Her Majesty The Queen to honour young person from Guyana with prestigious Award for improving the lives of others
Her Majesty The Queen will present Marva Langevine from Guyana with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London, on Tuesday 26th June. The Awards recognise the work that young people from across the Commonwealth are doing to transform lives in their community and beyond.
Marva from West Coast Demerara, Guyana will receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for the work she is doing to transform the lives of bereaved, sick and underprivileged children and families in Guyana.
Marva was selected following a competitive process involving thousands of applicants across the Commonwealth. Together they join a network of 240 powerful young leaders, from 53 Commonwealth countries, who are driving change to make the world a better place.
The 2018 Queen’s Young Leaders are finding solutions to global issues such as climate change, food scarcity, gender-based violence, mental health, and access to education.
Marva Langevine, 25, said “I am beyond excited to set off to London for the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme! I extend my gratitude to Her Majesty The Queen and the amazing organising team for the invaluable support and networking opportunity through this prestigious programme. The experience has been revolutionary thus far and I am deeply moved by the increased support for bereaved children in Guyana. I am eager to meet my fellow Queen’s Young Leaders to grow and develop as a strong network committed to making a difference.”
The Queen’s Young Leaders Award winners take part in a year-long leadership course run by the University of Cambridge and receive bespoke mentoring. They will visit the UK for a programme of high-profile networking opportunities, meetings and training designed to help them develop as leaders and work with ever greater impact.
Later this month, during their time in the UK, Marva will visit 10 Downing Street, take part in masterclasses at the BBC World Service and the UK Headquarters of Facebook. Award winners will then meet with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth, before receiving their Award from Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace. They will also attend workshops at the University of Cambridge and visit projects that are changing the lives of vulnerable people in the UK.
Dr Astrid Bonfield CBE, Chief Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said:
“Through selfless determination, the Queen’s Young Leaders of 2018 are dedicating their lives to bring positive change to those around them. Their visit to the UK this June provides them with a unique opportunity to connect with each other and gain valuable lessons from experts and leaders from all walks of life which we hope will help transform the reach of their endeavours for many years to come. I am delighted that the work they are undertaking is being recognised by Her Majesty The Queen and I look forward to meeting this year’s winners and celebrating the remarkable difference that they have already made all over the Commonwealth. Now that we are in the fourth and final year of this special programme, we look proudly on the network that is the Queen’s Young Leaders and feel confident that the future will be driven by their courage and commitment towards making the world a better place.”
The Queen’s Young Leaders programme was established in 2014 by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief, The Royal Commonwealth Society and the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education, in recognition of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
To see a full list of Award winners and highly commended runners up, and to learn more about their stories, please visit www.queensyoungleaders.com
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The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief, The Royal Commonwealth Society and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Continuing Education, established The Queen’s Young Leaders programme in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s 60 years of service to the Commonwealth at the time of her Diamond Jubilee. Guided by the values of the Commonwealth Charter, the goal of the four-year programme is to enable young people to step up as leaders and improve the lives of people across the Commonwealth.
Award details
Each year from 2015 to 2018, exceptional young people have been selected to receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award and become ‘Queen’s Young Leaders’. This year’s Award winners are aged between 18 and 29 from across the Commonwealth. They are undertaking work to improve lives of people across a diverse range of issues, from supporting people living with mental health problems, helping children to receive a quality education, to promoting gender equality.
As part of the Award, winners receive bespoke training, mentoring and networking opportunities, provided by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education. Award winners will attend a Residential Programme in the UK in June, when they will receive their Award at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty The Queen.
Criteria to win an award:
- Nominees will have proven experience of working to improve their communities locally, regionally or at a national level and will show evidence of their achievements
- Nominees will be aged between 18 and 29 for the year of the Award and be citizens of a Commonwealth country
- Nominees will demonstrate evidence of their leadership qualities
- Priority will be given to individuals who have overcome challenges to achieve their goals
- All nominees will need to be supported by a suitable referee
The Partners
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust is a charitable foundation, established in 2012, to mark and celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 60-year contribution to the Commonwealth at the time of her Diamond Jubilee. The Trust has received donations from governments, corporate partners, trusts, foundations, community groups and individuals from across the Commonwealth, and its programmes work in alliance towards eliminating avoidable blindness and to empower a new generation of young leaders. The Trust’s aim is to leave a lasting legacy, owned by the whole Commonwealth, to honour Her Majesty The Queen.
For more information, please visit: www.jubileetribute.org
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity which aims to create a just world, free from poverty – where everyone is safe, healthy, educated and empowered. Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1 billion. That money has helped, and is helping, people living incredible tough lives, both here at home in the UK and across the world.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit comicrelief.com
Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), founded in 1868, is a network of individuals and organisations committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world. Working through a range of educational, civil society, business and governmental networks, the RCS addresses issues that matter to the Commonwealth citizens.
For more information, please visit: www.thercs.org
The University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education
ICE was founded in 1873 and offers a wide range of part-time and short courses for adults, covering topics from the arts and humanities to the sciences and professional qualifications. Based at Madingley Hall in Cambridge, ICE welcomes thousands of students each year to its popular short courses, part-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and growing number of online courses.
For more information, please visit www.ice.cam.ac.uk