A 17-year-old from Tewkesbury has been selected as one of only 31 young people across the UK to serve as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Youth Ambassador, a role aimed at championing youth voices and helping shape the future of the national charity.
Zuzanna Kula, an accomplished Gold Award holder, will join fellow Ambassadors aged 16 to 24 from around the country to speak up on the issues affecting young people today. Together, they will share their lived experiences, influence decisions within the charity, meet key decision-makers in Parliament, and represent the DofE at national and international events.
Born in Poland and raised in the UK from infancy, Zuzanna began her DofE journey at school with her Bronze Award before progressing to Silver and Gold through Explorer Scouts. Although well-versed in hiking thanks to family trips around Gloucestershire, she says her most significant growth came from new responsibilities and leadership opportunities.
Her volunteering journey began during her Bronze Award and has continued for more than five years. Now a trusted Young Leader in Scouting, she has taken on everything from running activities and games to delivering parent presentations and planning a community impact badge centred on mental health.
“I’ve always loved being outdoors, but DofE pushed me to take on new responsibilities,” Zuzanna explained. “Leading Cub sessions and planning camps has taught me so much about confidence, communication and patience. Seeing the kids smile and have fun makes it all worth it.”
Zuzanna also explored her creativity through the Skills section of the Award, learning to knit and crochet, making handmade gifts, and even building a website for her dad’s landscaping business. Her Gold expedition in Scotland combined hiking and canoeing, including wild camping on remote beaches and navigating the dramatic landscapes of Lochaber.
“The jump from Silver to Gold was huge,” she said. “We had to plan our own route, storyboard our aim, and really take ownership. It was empowering to explore somewhere so remote and know we’d made it happen ourselves.”
As a Youth Ambassador, Zuzanna hopes to inspire more young people—especially those unsure of their own potential—to embrace the opportunities the DofE offers.
The Youth Ambassador programme, funded by The Gosling Foundation, places young people at the heart of decision-making. Ambassadors have previously met Ministers and MPs, spoken at party conferences, represented the DofE at international events, and contributed directly to strategic decisions across the charity.
Ashley Williams, UK Youth Engagement Manager at the DofE, praised Zuzanna’s achievements:
“Zuzanna has achieved incredible things through her DofE. As a charity, we’re committed to putting young people at the heart of everything we do and giving them the opportunity to make a positive, lasting impact on the issues they are passionate about. I am excited to see the impact our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors will make this year.“It is a challenging time to be a young person, with cutbacks to youth services, rising living costs, and a mental health and school attendance crisis. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that all young people can access opportunities like the DofE, which let them have fun, grow their resilience and self-belief, and develop vital skills they can’t always get in the classroom.”
A record-breaking number of young people took part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 2024–25. More than 572,000 young people were actively engaged, with 342,412 starting their Award and participants contributing 5.2 million hours of volunteering—estimated to be worth £33.4 million.
The charity aims to see 1.6 million young people begin their DofE by Spring 2026. To achieve this, it is expanding its support to schools and community organisations in the UK’s most deprived areas, growing its presence in prisons and young offender institutions, and ensuring more young people with additional needs and disabilities can access the Award.
Zuzanna’s appointment marks a proud moment for Tewkesbury—and an exciting new chapter for a young leader determined to help others realise what they can achieve.
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
Original post on the Gloucestershire News Centre website
Gloucestershire News Centre