Coventry carer becomes DofE Award Youth Ambassador

Sharandeep Sahota, 21, from Coventry is one of 31 new youth ambassadors for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards

A 21-year-old carer from Coventry has been picked to be one of 31 UK Youth Ambassadors for the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE).

Sharandeep Sahota completed her Gold Award three years ago while caring for her grandmother, grandfather and aunt, as well as studying four A-Levels and an Extended Qualification Project (EPQ).

She said she was grateful the award validated her responsibility as a carer and efforts in the community, giving her more motivation to complete it.

The youth ambassador scheme aims to create future leaders of the organisation, helping them shape the DofE's work to help other young people across the country.

The awards were originally set up by Prince Philip to challenge young people to overcome obstacles, fulfil personal goals, and develop useful skills.

As part of her Gold Award, Ms Sahota taught Bollywood and Bhangra dancing at Coventry's Sahil Project, which supports South Asian survivors of domestic abuse.

She also learned to read and write Punjabi, to go with her existing ability to speak the language, and celebrated her 18th birthday with her first-ever camping expedition in Snowdonia.

Sharandeep Sahota is now training to be a barrister after completing her Law degree at Coventry University

Being selected as a youth ambassador is not the first honour Ms Sahota has received through her work with the DofE Awards.

In 2023, she was named as the organisation's Change Maker of the Year for her work as a full-time carer.

Now 21, she is getting ready to begin training to become a barrister after completing a Law degree at Coventry University.

At the same time, she is also undertaking a masters course at the University of Birmingham.

She said: "Being a youth ambassador means I can advocate for the DofE and help get it into every school.

"It's not just something for your CV – it teaches survival skills, builds confidence, and connects you to your community. It's about the bigger picture."