The Diana Award

Earlier this year I was given the honour of becoming one of the international judges for the Diana Award. The Diana Award honours young people who work to improve the lives of others. Named after Diana, Princess of Wales, the award was established in 1999 by a board chaired by Gordon Brown. The Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.

I consider it an immense honour and responsibility to be involved in the process of helping choose which one of the thousands of worthy nominees will receive a Diana Award. To be honest, I was absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of compassion and forward thinking employed by the young nominees at such a tender age. I spent many hours reading and re-reading the applications with my team of judges Nung and Ming (our group’s Chair). The two days I spent grading the nominations showed me that there indeed is much hope and light in the world. And as the new generation ushers in a new era, we have much to look forward to. These children and young adults are bright, capable and most importantly - kind. They care deeply about their communities and the international collective and as I write this, they are working on bringing positive change to this planet and all its inhabitants.

On July 1st , what would have been Princess Diana’s 61st birthday, the 2022 class of recipients was announced in a virtual ceremony. I hosted a small late night viewing tea party at the Tropical Nomad Coworking Centre (our partners) here in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia. In attendance was my dear friend Nic, founder of the Ragam Foundation - a local food kitchen that feeds Bali’s most vulnerable communities, and my better half Daniel. The presentation was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The ceremony featured speeches by Chief Executive Officer of the Diana Award Theresa ‘Tessy’ Ojo, The Duke of Sussex and notable guests who all celebrated the immense achievements of the Diana Award Class of 2022.

My sincerest congratulations to all the extraordinary young people from all over the world who have received a Diana Award this year. It is because of you that we will welcome a brighter future. You may read this year’s Roll of Honour here.

If you know a young person who cares deeply about their community and puts their convictions into action please nominate them for next year’s Diana Award by clicking the link below.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN