OUTSTANDING YOUNG HERO IN SOUTHAMPTON RECEIVES AWARD IN MEMORY OF PRINCESS DIANA

Teenage Helpline
Press Release

28th June 2021

OUTSTANDING YOUNG HERO IN SOUTHAMPTON RECEIVES AWARD IN MEMORY OF PRINCESS DIANA

Young person from Southampton is honoured with The Diana Award for going above and beyond in their daily life to create and sustain positive change.

Josh Towers, aged 23, from Southampton has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

JOSHUA TOWERS

TEENAGE HELPLINE_SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND_AGE 23

Josh started ‘Teenage Helpline’ when he was just 14, looking to offer a service that he knew would benefit people like him for years to come. He built it from the ground up, creating an online platform for young people to support other young people. This takes place through a peer-to-peer mentoring service, as well as the dissemination of information and guides to help young people through mental health, education, relationships and employment support. Josh’s passion for the service came from his personal struggles as a teenager, which has enabled ‘Teenage Helpline’ to become a service that truly makes a difference.

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Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, says:

“We congratulate all our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and all over the globe who are changemakers for their generation. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own journey as active citizens. For over twenty years The Diana Award has valued and invested in young people encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and lives of others.”

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WHAT IS THE NOMINATION PROCESS?

Award recipients have been put forward by adults who know the young people in a professional capacity and recognised their efforts as a positive contribution to society. Through a rigorous nomination process, these nominators had to demonstrate the nominee’s impact in five key areas: Vision, Social Impact, Inspiring Others, Youth Leadership, and Service Journey.

There are 12 Diana Award Judging Panels representing each UK region or nation and a further three panels representing countries outside of the UK. Each panel consist of three judges; one young person, an education or youth work professional, and a business or government representative. The panels have an important main purpose: to determine which nominations from each UK region/nation/country will receive The Diana Award.

Nominations are judged using the Criteria Guide and Scoring Guide which have been created to measure quality of youth social action.

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For interviews or further information please contact Emma Pelling on: 07958 558172, [email protected] www.diana-award.org.uk

Social media @DianaAward fb.com/TheDianaAward @DianaAward

About The Diana Award

The Diana Award develops and inspires positive change in the lives of young people through three key programmes which include; a mentoring programme for young people at risk, a youth-led anti-bullying ambassadors campaign and a prestigious award which publicly recognises young people – The Diana Award.

Media spokesperson for Teenage Helpline: Rebecca Hunt at [email protected]

Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive, The Diana Award.
Tessy is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for fostering positive change in the lives of young people and the impact it has on communities around them. At the heart of her work is the belief that with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities and the lives of their peers.