TWO young people from Essex want to improve access to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) and advocate for increased support for young people after being selected as Youth Ambassadors for the charity.   

Tolu Opaleye, 18, from Chelmsford, and Charlotte Roberts, 17, from Harlow, join a cohort of just 35 DofE Award holders aged 16-24 from all over the UK, who will advocate for young people by sharing their expertise on key issues impacting them. Together, they will make young people’s voices heard by speaking at events, meeting key decision-makers in Parliament and beyond, and feeding into decisions to shape the direction of the DofE charity’s work.

Charlotte, who achieved her Gold DofE Award through Harlow Phoenix Explorers, said: “I had heard of DofE through school, but I never thought I’d be able to do it myself. I was quite nervous before I started, but I had a lot of support through my Scout group which made everything a bit easier than I expected. DofE has helped my confidence so much, and I’m looking forward to gaining some more as a Youth Ambassador.”

Tolu, who is doing her Gold DofE Award through The Air Cadets, 1483 Brentwood Squadron, said: “As a Youth Ambassador, I’m excited to push myself out of my comfort zone. I’m not the most extroverted person, but I’m hoping to change that a bit! I’ve always seen the world through my own perspective, and I’m looking forward to meeting new people and gaining new points of view.”
‘Push myself out of my comfort zone’

For her Silver Skill, Tolu chose to study Aviation through the Air Cadets, and now hopes to train as a pilot. Tolu explains: “I studied Aviation for my Skill section, and it’s been incredible – learning about planes and radar. I was chosen to do a free flight with an instructor which was such an amazing experience. As soon as I was in control of the plane, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life, and I have the DofE to thank for it.”

A keen dancer, Tolu used her DofE Physical section to practice dance in all sorts of ways, from performing in school dance shows, competing with a church dance group, to being one of the main organisers and choreographers for this year’s school dance show after leading a dance club at school for younger years. DofE has helped her stay motivated with dance, and she credits the Award for giving her the discipline to get to such a high level.

After hiking for her Bronze and Silver Expeditions, Charlotte looked for something a little bit different for her Gold Expedition. She had heard of the possibility of canoeing for it, but instead came across a place that would allow her to sail, the Morning Star Trust in Portsmouth, which she had never tried before.

Charlotte adds: “People might not realise that you don’t have to walk for your Expedition, in fact I didn’t really know this myself. The navigation was a bit different than what I’d done before, but it opened me up to things I’d never experienced before. During the Expedition, we came across some paddleboarders in crisis who had no way of calling the coast guard for help. With some good teamwork, we managed to rescue them and take them back to shore.”

Tolu and Charlotte also attended the DofE’s Youth Without Limits Live: Beyond The CV event in London on Friday 8th November – an interactive day of workshops and panel discussions designed to boost DofE participants and Award holders’ confidence, knowledge and skills as they prepare for the world of work. Tolu hosted the day, alongside Tim Campbell MBE – a Silver DofE Award holder and advisor to Lord Sugar on BBC One’s The Apprentice – who delivered an inspiring speech to attendees.

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:
“Tolu and Charlotte are two 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 give them as many opportunities as we can to make a positive impact on the issues they care about – I am excited to see the positive impact our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors make this year.

“It’s not an easy time to be a young person, with the ongoing after-effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis to contend with. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that all young people can access 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.”

To do their DofE, young people aged 14-24 choose activities in four sections: improving a Physical and Skills activity, Volunteering for a cause of their choice, and completing a demanding Expedition. Along the way they have fun, grow in resilience and self-belief, discover new talents and passions, and learn practical skills to help them in future – while working towards a highly respected Award.