HRH The Queen to honour high achievers from the Commonwealth at Young Leaders Awards

Her Majesty The Queen will present the inaugural Queen's Young Leaders Awards to exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth, at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 22<sup>nd June.

The award winners, aged 18-29, have been recognised by The Queen for taking the lead in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities.

The winners will receive a unique package of training, mentoring and networking, including a one-week residential programme in the UK in association with Cabridge University. Before receiving their awards at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, they will meet Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street. They will then visit the UK headquarters of global social networking company Twitter and meet with senior executives at the BBC World Service.

With this support, award winners will be expected to continue and develop the amazing work they are already doing in their communities to raise awareness and inspire change in areas of education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.

Dr Astrd Bonfield, Chief Executive of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said: "We are very much looking forward to welcoming the first Queen's Young Leaders to London on 22<sup>nd, for may of whom it will be their first visit to the UK. It will be such an honour to witness these exceptional young people receiving their awards from Her Majesty The Queen for their incredible work in their countries and across the Commonwealth."

The Queen's Young Leaders Programme is an initiative established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society in recognition of The Queen's lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

The awards were launched by The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who used social media to help spread the message that #TheSearchIsOn, calling on young people from across the Commonwealth to apply, or be nominated for the opportunity to become a Queen's Young Leader.

Follow @QueensLeaders on Twitter and go to www.queensyoungleaders.com for more information about the Programme and to apply or nominate someone for a 2016 award.

Applications to become a 2016 Queen's Young Leader will open on 22nd June.