Oldham man one of just 28 chosen to advocate for young people as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Youth Ambassador in charity’s 70th anniversary year

A 20-year-old from Oldham who has learnt to believe in himself and stepped out of his comfort zone by doing The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE), wants to encourage other young people to sign up after being selected as a UK Youth Ambassador for the charity. 

Lewis Salloway joins a cohort of just 28 DofE Award holders in the charity’s 70th anniversary year, aged 16-24 from all over the UK, who will advocate for young people by sharing their experiences on key issues impacting them. Together, they will make young people’s voices heard by speaking at events, meeting key decision-makers in Parliament and beyond, and feeding into decisions to shape the direction of the DofE charity’s work. 

Lewis first heard about DofE through school and signed up to do his Bronze Award. He is currently working towards his Silver at college and hopes to do his Gold in the future.  

Speaking about his initial thoughts about doing DofE, Lewis said: “I was quite worried at first as I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like. I was excited about the achievement aspect, so I thought it was worth giving it a go and knew it would be good to have on my CV. I had camped before in France, in the rain, so I had some idea of what to expect on the expedition!” 

For his Physical section for his Bronze, Lewis tried fishing, which was a new experience for him. He said: “I chose fishing because I really enjoy being outdoors and out of the house – especially being in nature. I found it relaxing and good for my wellbeing. I also found out I was quite good at it! I caught a fair few fish which I was disappointed not to be able to keep – especially the carp!” 

Lewis really enjoyed his Skills section too. He chose to do cooking, splitting the time between school and home. Seeing it as a good skill for his future when living independently, he had support from his mum and took real enjoyment from it.  

His Skills experience helped him on his Expedition at Anglezarke in Lancashire where he did his own cooking. Speaking about his Expedition, Lewis said: “I had never put up a tent before and reading a map was another new thing, but since then I have refined this by using a compass as well. I enjoyed sleeping away from home in a teepee tent, but I had to change tents overnight as there was a large hole in it!  

“The second day was less pleasant weather – lots of rain, but I did manage to cook bacon and eggs in the morning for the team.”  

Reflecting on his overall DofE journey so far, Lewis spoke about how the DofE has helped shaped his future plans. He said: “DofE has helped me make new friends, meet new people, helped me to become more independent and gain new skills. It really has brought me out of my comfort zone. 

“I’ve also become a student council representative and became a learner voice for other students, sharing with teachers what works well in college and what could be improved. I feel this is really important as it allows students to share their views and ensures everyone has a voice.”   

“DofE helped me grow my confidence and independence”  

Speaking about what DofE means to him, Lewis said: “At the beginning of the expedition, I felt nervous and unsure as I was worried about how I would be included, but I kept going and didn’t give up. DofE helped me grow my confidence and independence. I feel more ready for the future now – it gave me a chance to show what I can do, not just what I find difficult.”  

Funded by The Gosling Foundation, the Youth Ambassador programme puts young people front and centre as future leaders, involving them in shaping the DofE’s work to benefit other young people. 

DofE Youth Ambassadors have met Ministers and MPs, spoken at high-profile events such as party conferences and DofE Gold Award celebrations in Buckingham Palace Garden, represented the DofE at international forums and played a pivotal role feeding into key decisions across the charity.  

Ashley Williams, UK Youth Engagement Manager at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’s charity, said: “Lewis 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. I am excited to see the impact that our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors will make this year. 

“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, which let them have fun, grow their resilience and self-belief, and develop vital skills they can’t always get in the classroom.  As a charity, we want to see two million young people start their DofE by Spring 2031 and help transform access to high-quality enriching activities for all young people in the UK.”  

A record-breaking number of young people started their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award across the UK in 2025-26, with over 589,000 young people actively taking part, and nearly 346,000 young people starting their Award – and participants contributing an astonishing over 6 million hours of volunteering, with an estimated total value of £45.4 million.