Young Ambassadors and Shipshape Awards Winners Programme

Lions Young Ambassadors and Shipshape Award

Contact details

Supporting exceptional young people

The Lions Young Ambassadors programme recognises, encourages, and supports young people (age 15-18) who are actively involved in helping others.

The competition operates throughout Europe and enables individual Lions, Leo, or Lioness clubs to select and sponsor a candidate as their Young Ambassador. Successful candidates progress through a series of levels – club, zone, region, and district – culminating in the final for Lions Clubs International British Isles (MD105) and an opportunity to participate in the European final.

Shipshape Award

Since 2000, all candidates for the Lions Young Ambassador Award are eligible for the Shipshape Award, (except the Young Ambassador chosen to represent MD105). The award is presented to a Young Ambassador who demonstrates a particularly strong personal commitment and enthusiasm for their community work. The Lions Clubs Young Ambassador Shipshape Award provides a life-changing adventure at sea for one of the Young Ambassador finalists. Its purpose is for the recipient to develop their leadership skills by joining a crew of young people with a range of abilities aboard one of the ships.

Finding Young Ambassadors

Young people who share Lions Clubs’ community service ethos can be found through schools, youth organisations, coverage in media/social media, or participating in Lions Young Leaders in Service initiative.

In previous years, entrants in the Young Ambassador competition have been involved in helping young and older people, as well as those who are disabled or disadvantaged. They have organised projects in conservation, crime prevention, promoting healthier lifestyles, hospital radio, and many other similar community initiatives.

To be eligible, candidates must have reached their 15th birthday, but not their 19th birthday, on or before 30 June in the year in which the MD Final is to be held.

Young Ambassador District Awards

The winner of each district final holds the post of District Young Ambassador for 12 months. They are eligible to attend the MD105 Young Ambassador final, where they will receive a £500 bursary, to be used for welfare work on their chosen projects, or training to help them in this work.

More information

Clubs interested in supporting a young person in the competition should get in touch initially with their Young Ambassador District Officer. You can also click below to download:

Questions may also be directed to the MD105 Young Ambassador Officer, Lion Sally Marsh by email: lionsallymarsh@gmail.com

Lions Clubs International (MD105) British Isles Award

The overall winner of the Young Ambassador competition for Lions Clubs International – British Isles, is awarded a further £1,000 bursary, and a trophy.

In addition, the MD Youth Trust will pay expenses enabling the MD105 Young Ambassador to:

• Address the MD105 Convention.
• Attend the MD International Youth Centre.
• Participate in the European final.
• Support the Young Ambassadors the following year.
• Provide an update of their experiences during the year to Lions members at the MD105 Convention in 2024.

Young Ambassador finals were held over the weekend 16-18 February 2024

Exceptional young people were chosen as Young Ambassadors to represent their Lions districts in the National Lions Young Ambassador Award and Shipshape Award. They all shared a Lions Clubs community ethos.

Previous winners

Young Ambassadors have diverse backgrounds and interests. Further information about the programme can be read in the LION magazine Summer 2020

Here we profile two previous MD105 Young Ambassador winners.

Previous Young Ambassador Winners

Young Ambassador Winner  2023 – Isobel Hallworth  –  District 105SE

Isobel is a 17 year old working to tackle period poverty in her local area. Isobel works with friends to collect and redistribute period products, as well as run a social media campaign to tackle the stigma associated with periods. The project, Brighton Period Project, has been running for 18 months and has been received warmly by those in Isobel’s community. She is ambitious to widen donations from a one of basis to a monthly scheme which allows those in period poverty to have the liberty and dignity to choose the period product they need, when they need them. Enthusiasm to make change and to talk about what is silenced drives Isobel and Brighton Period Project. Sponsored by Newhaven, Peacehaven & Seahaven Lions Club.

Shipshape Award Winner 2023 – Iman Darr – District 105A

17 year old IT student Iman helped distribute over 10 tons of food and drink weekly throughout East London and Essex during COVID-19. With the Serving Humanity Foundation Food Bank he volunteered every Saturday afternoon shadowing senior leaders, and supporting our new volunteers. Iman helped make food parcels for immediate delivery, assist with technical admin, and sort and organise food stock. Iman is involved with the Community Kitchen, every last Sunday of the month serving hot drinks and meals to members of the community experiencing isolation and loneliness. Iman mentors a young boy of 15 in his neighbourhood, talking and playing football. Sponsored by Letchworth Garden City and Baldock Lions Club.

Ashton was chosen to represent Lions Clubs of the British Isles at the European Finals in Austria 2023

Ashton Fulcher – District 105CE

Ashton is 15 and has been raising money for children’s charities for 3 years. He began making items such as bird boxes from wooden pallets, selling them to friends and neighbours. Initially Ashton used an old gazebo for shelter and started making items for Easter, Halloween and Christmas such as the popular Christmas trees.  When Ashton’s uncle passed away from Muscular Dystrophy, he wanted to do something in his memory. A social media page was created to increase sales, and Pallet Teen was born. Ashton was able to increase his productivity when donated a shed and could raise more money for charities including GeeWizz Charity, The Bumblebee Charity and East Anglian Children’s Hospice. Following a school cake sale for McMillan Cancer Ashton decided to double the money raised by donating £100. Ashton is a keen footballer, an army cadet, and a musician, playing bass guitar and drums in school performances. Sponsored by New Century East Anglia Lions Club.