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Pasifika Young Person From New Zealand Is Honoured With The Diana Award
Alexia Hilbertidou, 25, fromNew Zealand, has today been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts—The Diana Award. Alexia was raised on the Hibiscus Coast in Auckland and is part Samoan.
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, HRH The Prince ofWalesand Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Alexia is the founder and CEO of ‘GirlBoss New Zealand’ - New Zealand’s largest organisation for young women. Founded when Alexia was just 16, ‘GirlBoss’ now has 17,500 members. Alexia’s mission is to get women to the table - the boardroom table that is, and she believes the decisions made while young are crucial in paving the way. Alexia has spearheaded the groundbreaking “GirlBoss Edge” programme - a 10-day careers programme that has connected 5,000 youth to over 2000 corporate mentors. GirlBoss programmes have alumni from over 400 High Schools, including in the Pacific Islands.
HRH The Prince of Wales, son of the late Diana, Princess of Wales says:
"In this special 25th anniversary year for the Diana Award, it is wonderful to see young people from across the globe being recognised. At times, the world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place, and I know many of you have had to work hard to overcome barriers to make positive change. Despite this, I am heartened to see what inspirational young people like you can achieve. I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you. I hope this award helps you to further champion your cause and support those around you. Thank you for your dedication."
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Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, says:
“We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award Recipients from across the world who are dedicating their time to making positive change. These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana Princess of Wales.We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities.”
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HOW DO YOU RECEIVE A DIANA AWARD?
Diana Award Recipients have been nominated by adults who know the young people in a professional capacity and want to recognise their efforts to make a positive contribution to society. All Diana Award Recipients have dedicated a minimum of 12 months to leading positive social change through a variety of activities from campaigning and educating, to fundraising to delivering services.
In 2024, there was over 80 volunteers representing over 30 countries, who came together in panels, read through and marked each nomination against five key criteria: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and social action journey. Each judging panel consisted of at least three judges who understand the value of young people, including one young person representative. The panels have an important main purpose: to determine which nominations will receive the Diana Award.
This year The Diana Award received over 1700 nomination submissions, making this the most competitive year yet.
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