Warwick teen one of just 28 chosen to advocate for young people as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Youth Ambassador in charity’s 70th anniversary year
A 19-year-old from Warwick who forged close intergenerational friendships when doing The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE), wants to encourage other young people to sign up after being selected as a UK Youth Ambassador for the charity.
Lucy Jennings joins a cohort of just 28 DofE Award holders in the charity’s 70th anniversary year, aged 16-24 from all over the UK, who will advocate for young people by sharing their experiences 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.
Lucy first heard about DofE from her dad who did his Award in the 1990s. She said: “I had a chat with my dad, and I even ended up using his rucksack that he used on his DofE Expeditions on all three of my Expeditions!”
Lucy was initially worried about what she had got herself into, but she’s since achieved all three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold - of the Award. Lucy loved going on the Expeditions, but it was through all three Volunteering sections that she forged a sweet friendship. Lucy signed up to volunteer at Kissing It Better – a nationwide charity which aims to ease the loneliness crisis through creative thoughtfulness. The charity works across hospitals and care homes to bring people together and help people whilst at their most vulnerable.
Lucy initially got involved with Kissing It Better by entering an art competition with them which she won. She was later admitted to hospital and discovered her artwork in there when she sat in front of it. She spent five days experiencing outstanding care and wanted to give back to the hospital.
For her Bronze Volunteering section, Lucy created and distributed activity packs for patients. She also set up letter writing programmes and labelled and provided old teddy bears for the care homes. By the time she went back for her Silver Volunteering section, Lucy’s school had launched an initiative to tackle loneliness, as the school was celebrating its 140th year.
Lucy said: “A scheme was set up between students, teachers and alumni – connecting them through shared interests. That’s how I was put in touch with Pat - I started writing to Pat in the January 2021 lockdowns, so this was just before I started my Bronze Award. She turned 98 in August and celebrated with cake and the afternoon tea I sent her. Pat had gone to the same school 70 years earlier and we have agreed that had we been in the same year, we would have best friends there, as we are now.”
Lucy continued: “We still write to one another six years on. I’ve have always connected with Pat as a pen pal, but we’re planning an in-person meet soon! I think letter writing is a lost art and would like to see a scheme like this rolled out nationally.”
Lucy continued to volunteer at the charity for her Gold DofE Award, and she is still volunteering there today. Elaborating on her future plans, Lucy said: “I’m hoping to launch another volunteering scheme in my old school this academic year, as I want to encourage more people to get into volunteering.”
“I am forever grateful for what the DofE has been able to offer me”
Speaking about the highlight of her DofE journey, Lucy said: “The highlight for me was the intergenerational connection. Doing the DofE allowed me time with my dad to prepare me for my Expeditions, my grandparents helped with fundraising for my Volunteering sections and of course, I met Pat. I don’t think I would have made these connections without doing my DofE.”
Wanting to give back to the DofE – a charity that has changed her life, Lucy said: “It’s been two years since I achieved my Award and I was really missing it. I want to be able to inspire at least one person to do DofE and know they are capable of anything they put their mind to. I am forever grateful for what the DofE has been able to offer me.”
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’s charity, said: “Lucy has achieved incredible things through her DofE. As a charity, we’re committed to putting young people at the heart of everything we do and give them the opportunity to make a positive, lasting impact on the issues they are passionate about. I am excited to see the impact that our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors will make this year.
“It is a challenging time to be a young person, with rising mental health issues, a NEET crisis, disruption to education and deepening inequalities. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that all young people can access enrichment 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. As a charity, we want to see two million young people start their DofE by Spring 2031 and help transform access to high-quality enriching activities for all young people in the UK.”
A record-breaking number of young people started their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award across the UK in 2025-26, with over 589,000 young people actively taking part, and nearly 346,000 young people starting their Award – and participants contributing an astonishing over 6 million hours of volunteering, with an estimated total value of £45.4 million.