey towards improving levels of youth engagement in politics and discuss the power of young people as facilitators, analysts, and champions for change.

International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.

International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.

The Young Changemakers Programme is a collaboration between UK Youth, Centre for Mental Health, and The Diana Award, funded by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. In June, our Co-Producers came together for a residential at Avon Tyrell to reimagine mental health services with the aim to better understand what young people from Black and Black mixed-race heritage in the UK think is working in our current mental health system, what needs to change, and how these changes should be implemented. This blog explores the challenges faced by young people of Black and Black mixed-race heritage in the UK regarding mental health services and highlights the need for cultural competence, accessibility, and representation in mental health support.

World Refugee Day, taking place annually on 20 June, honours those who have been forced to flee so we can come together and champion their right to seek safety, build support for their economic and social inclusion, and advocate for solutions to their plight. This year, Diana Award Recipient Bree Yagana shares the story of her refugee family and, as the world grapples with escalating displacement, underscores the importance of commemorating World Refugee Day.

Menstrual Hygiene Day, taking place annually on 28 May, is a global campaign that unites non-profits, governments, individuals, businesses, and the media intending to promote good menstrual health and hygiene. This year, we asked Legacy Award Recipient Nafira Nayeem Ahmad to share their thoughts on the day as well as discuss their non-profit organisation Amplitude.

International Women’s Day, taking place annually on 8 March, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year, we asked 2020 Diana Award recipient Ananya Jain to reflect on their journey as an Indian woman who immigrated to the US, and what this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress’, means to them.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, taking place annually on 11 February, celebrates women's impactful contributions to science while emphasising the need to encourage girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.).

Oluwatomi Olunuga received her Diana Award in 2023 for her significant contributions to the fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria. In observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, we asked her to share her thoughts and work, giving us all actions that we can take locally in the fight against FGM.

Celebrated annually on 4 December, World Cancer Day is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness and catalyse action for cancer prevention and control. To mark the day, we asked Diana Award Recipient and medical doctor, Christos Tsagkaris to speak about his work and inspire action for us all to get involved in cancer awareness.

Celebrated annually on January 24, International Day of Education highlights the transformative power of education and highlights the need to transform it for increased accessibility, inclusivity, and equity. For this year’s celebration, we asked 2023 Diana Award recipient Gunisha Aggarwal to discuss the power and potential of education to further the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

To celebrate Human Rights Day, we have asked 2023 Diana Award Recipient Swetha Kannan to speak about their experience as a young changemaker advocating for Human Rights and give some tips about the importance of resilience in social action.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated annually on 3rd December. This day shines a light on the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development and raises awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. To mark the day, we asked 2023 Diana Award recipient Ethelyn Huang to speak about her work and the importance of this day.

Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and commences the Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. To celebrate this, we hear from 2023 Diana Award recipient and passionate gender equality activist and advocate, Amaleehah Aslam-Forrester, who aims to inspire action and raise awareness of global violence against women and girls.

To celebrate United Nations Day, we decided to spotlight the importance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through the insights from our 2023 Diana Award recipients, this blog aims to inspire readers to engage and contribute to creating a more equitable and sustainable world.

A powerful woman once said, “Every day you have the power to choose”; I choose to believe that education holds the power to reconstruct the world. Education in this sense is the wealth of knowledge we can acquire from simply listening to others. Our voice is our strongest weapon. Right now, I’m using mine to educate you on where I believe our society currently is and how Black History Month has evolved since 2022 when you last heard from me.

Young Black people continue to face hurdles in society on a regular basis, with the global pandemic exacerbating this (Centre for Mental Health, 2022). However, thanks to The Diana Award’s Young Changemaker, young people have been working hard to counter these barriers.

International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated globally on the 18th October as a day to come together and celebrate the power and potential of girls across the world. This year, to mark this day, we asked 2023 Diana Award recipient Sofia Scarlat to explain why this day is so important, focusing on the broader theme of digital empowerment.

Every year, we welcome judges to assess nominations for the Diana Award. To keep the award fair and transparent, the external panel members are tasked with the tough decision to read, score and agree on who will receive a Diana Award.

23rd September marks the International Day of Sign Languages, where people from around the world come together recognising the importance of sign languages around the world. To mark the significance of the day, we asked 2023 Diana Award recipient Ahaan Shah to share the work he is completing with his project SignKraft and explain how we can all get involved in supporting the worldwide deaf community.

