Preston teen calls on politicians to back an ‘Enrichment Guarantee’ at Conservative Party Conference
The 19-year-old was a panellist at an event hosted by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity
- Evie Ball, from Preston, shared her views and experiences on the issues that matter most to young people at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
- The 19-year-old Duke of Edinburgh’s Award UK Youth Ambassador, participated in a lively discussion, calling on party members to back an Enrichment Guarantee – access to 80 hours of high-quality enrichment for all young people.
- Pledge your support for an Enrichment Guarantee by signing the petition today: www.change.org/BackEnrichment
Monday 6 October: Evie Ball from Preston, has called on politicians to show their support for young people by backing an Enrichment Guarantee – at a Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) event, held at the Conservative Party Conference this week.
The 19-year-old DofE UK Youth Ambassador joined the Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, Louie French MP, Damian Hinds, MP for East Hampshire and DofE CEO, Ruth Marvel OBE as a panellist at the DofE charity’s event in Manchester on Monday 6 October.
During the event which explored how enrichment can strengthen young people’s connection to the community, party members were called to back universal access to 80 hours of high-quality enrichment for young people each year, as part of the Government’s upcoming National Youth Strategy.
The call comes as the DofE charity launches a petition ahead of the National Youth Strategy being published this Autumn – with universal access to activities like sports and art clubs, public speaking and adventures away from home, signatories will be supporting young people’s social and personal development whilst, building essential skills for life and work.
Evie, who has Cerebral Palsy and a visual impairment, wants to inspire the next generation of young people with physical disabilities. Commenting on her involvement at the Conservative Party Conference, Evie, 19, from Preston, a Gold Award holder, said: “I want to make the most of this wonderful opportunity by using this platform to have meaningful conversations with stakeholders and decision makers. I want to highlight the benefits of the DofE for young people and the importance of extracurricular activities both in and out of educational settings for able bodied and those with both visible and non-visible disabilities.”
For her Gold DofE, Evie inspired others through her Volunteering section, taking on a leadership role at her local dance group. She worked with people aged 10 to 50 and loved supporting them to believe in themselves. She has honed her public speaking skills through the Skills section and has made a positive impact on a local, regional and national level, working on various advisory boards in the NHS, Youth Focus North West and National Children’s Bureau.
Evie, who became a DofE Youth Ambassador this summer, said: “Being in a wheelchair since I was very young, I have come to appreciate the different challenges that this presents. I saw the DofE programme as a chance to show the world that I’m not just a girl in a wheelchair, but someone who can achieve anything in life that they set out to do. The world has a way of defining people that are different, and this dictates how they are viewed in society. I want to change these perceptions and enable people to look passed the disability and focus on the individual developing a more inclusive society.”
Evie was one of three DofE UK Youth Ambassadors to attend the Conservative Party Conference. The DofE charity also has a presence at this year’s Liberal Democrat and Labour party conferences, giving young people a platform to share their insights and experiences with high-level decision makers and have their say on the issues that matter most to them.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Access to positive activities and experiences outside of the classroom, like the DofE, boost confidence and resilience, bring communities together and build essential life skills that set young people up for the future – we see it every day here at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
“With rising mental health issues, disruption to education and deepening inequalities, access to high-quality enrichment opportunities has never been so important. That’s why, together with our UK Youth Ambassadors, we’re attending this year’s party conference events and urging decision makers to back young people by pledging their support for an Enrichment Guarantee as part of the National Youth Strategy.”
The DofE has helped millions of young people build essential skills, resilience and lifelong self-belief since it was established nearly 70 years ago.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wants to support 1.6 million young people by Spring 2026 to start a lifechanging DofE Award, with a focus on reaching those experiencing poverty, those with additional needs and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
An enrichment guarantee will ensure universal access to high quality non-formal learning opportunities. Support our call to back young people by signing our petition today: www.change.org/BackEnrichment