A young Kirkham man has received a prestigious award after organising a campaign that aims to change society’s perceptions of stammering.

Jack Dinsley, 21, has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts, The Diana Award.

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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 her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. 

Drawing inspiration from his personal experiences of having a stammer, Jack’s ‘Be Kind’ campaign aims to change how people perceive others with communication difficulties.

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Jack, who has grown into a confident and inspiring speaker, has promoted stammer awareness through news articles, appearances on BBC radio, and presentations at local schools. He is actively pursuing a career in journalism and TV production.

His efforts will make a difference in how society views individuals who communicate differently, and his campaign continues to grow in support.

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Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, said: “We congratulate all our new Diana Award recipients from the UK, and all over the globe, who are pioneers for their generation.

“By receiving this honour, they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their journey as active citizens. For over twenty years, The Diana Award has valued and invested in young people, encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and the lives of others.” 

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Selected by adults who know the winners in a professional capacity, the award recipients have made a positive contribution to society.

The recipients demonstrated impact in five key areas: vision, social, inspiring others, youth leadership, and service journey.

There are 12 Diana Award judging panels representing each UK region or nation and three panels representing countries outside the UK. Each panel consist of three judges; one young person, an education or youth work professional, and a business or government representative.

The panels determine which nominations from each UK region/nation/country will receive The Diana Award and judged them using the criteria and scoring guides created to measure the quality of youth social action.