Each year on the 21st September, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world. This year to mark the occasion, we asked Legacy Award recipient Angelo Cardona to explain why the day is so important and share some ways that we can all work towards achieving global peace.

Around 10 million children go back to school this week, yet new research reveals that 65% of them are scared to make this return because of bullying. We are on a mission to ensure no child goes #BackToBullying.

As we are coming to the end of the summer holidays, we wanted to give you as much support and advice about going back to school as possible. To help with your transition, we asked members of The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Team for their advice and recommendations to some questions you might have, as well as highlighting some useful resources that can help you adjust and feel better about this change.

In an ever-changing world, where environmental challenges loom larger than ever before, the responsibility to secure a sustainable future fall upon the shoulders of the next generation—the youth.

Celebrated annually on 12 August, International Youth Day aims to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community as well as provide an opportunity to celebrate the amazing work carried out by young people across the globe.

The second Young Advisor residential was a fantastic chance to evaluate recommendations to increase the levels of youth voice and participation, build activities that are meaningful to young people and celebrate the way in which young people are at the heart of The Diana Award.

Madhav Datt, Chairman of Nostos, a youth-led UK charity, and Habitat for Humanity, built a community of innovative modular homes in Phalombe, Malawi, to support displaced families following Cyclone Gombe.

The Diana Award’s Mentoring Programme will be delivering Online Work Experience from Monday 10th – Friday 14th July 2023, a week consisting of online sessions and panel discussions from professional volunteer mentors providing insight into the world of work. Here is your chance to meet the incredible speakers who are leading the activities across Online Work Experience week!

We all have a role in breaking the cycle of silence. Today, May 28th, marks International Menstrual Hygiene Day; a day devoted to breaking the silence, amplifying awareness, highlighting the urgency to address menstrual injustices, and reshaping negative societal norms surrounding menstruation across the globe.

The Diana Award hosted the first residential with the Young Advisors, part of our Future Forward Partnership with Young People, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. Continue reading for more details on what exciting things these amazing young people got up to!

His Majesty King Charles III wants to encourage people to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families, and their communities. So, in the spirit of community and comradery, we asked our inspiring Diana Award recipients from around the world to share how they plan to celebrate this prestigious event.

In partnership with Nationwide Building Society, The Diana Award recognises student’s commitment on becoming an Anti-Bullying Ambassador by offering them a unique opportunity to become Football Association Mascots.

How do we eliminate a problem that has been in our society for so long and seeped into our systems, somehow becoming the norm? Racial discrimination has become such a problem and we need to tackle this problem that seems hopeless.

To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2023, a group of young people – including three current National Anti-Bullying Youth Board members and four Youth Board alumni – visited Meta Headquarters in London to discuss staying safe online.

International Women’s Day is a day celebrated around the world where we recognise all women for their achievements, without regard to any divisions, whether it be national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political. This year, to celebrate International Women’s Day, we have asked 2022 Diana Award Recipient and founder of Teach Us Consent, Chanel Contos to share with us some ways that that we can all work together to build a better future for women and girls across the globe.

NotSoMicro are an inspirational team of Young Changemakers who are campaigning to include anti-racist and microaggression training as a mandatory part of teacher training. As part of their campaigning, they were invited to Washington DC for the 2023 National Mentoring Summit, which took place from January 24th to January 28th, 2023.

For the past five years, Leshan Kereto has been advocating against Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya. For the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, Leshan has written this blogpost to raise awareness and share his own story of tackling FGM in his local community.

24th January marks International Day of Education. As a way of marking this annual awareness day, we asked 2022 Diana Award recipient, Aakansha Sethi from India, to share with us why she believes education is so important for social change. Continue reading below to find out what she has to say!

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Ultimately, we need to take the steps to act for a better tomorrow. Why can’t those steps start, TODAY?’

The Diana Award National Anti-Bullying Youth Board are heading back to school this month. Zinat and Tamar shared their top tips for dealing with worries about returning to school.

World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th. It’d feel strange to say a congratulatory remark on this day – unlike “happy new year,” there’s no “happy” in suicide. But the gravity of the concept does not mean it is insurmountable – as a suicide attempt survivor and suicide loss survivor, I’ve learned first-hand that we all can play a role in preventing suicide.

Roudy is a Kurdish activist and refugee, who has battled with the effects of war and asylum, as well as travelling for 28 days to reach Germany. Roudy has supported women in refugee camps organised empowerment sessions for those coming from conservative families and women experiencing marital problems. Wanting to help women back in Syria, Roudy started a social media campaign that reached thousands of women in need of support and advice. Roudy has also fundraised to help women access education and enrolled in a social work programme at university to expand her positive impact.

