Luke Prior, 17, from Norwich is one of 28 new DofE Youth Ambassadors. He has autism and wants to speak for young people he feels are underrepresented.
Luke Prior, a 17-year-old from Norwich, has been chosen as one of 28 Youth Ambassadors for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) for 2026-27. The charity announced the new group on Friday 16 October, in the year it marks its 70th anniversary. Luke has autism and says school “has never been easy” for him.
The ambassadors are DofE Award holders aged 16 to 24 from across the UK. Over the coming year, the charity says, they will speak at events, meet decision-makers in Parliament and elsewhere, and feed into decisions about the direction of its work. Luke has already started: he represented the DofE at the Labour Party conference last month.
From the bottom sets to the top
Luke was diagnosed with autism at a young age. He described the start of secondary school in his own words:
“The early years of high school were hard for me: Covid, settling in, a new environment and so much change. Having not completed my SATS, I was put into the bottom sets for classes whilst my friends were in the top sets. I found this tough, but I worked really hard and progressed into the top sets.”
He first heard about the Award when the Bronze level was mentioned in a school assembly. “Everybody wanted to do it, and I was excited at the prospect of me and my friends being able to do the Award together, so instantly I signed up,” he said.
Thirty degrees at Trimingham
The Expedition section worried him most. The charity says he had to cope with sensory and cleanliness issues and found it hard to manage a lot of camping kit, and that the support and reassurance of staff made the difference. His expedition was on the North Norfolk coast:
“We trekked in 30-degree heat in Trimingham, in North Norfolk, making us sweaty, hot, and bothered: a real physical challenge. I was responsible for our group’s time management, which we kept to, and I felt proud crossing the finish line. Although the camping wasn’t my favourite element, I enjoyed the challenge and I’m so pleased I did it.”
For the Physical section he joined a racquet sports club to play badminton, having only played a couple of times on holiday. “I played every week and loved running around the court,” he said. “I also developed my smash shot which I now enjoy showing off when playing against my family!”
Chairing three meetings a week
The part he is proudest of is his Volunteering section, as a school ambassador. As Executive Head Ambassador he chaired three meetings a week and led communications for a team of 50 other ambassadors, including junior ambassadors.
“I was organising and managing events, working with Year 6 transition days, meeting visitors, making speeches: all which tested my skills in different areas. I had a great working relationship with the school staff too. It didn’t feel like a teacher/student dynamic but more like we were working together to achieve the same goals.
“As Executive Head Ambassador, I had the responsibility to appoint other ambassadors, which helped me a lot with my own interviews. I really do enjoy helping young people develop their skills and loved growing the programme.”
Why he applied
Luke says he wants to reach young people who think the Award is not for them:
“It’s a challenging time for young people, trying to navigate education, work or training. They want to achieve things but at the same time, there are a lot of barriers in place. I want to be a voice for young people who I feel are underrepresented.
“With a passion for advocacy and a huge interest in politics, I want to make an impact and make a positive change.”
The Youth Ambassador programme is funded by The Gosling Foundation. The charity says past ambassadors have met ministers and MPs, spoken at party conferences and at DofE Gold Award celebrations in Buckingham Palace Garden, and represented the DofE at international forums.
Ashley Williams, the charity’s UK Youth Engagement Manager, said: “Luke has achieved incredible things through his DofE. As a charity, we’re committed to putting young people at the heart of everything we do and give them the opportunity to make a positive, lasting impact on the issues they are passionate about.”
Williams added: “It is a challenging time to be a young person, with rising mental health issues, a NEET crisis, disruption to education and deepening inequalities. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that all young people can access enrichment opportunities like the DofE.” The charity’s aim is for two million young people to start their DofE by spring 2031.
The Award in numbers
The charity’s figures for April 2025 to March 2026, which it calls a record year for starts, are:
- 589,237 young people actively doing their DofE, and 345,908 who started
- Awards started: 236,550 Bronze, 78,257 Silver and 31,101 Gold
- 177,638 Awards achieved
- 30.9% of 14-year-olds in the UK started their Bronze
- Over 6 million volunteering hours, with an estimated value of £45.4m
- Starts by marginalised young people: 51,497 (14.9%) experiencing poverty, 95,644 (27.7%) from minority ethnic backgrounds and 32,267 (9.3%) with additional needs
- 38,951 leaders and volunteers, and 5,023 licensed organisations running it
The figures cover the whole UK; the charity did not give a Norfolk breakdown.
What it means for you
The DofE is open to anyone aged 14 to 24, and participants build their own programme of activities and volunteering to reach Bronze, Silver or Gold. It runs through schools, colleges, community groups, hospitals and other organisations, so the first place to ask in Norwich is usually a school or youth group. Details are at DofE.org.
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