Diana, Princess of Wales had the special and often courageous talent of inspiring the lives of others. She shattered cruel misconceptions about AIDS and reminded us that people with HIV deserved not isolation, but kindness and compassion. By visiting minefields in Angola, she put pressure on governments across the globe to ban the anti-personnel landmines that kill and maim so many innocent civilians. And by supporting a broad range of charities, she helped to raise millions of pounds for the poor and the suffering.

The Princess’s legacy has been lasting and influential. In 1999, the Government’s Memorial Committee, chaired by Gordon Brown, founded the Diana Award as a prestigious and lasting celebration of the late Princess and her work. In those early days we worked as part of the inspirational out-of-school-hours charity, Education Extra, under the leadership of its then Director Baroness Andrews, and the first Diana Award Director, Lindsay Mackie, who is now one of our trustees.

Since then, our team has grown and developed, and we have recognised the selfless and positive contributions made by tens of thousands of young people to their schools, communities, families or friends. Aged between 12 and 18, holders of our main Award include fundraisers, campaigners, carers, team-builders, mentors, school councillors and others. They have now been joined by holders of our newer, Anti-Bullying Award.

By 2006, the astounding success of the Diana Award gave us the confidence to become an independent charity. Since Gordon Brown launched our new organisation at the Treasury in February 2007, we have been working to recognise the valuable contributions of even more young people across the four countries of the United Kingdom, and to help them as they take the first steps into adulthood. Be sure to read about our latest work and news: you will soon see how proud we are to work with such inspiring individuals.

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