Elsa first connected with The Diana Award at an Anti-Bullying Week event in 2015. Inspired, she began advocating against bullying in school and online. Recognising her passion, The Diana Award invited her for work experience and later to join the Anti-Bullying Youth Board.
Elsa first connected with The Diana Award at an Anti-Bullying Week event in 2015. Inspired, she began advocating against bullying in school and online. Recognising her passion, The Diana Award invited her for work experience and later to join the Anti-Bullying Youth Board.
A few years later, aged 20 and with wider youth voice experience, Elsa returned as a Young Advisor—keen to give back to the organisation that gave her her first platform.
“I had a lot of thoughts around my experience on the Youth Board and things that had happened that I wanted to share, both positive and constructive. So, I was quite keen to be involved again and help change internal practices based on my own experiences at The Diana Award.”
With a remit to develop youth voice processes, Elsa helped drive improvements rooted in her earlier experiences.
“We were talking about some of our personal experiences of the Youth Board and the Anti-bullying staff went away and put some thought into how they could change some processes and worked with some of us to change those things… we actually saw something change.”
Later, Elsa played a key role in developing The Diana Award’s Youth Voice Charter—drawing on feedback from Young Advisors to shape future youth engagement.
“When I look at the principles and how we're going about communicating them now, I can see a direct link between the feedback we've given and what is now being actioned.”
While helping shape the organisation, Elsa experienced her own growth—especially in confidence and public speaking.
“There’s been a huge shift in my confidence with just speaking, especially in groups… they’re the spaces that I would have run away from before… I feel like I’m saying meaningful things now.”
She credits a supportive environment for making new challenges feel manageable.
“With the mentorship from [programme staff] I've felt very comfortable with stepping outside of my comfort zone… I feel like there's been a lot of very thoughtful support around all the opportunities we've had.”
Despite previous experience, the programme helped her see how far she’s come.
“Two and a half years ago Elsa would be so in shock of me as I am, sitting here now – just, yeah, crazy!”
Elsa grew into a mentoring role, helping other Young Advisors feel welcome and supported.
“I've really enjoyed the mentorship side of things… Being somebody some other Young Advisors feel comfortable around and trust, that's been really important to me… it's been really nice to feel like I can help with that.”
She now uses her leadership to make space for others to speak.
“I try not to speak first, unless it is needed to help start the discussion.”
Elsa is applying her skills across youth-led initiatives—running the Youth Board at Flamingo Chicks, being part of Mind’s Youth Voice network, and delivering school workshops on mental health.
“I remember having a conversation with the CEO of Flamingo Chicks, and saying I'd love to implement [a Young Advisors] type of project… 1,000,000% that all came from Young Advisors experience... I’m only really able to lead that programme because I’ve built those skills here.”
Young people are now leading across these projects—from workshops to fundraising.
Reflecting on the programme, Elsa says the supportive environment made all the difference.
“I've just been able to be myself this whole time… I’ve fully been able to be honest and quite vulnerable sometimes… that’s one of the main reasons why I've been so committed to the programme…”
“Using your voice, you can feel a teeny bit exploited; I've never felt that once here.”
She believes the Young Advisors model should be the blueprint for youth engagement.
“How Young Advisors run is how everything else should run.”
Now, she’s even more committed to youth advocacy than when she began.
“I’m more committed to being in this space than I was when I joined Young Advisors.”
