One of 60 Commonwealth awardees to receive the Queen’s Young Leader Award at Buckingham Palace, London, England, on Tuesday, T&T national Teocah Arieal Anika Dove is preparing to launch the Phoenix Project, a programme aimed at transforming the lives of at-risk children and youth locally. Dove, a Chevening scholar with close to ten years of volunteerism, advocacy and activism experience was one of the first female recipients of this honour.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the British High Commission in T&T described the Queen’s Young Leader Award as one which recognised exceptional youth, (aged 18-29), who have shown substantial commitment and verve as a leader in community development. The award comes with a huge expectation, that the awardees would use the prestige and training package, mentoring and network endorsed by Queen Elizabeth to continue their work in communities to transform and change lives.
After receiving the award on Tuesday, Dove said she felt humbled. “It was a truly humbling experience, especially hearing my name called alongside T&T to meet the Queen to receive the award,” Dove said. She was told by Queen Elizabeth that she had been doing great work and was encouraged to keep it up.
Dove will be staying in the UK for a four-day residential programme with fellow awardees as part of her prize. The programme includes workshops at Cambridge University, meeting with top UK business leaders and visits to live-changing social action projects. She has launched The Teocah Dove Legacy Foundation.
In July, Dove will begin preparation and resource mobilisation for a project she created, entitled The Phoenix Project, an “evidence-based social intervention” aimed at transforming the lives of at-risk and vulnerable children and youth in T&T.