Derry teen told he would 'get nowhere in life' honoured with legacy award

A Derry teenager who was suspended from school on eight occasions and told he would 'go nowhere in life,' has been honoured with a Diana Legacy Award along with 19 other changemakers from around the world.

Aodhán Roberts, 19, received the accolade for overcoming personal barriers in his life and the work he has done within the community.

Taking place every two years, the Legacy Award is one of the most prestigious accolades a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.

The 20 Legacy Award recipients were chosen by an independent judging panel, chaired by Diana’s brother, Lord Spencer, who had the difficult task of selecting just 20 from a pool of exceptional individuals, already recognised for their impact on society with The Diana Award in 2020 or 2021.

Aodhán was presented with the award at an awards ceremony held at the Spencer home at Althorp House in Northamptonshire.

On receiving the award, Aodhán said: “I was overwhelmed with absolute gratitude to be accepting the Diana Legacy Award in Althorp House, presented by Lord Spencer. This is an award that means so much to me and something which will continue to help me thrive in my own work and in life. I couldn’t have done this alone.

“When I was growing up, I lived on borderline poverty, I didn't do very well in school and I went through a lot of bereavements.

“I was often told that I wouldn't get any GCSEs and I would get nowhere in life - now I'm getting opportunities like this, being regularly successful in funding applications and study at university.

“I would like to use this as a push for myself to keep inspiring the creativity and motivation in other young people.”

In addition to the award, Aodhán has access to a unique two-year development programme on which he will be paired with a mentor from Gilead Sciences, who are also the title sponsor of the awards.

The programme aims to provide them with the opportunity to enhance their skills in four key areas - leadership, community development, social entrepreneur- ship and technology.

Following the shooting dead of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry in April 2019, Aodhán set up the social media page ‘Derry Footage’ to share stories and encourage other young people to speak up against wrongdoings.

Despite having struggled in mainstream schooling, eventually being withdrawn from mainstream education after 70 referrals and eight suspensions, Aodhán overcame his problems and still managed to achieve nine GCSEs.
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hen, Aodhán lost his grandmother, his mother’s partner and his own mother in just a few months.

At the age of 17, he found himself on his own, with no legal guardian or financial stability.

But he refused to let these tragedies crush him. It was while studying creative media in college that he created ‘Derry Footage’ that gave him a chance to create a sense of community and togetherness in Derry and share untold stories that deserved greater attention.

He released the short film ‘Impairment’ to bring attention to the recurrent problem of drink-driving and was shortlisted in several film festivals.

Last year, he released ‘Overcoming Adversity as a Community’ which showcased the unique sense of community in Derry and how we can pull together during times of crisis.

His photography series covering the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Derry was also shared by mainstream media outlets such as the BBC.