Reading Teen Inspires at Lib Dem Conference

Reading teenager Dora Abbi, 18, spoke at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Brighton about how achieving a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award has changed her life.

Dora began DofE in Year 9 and says the Volunteering section had the biggest impact. She supported residents at a care home, helped at a local food bank and joined community engagement at the Royal Berkshire Hospital - starting on the hospital's Youth Forum, then an advisory board on patient advocacy, before becoming a governor representing young people.

She spoke at a DofE event on 21 September attended by Munira Wilson MP and Ian Sollom MP.

"Yes, DofE gave me the courage to go hiking, but DofE also gave me the courage to contribute in boardrooms, to advocate for the vulnerable and to start projects and fundraise."

"DofE has given me a purpose I never could have imagined. I am currently studying medicine hoping to develop health policy alongside improving care, inspired by my health volunteering."

Dora did her DofE through Berkshire Youth, credits the Award for inspiring her to become a UN Millennium Fellow and was named a DofE Youth Ambassador this summer. She was one of two Youth Ambassadors at the Lib Dem conference.

"Change is needed now. Now more than ever, where young people face crises in employment, mental health and isolation. We need the right people, in the right places at the right time to drive change together - that includes policy makers, businesses, schools and young people themselves."

The DofE charity is also at this year's Labour, Conservative, Reform UK and Green Party conferences, giving young people a platform with decision makers. The organisation is campaigning for 80 hours a year of high-quality enrichment for every young person in school and college, which Dora backs.

Since it was established 70 years ago the DofE has helped over 8.8 million young people in the UK build skills, resilience and self-belief. Over the next five years the charity wants to support two million more young people to start a lifechanging DofE Award.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter