Young person from Northampton to make youth voices heard as she is named a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award UK Youth Ambassador

A young person from Northampton will speak out for young people across the UK after being selected as a Youth Ambassador for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE). 

Amelie Ward, 20, did her DofE at Northampton High School. She joins a cohort of just 35 other DofE participants and Award holders who will advocate for young people within the charity and wider community throughout the year. Together they will work to design and deliver campaigns and help shape the direction of the DofE by sharing their expertise on key issues impacting young people across the UK. 

The DofE recruited its first panel of Youth Ambassadors in 2021, as part of its commitment to put young people at the heart of its work, supporting them to champion and represent the charity at events and panel discussions and make young people’s voices heard at the highest levels.

Doing a DofE programme involves completing four demanding sections: Physical, Skills, Volunteering and a challenging Expedition. One of the most impactful sections of Amelie’s DofE was her Physical. Wanting to improve her fitness for her Silver Expedition, Amelie took up going to the gym and says it was a great place to release the stress of GCSEs and helped with her mental health, providing her with a focus and routine.

Speaking on her appointment as a Youth Ambassador, Amelie said: “DofE taught me to go outside my comfort zone and do things I always wanted to do but never had the courage to try. I’ve got a massive fear of failure, but I now understand that you’re not always brilliant at everything straight away and that’s ok!"

The DofE is a non-competitive, personal challenge that gives all young people the chance to discover new passions, broaden their horizons and make a difference on issues that matter to them. Through their DofE, young people develop vital skills, confidence and resilience to help them take on challenges and fulfil their potential. In 2021/22, more than 321,000 young people started their DofE – the highest figure in the charity’s 66-year history.