Youngster aiming high after being named youth ambassador
A young Black Country woman said she wants to show that the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is for everyone after being selected as a Youth Ambassador for the charity.
Alexie Hampson from Wolverhampton has joined a cohort of 35 DofE Award holders aged between 16 and 24 from all over the UK who will advocate for young people by sharing their expertise on key issues impacting them.
They will speak at events, meet key decision-makers in Parliament and feed into decisions to shape the direction of the DofE charity’s work.
The 16-year-old completed her Bronze and Silver DofE Awards with Young At Heart, a Birmingham charity who provide physical and emotional support for children diagnosed with heart conditions and has now progressed on to her Gold DofE Award.
Alexie said: “I was initially worried about completing the Award and doing the Expedition away from my parents, as I hadn’t really been away from them for long, but I wanted to sign up and inspire others like me to take part.”
“As a Youth Ambassador, I want to change the narrative by speaking to others about my experience and show them that people from different backgrounds can all do their DofE.
"I never thought I’d have been able to do anything like the DofE when I was younger, so I want to share the message that anything is possible, no matter your ability.”
To do their DofE, young people aged between 14 and 24 choose their own activities to complete Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections, an Expedition and a Residential at Gold level.
Funded by The Gosling Foundation, the Youth Ambassador programme puts young people front and centre as future leaders, involving them in shaping the DofE’s work to benefit other young people.
DofE Youth Ambassadors have met Ministers and MPs, spoken at high-profile events such as party conferences and DofE Gold Award celebrations in Buckingham Palace Garden, represented the DofE at international forums and played a pivotal role feeding into key decisions across the charity.
Ashley Williams, UK Youth Engagement Manager at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Alexie is one of many young people who have achieved incredible things through their DofE.
"As a charity, we’re determined to put young people at the heart of everything we do and to connect them with opportunities to make a positive impact on the issues they care about – and we can’t wait to see what our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors achieve this year.
“As they navigate the ongoing after-effects of the pandemic and a severe cost-of-living crisis, it’s more vital than ever that all young people get access to opportunities like the DofE, which let them have fun, grow their resilience and self-belief, and develop vital skills they can’t always get in the classroom.”