The process of questioning is something that so many of us experience in our lifetimes, yet we don’t really hear people talking about it. Questioning is such a valid identity, and we will be exploring what it is and what it means.

Volunteers’ Week is a time to say thanks for the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. Join us this year to recognise the fantastic contribution our volunteer judges have made to this year’s Diana Award.

Long, lonely lockdowns – what now? Young people have been expected to go back to schools and universities as if none of it ever happened. This article explores what loneliness actually is, its effects on our mental health and what actions we can take to fight loneliness, for ourselves and our peers.

Condescending eye glares, sweeping inaccessibility, and stacked job rejections rings as realities for many in the Down’s Syndrome community. It’s no secret, nor surprise, that behind society’s self-avowed “diversity”, “love” and “tolerance” (choose today’s buzzword!), is more often than not, an inward-looking world that favors anyone except the underprivileged, nonconventional, and marginalized.

Her own struggle against anorexia motivated Ally to raise awareness of eating disorders, body dysmorphia and illness through the power of art. She created ‘The Starving Artist’, a global outreach initiative and publication covering artistic research and reflection from over 25 international artists. The publication also provided educational resources around eating disorders and can be found in over 30 universities worldwide. Ally also volunteers with eating disorder awareness groups across the UK.

Three years ago, Neha set up ‘Innovation for Everyone’, designed to spark students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through virtual and in-person innovation sessions. Neha has since reached 54,000 students around the world but her dream is to run sessions with over 100,000 children. As a result of Neha’s efforts, students globally are starting to create solutions to real-world problems.

To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2022, The Diana Award’s National Anti-Bullying Youth Board have shared their top tips on how to engage in positive online experiences.

Around the world, students’ access to resources, advice and support varies dramatically. To Zubair, this seemed grossly unfair, and so at just 16 years old he decided to set up a blog to make learning resources available, completely free of charge. Today, with hundreds of contributors, ‘ZNotes’ has passed 24 million hits with more than 3.5 million unique visitors, becoming a go-to resource for students and teachers all around the world.

A tireless campaigner and advocate for people with disabilities, Jonathan is nothing short of inspirational. Unable to speak, Jonathan communicates via a spelling board attached to a piece of perspex, with his communication partner reading his gaze to each letter.

Nahjae is a dedicated educator who, at the age of 19, has already racked up six years teaching children for free.

Shantanu founded the Be Free Campaign to reduce the stigma around mental health, promote wellbeing and improve mental health outcomes. The campaign has grown into a large team, comprising of students, doctors, and mental health professionals. As a student doctor himself, Shantanu delivers talks and workshops in schools, universities, and community centres around the Northwest and the Midlands, using his own experiences to inspire others. His charity also works with YouTubers and influencers to promote positive mental health and his volunteer ambassadors collectively have over 600,000 subscribers.

Hollis first began raising funds and awareness for cancer at age nine, when she used her unique skill of juggling a football with her feet to help others.

Fibha is a ‘Global Peace Ambassador’, ’Multicultural Ambassador’ and ‘Country Coordinator’ for Australia in the ‘Global Youth Parliament’.

Lauren has empowered girls through hundreds of thousands of one-to-one sessions through her ‘Girl Power Camps’ and given hundreds of key notes speeches across the United States. Lauren’s tireless work and passion has also led to the development of a ‘GIRL TALK’ curriculum for US schools, as well as a supportive pen power programme in Africa.

Nojus grew up witnessing the physical and mental abuse of women in his community. In the years since, Nojus has turned his attention to tackling gender inequality. As President and CEO of ‘Youth For Women’, Nojus has run over 20 workshops on issues such as sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender-based violence. Nojus is also advocating for a national domestic violence policy reform for rural communities in Iraq.

Angela is the founder of ‘EnRoute’, an app for young environmentalists which now has over 3,050 members from 50 different countries. As an advocate for tackling air pollution, Angela has contributed to over 80 hours of webinar delivery to, training members on how to decrease their carbon footprint as well as how to encourage others around them to do the same.

Marigold uses funds raised from her headband-making business ‘Marigold’s Heart Garden’ to help others. Marigold is also a Youth Ambassador for hundrED Organisation and has taken on numerous leadership courses including a WE Organisation Trip with One Woman. Marigold also raises money within her local community, supporting Angel Hair for Kids, Meal on Wheels and many more.

