HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MEETS THE DIANA AWARD AND YOUNG PEOPLE ‘REWIRING POWER’ AT SXSW LONDON

Following a panel discussion, Legacy Award Recipients Sophie Pender and Vivi Lin, met with HRH The Prince of Wales to share insights from their event.  They demonstrated how they are continuing the legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales by leading with compassion and determination to address the impact of rapid societal shifts in the world today.  

At a time when society is being reshaped by new technologies, shifting cultural norms, and growing distrust in traditional institutions, young people are increasingly stepping forward as changemakers, creating solutions, building communities, and driving social impact.

The high-level panel discussion, held earlier in the day, entitled What happens when young people stop waiting for permission to lead?” included Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award and was chaired by broadcaster and long-term supporter of The Diana Award Charlene White.

The panel explored how a new generation is ‘rewiring power’ by using creativity, activism, entrepreneurship, and community action to tackle the issues shaping their futures, from mental health and inequality to online harms and social division.  

The session celebrated the power of young people not only as future leaders, but as changemakers who are already transforming society today, and asked what institutions, businesses, and audiences can learn from the way they lead.

Speaking at the event, Sophie Pender said:
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"Starting at university ourselves, The 93% Club has built a network of 50,000 state-schooled students and 3,000 professionals across the country. From young people, we see a complete unwillingness to accept the status quo, and unrelenting dedication to beating it. Through network building outside of traditional institutions, they’re reshaping the world for the better without waiting for permission. I am proud to be a Diana Award alumni and to be sharing how these young people are driving actual change, and how we can support them."

"Starting at university ourselves, The 93% Club has built a network of 50,000 state-schooled students and 3,000 professionals across the country. From young people, we see a complete unwillingness to accept the status quo, and unrelenting dedication to beating it. Through network building outside of traditional institutions, they’re reshaping the world for the better without waiting for permission. I am proud to be a Diana Award alumni and to be sharing how these young people are driving actual change, and how we can support them.”

In conversation on the panel, Vivi Lin said:
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“The world we live in today is highly polarised and divided – and we need to change this. We need to be able to see beyond labels. Be courageous to start difficult conversations. Be ready to convince and to be convinced.”

Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, said:
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“We were delighted to be joined by HRH The Prince of Wales.  Like us, we know he is proud to see the voices of young people at the heart of this event, empowering them to lead conversations on the defining and pressing issues of our time.  These young people are not simply responding to the world they inherit but actively reshaping it and through this making a lasting positive impact.”

Katy Arnander, Chief Programming Officer, SXSW London said:
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"We were so pleased to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales to SXSW London and to celebrate the amazing young people recognised by The Diana Award who are creating positive change in their communities and beyond. At SXSW London, we believe great ideas can come from anywhere, and that creativity has the power to challenge the status quo, bring people together and drive real progress. The energy, creativity and determination shown by these young changemakers, including Sophie and Vivi, reflect the values at the heart of our festival."

ENDS_

Further information: Emma Pelling, 07958 558172, [email protected]

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About The Diana Award‍

The Diana Award benefits from the support of HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and was founded as a lasting legacy to their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales’ belief that young people have the power to change the world.  The charity fosters, develops and inspires positive change in the lives of young people through four key programmes which include; a mentoring programme for young people at risk, a youth-led anti-bullying ambassadors campaign, an inspirational series of initiatives designed to create meaningful opportunities for young people and a prestigious award which publicly recognises young changemakers – the Diana Award.

About SXSW London

The SXSW London Advisory Council is chaired by Eva Omaghomi CVO, Founder of Forster Jones & Associates.

SXSW London is the European edition of South by Southwest®, founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Building on nearly four decades of convening global creative communities, SXSW London brings together leaders and emerging voices across technology, film and television, music, business, policy and the arts.

Powered by the dynamism of Shoreditch and spanning venues across East London, SXSW London is designed as a city-wide festival that reflects the capital’s role as a global hub for innovation, culture and commerce. Through conferences, showcases, screenings, exhibitions and networking, the event creates a platform where ideas are tested, challenged and translated into real-world solutions. SXSW London exists to connect global perspectives with London’s unique regulatory, cultural and commercial influence. Learn more at www.sxswlondon.com.

Media spokespeople: 

Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award.   
Tessy is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for fostering positive change in the lives of young people and the impact it has on communities around them. At the heart of her work is the belief that with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities and the lives of their peers.  

Sophie Pender, Legacy Award Recipient and Founder & CEO, The 93% Club.
Sophie Pender was born on one of the biggest council estates in North London, raised by a single parent after losing her father to alcoholism and drug addiction.  She worked two jobs – at McDonald’s and John Lewis – while studying, and in 2014 became the first student in her school’s history to achieve straight A*s at A -level, in a year when the school's GCSE pass rate stood at just 32%.

At 19, having left North London for the University of Bristol, Sophie discovered the invisible infrastructure that has long propelled the privately educated into positions of power: the Old Boys' Club. Rather than accept its existence, she dismantled its exclusivity — founding The 93% Club, a members' club for state -educated people built on exactly the same model. Today, it is the UK's largest network for state schoolers, with a university presence across the country and a professionals' network of over 50,000 members. Dubbed "the alternative old boys' network," the Club exists to give state schoolers what private schoolers have always had: connections, opportunity, and insider knowledge.

Sophie worked as a corporate lawyer for four years, and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, and a recipient of the Diana Award - the most prestigious accolade available to young people for humanitarian and social action. She has advised the UK Government on its National Youth Strategy, delivered a TEDx talk, How to Become Socially Mobile, and appeared as an expert in the Economist documentary Why It's Harder to Earn More Than Your Parents. She presented the BBC Radio 4 documentary The 93% Club, and her work has been covered by BBC News, ITV News, LBC, the Guardian, and the Telegraph

Vivi Lin, Legacy Award Recipient and Founder of With Red & Period Museum.
Vivi is a global visionary in menstrual justice and gender equality. As a human rights activist and former Youth Advisor to the Premier and Ministers of Taiwan’s Cabinet, she has dedicated her career to inclusive policymaking. She is the founder of the pioneering non -profit With Red, which has impacted millions since 2019, and the creator of the Period Museum —the world’s only bricks -and-mortar institution of its kind Recognised as a global youth icon, Vivi has received the Forbes 30 Under 30, the Diana Legacy Award, and Youth of the Year Taiwan. She has also delivered hundreds of keynote addresses and published articles to raise awareness for gender equality, human rights, and social impact. Vivi holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford as a Jardine Scholar, and a BSc in Infectious Diseases from the University of Edinburgh.  Based between London and Taipei , Vivi continues to bridge the gap between grassroots activism and global policy.