By Chloe Morgan For Mailonline
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Prince William has paid a touching tribute to his late mother Princess Diana by launching a new five-year plan that encourages the youth of today to make positive change over the next five years.
Since her untimely death in 1997, Princes William, 39, and Harry, 36, have sought to continue their late mother’s legacy and have both supported The Diana Award – the charity legacy to Princess Diana’s belief that young people have the power to change their world.
The Duke of Cambridge penned a poignant foreword for The Diana Award’s new plan Future Forward, which was launched on Thursday to mark International Day of Youth, and candidly spoke about how the lives of so many youths have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Duke of Cambridge began: ‘The lives of thousands of young people have been impacted by the global pandemic, with education interrupted, work opportunities disrupted, and social connections strained.
Prince William has paid a touching tribute to his late mother Princess Diana by launching a new five-year plan that encourages the youth of today to make positive change over the next five years
The Duke of Cambridge hosted the inspirational #2019 LegacyAwards recipients from the Diana Awards, for tea at Kensington Palace
‘Yet many of the young people who I have been fortunate to meet over the last year have shown an enormous passion and commitment to helping their communities recover and rebuild – and beyond that, are working hard to tackle the social inequality and injustice that they see in the world around them.
He continued: ‘Organisations like The Diana Award have never been more important in nurturing the talent of young people and working with them to change the world for the better by celebrating their successes; creating opportunities for growth; and ensuring that young people have a seat at the table.’
The Duke of Cambridge went on to discuss the challenges that the youth still face, but made clear he remains firm that positive change can be achieved.
He concluded: ‘Future Forward sets out The Diana Award’s blueprint for how change can be achieved, with young people at its heart.
The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex during the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, on July 1,
‘I am excited to see what The Diana Award and the young people it empowers can achieve together.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared the news on the Kensington Royal Twitter page on Thursday and wrote: ‘We’re excited to see what the Diana Award and the young people it empowers can achieve together – great to see the launch of #FutureForward today.’
Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award commented: ‘We know young people are often closest to society’s problems with many at risk of poor mental health and low social mobility.’
‘In the shadow of the pandemic, we need to take action now. Who better to lead that change than young people? We know young people have the talent, passion and insight to shape the future and lead the recovery. Our Future Forward strategy empowers young people to lead positive change.’
The Diana Award, which was founded in 1999, also runs anti-bullying and mentoring programmes and recognises young people’s inspirational work.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group