MAKING A CHANGE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
March 19, 2019

MAKING A CHANGE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Daniella Timperley was awarded the Diana Award in 2017 for her work tackling domestic violence in Northern Ireland. Here she explains more about her journey and why it is important to her to make a difference.

A cause that I am passionate about changing is domestic violence, a cause close to my heart. The effects of it are not always recognisable as you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

As a young person who wanted to make a change, I decided to team up with the Women’s Aid voices group to make a film for schools to educate young people on the issue of domestic violence. Young people are the next generation, so if they are taught about domestic violence and the effects of it, it may lead to less abuse in the future. It is important that people know the signs of an abusive partner so that they do not end up in those kinds of relationships in the future.

“I hope that I can encourage other young people to volunteer and get involved in their communities more.”

Women’s Aid ABCLN are actively changing the lives of domestic violence victims, and I am proud to help them enact this change by representing them on the BBC Children in Need Youth Panel. Through this role I am able to spread the word about Women’s Aid and how much their work means to young people who are caught in the middle of a violent relationship. Through my work I am in a good position to support the charity to maintain its funding and to win grants.

Through my involvement with Women’s Aid I have received OCN accreditations in domestic violence, self-esteem, mental health and understanding risks, which is supporting me to continue my work in the long-term.

Being a Change_Maker means a lot to me because I can make young people in Northern Ireland aware of the Diana Award to encourage more nominations and inspire them to become a Change_Maker too. I hope that I can encourage other young people to volunteer and get involved in their communities more and make a difference to something they are passionate about. I think other young people should become a Change_Maker too so that they can gain skills and personable qualities that add to their maturity and make them feel like a more valued member of their community. I believe that young people truly do have the power to change the world, one cause at a time.

Daniella is passionate about making a difference.

I am so honoured to have received a Diana Award and I am inspired by all of the stories I have read about the amazing award holders all over the UK and around the world. I am grateful for the platform that the Diana Award gives young people to share their stories and promote their causes in order to inspire people to get involved. Carrying on Princess Diana’s legacy is so important and it is breath-taking how Diana is having such a huge impact on young people who she has never met and who were born after her time. Young people like myself are still being inspired by Diana’s generosity and the love she had for helping others.

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