The 2016 Award winners, including Olanrewaju Adeloye, Imrana Alhaji Buba, and Olumide Femi Makanjuola, all aged between 18 and 29 have been recognised by The Queen for taking the lead in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities.
The Queen's Young Leaders Award recognises and celebrates exceptional people aged 18-29 from across the Commonwealth, who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills to transform lives.
The winners of this prestigious award arrived London last week for a one-week residential programme, which includes high-level engagements, unique package of training, mentoring and networking, all designed to help them further their life-changing work. Before receiving their Awat Buckingham Palace, the ward from Her Majesty The Queen tomorrow, the residential Week got off to a good start with visits to Twitter UK, BBC Worldwide and 10 Downing Street UK.
As fast-paced social media masterclass the Award winners got the opportunity to question some of Twitter's top executives, before listening to YouTube stars Niki and Sammy talk about how to build a community through social networks.
At the BBC World Service, the Director-General Tony Hall talked to the group about leadership. After having the chance to network with presenters and producers from across the BBC network, the Queen's Young Leaders were then given a tour of the studios and even had the chance to try out the famous green screen room.
The final stop was at one of London's most famous addresses- 10 Downing Street, where he winneire, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.rs were able to put their questions to the Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening and Hugo Swire. The Young Leaders then headed the Cambridge where they will spend two days learning more about leadership.
Selected from a competitive process where thousands of young people from all over the Commonwealth applied to be a Queen’s Young Leader, Olanrewaju Adeloye said:
"I am so happy to be a recipient of The Queen’s Young Leaders Award. To be recognised for my work and be presented with an Award by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace is such a huge honour. I can’t wait to meet all the other winners in London and get involved in all the exciting activities that are taking place throughout the week."As well as awarding inspirational young people, Queen's Young Leaders Grants will be made to organisations in selected Commonwealth countries that can show they are improving the lives of young people.
The vision is to provide opportunities for young people to learn new skills, enter employment and give them a voice in their communities.
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