Banbury teen chosen as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Youth Ambassador
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Amanda Lim, 17, joins 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.
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Hide AdAmanda, who has achieved her Bronze Award and is now working towards her Silver, found that working towards her DofE helped her maintain motivation in activities she was already involved in. A keen Karate enthusiast, Amanda was grateful that the DofE gave her the discipline to continue it through her Physical section; even through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amanda, who does karate through Banbury Shukokai Karate Centre, said: “I've never been very confident with my sparring as I’m nervous about hurting other people, and during the pandemic, my skills got a lot weaker. I’m so glad that I chose to do Karate for my DofE, because it gave me a reason to keep going when I wasn’t feeling so motivated, improving my technique and boosting my confidence and I ended up achieving my second-degree black belt.”
Amanda credits the DofE for helping her grow and develop as a person, learning skills like leadership, teamwork and problem-solving.
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Hide AdAmanda added: “A real highlight for me has been watching my friends learn and grow alongside me! All of the Expeditions have provided amazing opportunities to learn and bounce back from my mistakes. As a Youth Ambassador, I’m really looking forward to learning from new people and getting my voice across – I'd love to really make a difference, even if it ends up being just one person.”
Amanda already helps out with the DofE in her school, helping new participants to learn First Aid and CPR. She learnt these skills herself as an NHS Cadet with St John Ambulance and hopes to study medicine at university.
‘Positive Impact’
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.
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Hide AdDofE 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:
“Amanda 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 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.
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Hide Ad“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.