Gabby Tan (U6) has received a Diana Legacy Award. The award is given every two years to 20 young people who have already received a Diana Award in further recognition of their positive impact on society and their ability to inspire and mobilise others to serve their communities. Gabby has dedicated the past five years to advocating for the environment and working against educational inequalities in Malaysia and London. She has also founded Horizon of Hope, a youth-led organisation which supports refugee and asylum-seeker education.
Last week, I had the honour of receiving a 2019 Legacy Award for my dedication to a liveable and just future for all through my work supporting refugee education and advocating for environmental action globally.
As part of the Legacy Experience, I spent four days in London along with the other 19 award recipients who were some of the most incredible young people I’ve ever met. We all had different stories and causes, but were brought together by our immense desire to change the world for the better.
Throughout the experience, we attended a plethora of workshops on topics ranging from campaigning tactics with Campaign Bootcamp, to using technology for good with Instagram, and building our personal ‘brands’ with Jones Knowles Ritchie. We also got to meet with the judging panel and various supporters of The Diana Award during networking events hosted by HSBC and the Infatuation.
On our final day together, we were extremely lucky to get to share our stories with Prince William at Kensington Palace, before ending the night off with a beautiful ceremony in the Painted Hall where we received our Legacy Awards from Earl Spencer and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Diana Award charity. The ceremony was so special and was definitely a night I will never forget.
To be recognised by the judges in Princess Diana’s legacy is beyond an honour and I will surely try to live up to this incredible legacy. Over the next two years, the Diana Award team will support us with a development programme that will provide us with the opportunities and resources to grow and expand our reach. I am so excited to join the Diana Award family, and look forward to seeing what we get up to in the next two years and beyond! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me on this thrilling journey thus far.
Gabby Tan, Upper Sixth