Madhav is constantly developing technology and data solutions to address environmental crises faced by local communities, and particularly young people, across the world.

As keen environmentalists, Aditi and Aaditya collaborate with different organisations as ambassadors for clean-up drives, recycling campaigns and tree planting events.

Volunteers’ Week is a time to say thanks for the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. Join us this year to recognise the fantastic contribution our volunteer judges have made to this year’s Diana Award.

Sarah works tirelessly to change the lives of young people in Rochdale Borough by continuing to campaign around issues affecting young people. She has successfully fundraised for important causes such as Springhill Hospice for end-of-life care inspiring Neeli Mosque to do the same.

This World Earth Day, eco-warrior siblings Mishal, 13 and Mir, nine, are proving nobody is too young to care for the planet and make a difference. Mir campaigns extensively to raise awareness about deforestation and desertification. Mishal is the founder of ‘Winshares’, the first platform of its kind in the UAE, sharing textbooks and school uniform to promote sustainability.

Gabrielle received her Diana Award for her work advocating for the involvement of children and young people in strategic decision making and policy development. She is the first NHS England Youth Expert Advisor and was appointed to the NHS Assembly, advising the board of NHS England Improvement, through which she continues to raise the status of children and young people’s health.

Matthew Chilvers received his Diana Award for changing the perception of disability sport. He plans coaching sessions from a disabled participant’s point of view to ensure they progress at a suitable pace and organises dedicated tournaments for his peers. Matt constantly pushes himself out of his comfort zone to change perceptions for people with disabilities.

For Stress Awareness Month this April, we hear from National Anti-Bullying Youth Board member, Paige, who shares some top tips for dealing with stress and maintaining a positive mindset.

Water warrior Garvita founded ‘Why Waste?’ to make individuals and institutions more aware of water conservation across India. The youth-led organisation is changing mindsets and habits through activities such as, its ‘glass half-full’ online campaign and the ‘How to Save 100 Litres Every Day’ app.

Sriya is a 16-year-old entrepreneur who has built a business from recycling floral waste to make hand-made craft and home items for sale.

We should all celebrate women. We should all care about making the world a better place. Since the age of 12, Joana has campaigned tirelessly to tackle gender inequality. Now 19, she is the founder of two social enterprises, ‘She.’, which aims to bridge the socio-economic gap for young girls pursuing traditionally male careers, and ‘UniPear,’ a mentoring scheme set-up to support disadvantaged and minority students accessing higher education.

As Eating Disorder Awareness Week kicks off today, we catch up with Diana Award recipient Lottie Leach to explore how we can all help de-stigmatise mental health and dispel myths relating to eating disorders.

The Diana Award team and National Anti-Bullying Youth Board members, Paige & Theo, reflect on the importance of LGBT History Month and how we can continue to celebrate and educate in schools despite closures.

As the Director of social enterprise – Sanitree – Amy works to tackle period poverty and the stigma around menstruation. She collaborates with several charities and NGO’s in the UK and Scotland to improve female empowerment and tackle period poverty.

Nishka Mathur is 15 years old and passionate about tech literacy for young people, especially girls, from disadvantaged communities. Over the last two and half years, she has designed and delivered coding workshops with 1,000 young people in her pursuit to open more doors for girls who dream of a career in STEM.

Coming from a community that is affected by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Sakiya has been a passionate anti-FGM activist for 10 years. Her work involves delivering peer education workshops on FGM and other forms of gender-based violence in schools.

The Diana Award National Anti-Bullying Youth Board met virtually with Legacy Award recipient, Ben West, to hear about his incredible work encouraging open conversations about mental health in schools and campaigning to make mental health first aid a compulsory part of teacher training. Read on to hear from Youth Board members, Paige & Theo, about what they learned from Ben and ideas for coping with stress.

Erick is committed to raising awareness about anti-microbial resistance and is the Founder and CEO of Roll Back Antimicrobials Resistance (RBA Initiative). He led a nationwide anti-microbial resistance campaign in Tanzania which educated over 49,000 students and teachers in 114 secondary schools.

It’s been a long year, but we want to celebrate the start of the giving season by reflecting on our proudest achievements of the past 12 months. As a team and community we’ve responded to a changing world and embraced the challenge to adapt our offering for the communities that we serve. Take a look at how we made it happen below.

Mercy is a courageous social activist who has used her own experience of stigma and discrimination to drive her commitment and pursuit of equality for young people living with HIV. Mercy is the current Chair of the Children’s HIV Association’s (CHIVA) Youth Committee and uses this role to drive campaigns on behalf of young people living with HIV.

Fundraising can be a challenge at the best of times, but with continued COVID-19 restrictions including social distancing, many typical fundraising activities are no longer possible. But thanks to the digital age we live in, you can still come together with your friends, family and peers to do good.

After witnessing domestic abuse throughout her childhood, Córa-Laine is dedicated to helping other young people cope with and recover from the effects of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. As a peer mentor, ambassador and fundraiser for the charity Safeline, Córa-Laine is helping to change attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards abuse.

24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and the 5th Anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At a time of great disruption for the world, heightened by an unprecedented global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe economic and social impacts, it’s important to remember that times of struggle can become an opportunity for positive change and transformation.

Since her brother’s autism diagnosis, Maya has sought to make Trinidad and Tobago a place that is inclusive of those with autism and other special educational needs by establishing ‘Siblings and Friends Network’. Under her leadership, a team of 200 youth volunteers not only advocate for inclusivity, but they also fundraise to create and provide these opportunities themselves.

Anti-Bullying Week 2020 is here! Since this year’s theme is #UnitedAgainstBullying, The Diana Award and PROJECT ROCKIT have teamed up from the UK and Australia to share our ideas of how you can be an Upstander during Anti-Bullying Week and beyond!

George began raising money to say thank you to the hospital that saved his little brother’s life. He established the charity ‘Run With George’ to fundraise by running a mile for every month that he had his brother. George’s charity has raised £771,500, all of which has gone towards purchasing life-saving medical equipment for Alder Hey Children’s hospital.

World Diabetes Day is every year on November 14, first created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO).

During National Mentoring Week 2020, The Diana Award staff reflected on their experiences of mentoring and the impact of mentor-mentee relationships on their personal and professional development.

At the same time as building a number of successful businesses, Wayne Bulpitt CBE has been a passionate supporter of social entrepreneurship, founded several successful charities and is presently Chair of Trustees at, The Diana Award, Guernsey Community Foundation and a trustee of others as well as a member of NCVO’s Advisory Panel.

After two strokes following a rugby head injury, Legacy Award recipient Connor has gone on to raise thousands of pounds for charities supporting brain injury in children and young people. Despite the ongoing challenges he faces, Connor is still passionate about rugby and enriching the lives of other young people with an acquired brain injury. 

Diana Award judge, Josh Wintersgill, created the easyTravelseat, which helps with the transferring of wheelchair users on and off aircrafts. On Disability Awareness Day, he shares his experiences, challenges and triumphs to inspire all of us to ‘define your own ability’.

International Pronouns Day occurs on the third Wednesday of October. It seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Mentoring Programme Coordinator, Becky Moses, explains why education of personal pronouns is so important to those with diverse gender identities.

On International Day of the Girl Child we meet lifelong passionate footballer, Olivia who is campaigning to end sexism in girl’s football and introduce the sport into every UK primary school. Through her activism, Olivia hopes to change the experience for other young female footballers and encourage more girls to find passion in the sport.

After the tragic loss of his brother to suicide, Ben became a dedicated mental health advocate. He set up Project #WalkToTalk, an initiative which organises walks around the country to raise awareness about mental health while providing a space for young people to talk openly. Whilst it started with a goal to save just one life, Ben’s project is making a big impact for all those affected by mental illness.

Saturday 10th October is World Mental Health Day. This year, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures across the country, it is more important than ever to step back and consider how we ensure that young people – whether that is our peers, friends, students or children – are fully supported to have positive mental health.

Fiercely committed to the youth-led climate movement, Sarah has inspired thousands of young people to better understand the climate crisis and take action towards a better future.

Hi there! I’m Emily. My pronouns are she/her. I’m Vegan. A Feminist. An Anti-Bullying Campaigner with The Diana Award. I always forget to take a photo of my food for Instagram before I start eating. I’m rubbish at keeping plants alive. My guilty pleasure is loudly singing along to Taylor Swift when I’m alone. And I’m a suicide survivor.

Many of us have been spending extensive time at home rather than at school or in our workplace for the last several months.

Today on World Humanitarian Day we celebrate the contributions, honour the sacrifices and advocate for the safety of humanitarians. Maddison, 2020 Diana Award recipient, is a young humanitarian, health advocate and founder of her own social enterprise, ‘HUGS’. After recovering from heart surgery, she became determined to make a difference by improving quality of life for hospitalised children.

Elizabeth Nyamayaro, Legacy Award judge shares her thoughts on how dreams are changing the lives of others.