Chief Executive Diane Vernon Invested at Windsor Castle
Our Chief Executive, Diane Vernon, was in attendance at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, 7 March, to officially receive her MBE medal from the Prince of Wales.
The honour, awarded for Services to Disadvantaged Young People, marks the culmination of decades of work raising aspirations and encouraging career-focused opportunities, including the formation of EmployabilityUK.
The ceremony took place in the Grand Reception Room, where Di had the opportunity to discuss the role EmployabilityUK plays in nurturing young people with Prince William.
The Prince was interested to hear how the charity achieves results in communities, particularly the unique combination of in-person, online and hybrid delivery, and continued growth and progress in the face of recent challenges such as the pandemic.
Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Diane said: “It was a truly unique and fantastic experience to be recognised in this way. Speaking to Prince William about what EmployabilityUK has achieved thus far will surely inspire the charity to further success in 2023 and beyond, not least with the launch of our most ambitious yet powerful initiative yet, later this year.”
While personal recognition of her achievements was a marvellous honour, Di was keen to emphasise the influence the work undertaken by everyone from EmployabilityUK has had on enabling her to reach this point.
“I am passionate about ensuring that young people not only have the opportunity to fulfil their ambitions but that they are aware that these opportunities exist, regardless of their circumstances.
“EmployabilityUK’s continued success in making this a reality is due not only to my efforts but to the work of the hundreds of individuals that have directly supported us over the years.
“It was a privilege to be invited to collect my MBE in person, but the volunteers that have helped make one individual’s ambitious vision a reality, and continue to do so, were very much foremost in my thoughts throughout the day.”
The presence of Brand & Media Advisor Nigel Vernon and Creative Director Nik Kendall further bolstered EmployabilityUK’s representation in Windsor.
It was a uniquely memorable day for all in attendance, but thoughts quickly turned to continuing the work that brought the charity to where it is today.
2023 is the year of collaboration, and EmployabilityUK wants to work with more schools, colleges, volunteers and businesses than ever before. If you would like to learn more about what we do or how we can work together to inspire record numbers of young people, please get in touch!
