G abby Tan: D iana Award
Gabby received a prestigious Diana Award
in July 2019. The Diana Award is the most
significant accolade a young person aged
9-25 years can receive for their social action
or humanitarian work.
I first started advocating for educational equality
six years ago when I learned about the plight of
refugee youth in Malaysia who have no access to
formal education. This led to me work with a range
of local groups before branching out and creating a
supplementary arts curriculum for refugee students
that is endorsed by UNHCR Malaysia. I also started
fundraising to provide centres with food necessities,
classroom fittings and school supplies.
A couple of years down the line, I also started fighting
for healthy oceans and a liveable, just climate after
witnessing the first-hand impacts of climate injustice,
plastic pollution and coral destruction on people and
our planet during a Geography trip. From speaking
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to a hall of primary school students while dressed in
a Dory costume to creating educational resources
for schools and coordinating a range of awareness
campaigns, I’ve strived to inspire change through
education.
Since joining Sevenoaks in 2018, I have relished
the challenges and opportunities of living in a new
country. I’ve represented the World Oceans Day Youth
Advisory Council at TEDxVicenza and EurOCEAN,
worked with the Town Council on an initiative to
rethink plastic, campaigned for climate justice with
UKSCN, and helped provide academic support for
asylum-seekers at the WLS drop-in.
The Diana Award recognises youth for their social
action or humanitarian work and was established in
memory of Princess Diana’s belief that young people
have the power to change the world. This year I was
honoured to be invited to the House of Lords to
accept a 2019 Diana Award. I’ve had such a great time
thus far and look forward to continue embodying
Princess Diana’s qualities of kindness and compassion
in all that I do.
Gabby Tan, Lower Sixth
SERVICE AND SOCIAL IMPACT