Essex teen calls on politicians to back an ‘Enrichment Guarantee’ at Liberal Democrat Party Conference

Saieesha Bailour, from Basildon, Essex, called on leading Liberal Democrats to back an Enrichment Guarantee – 80 hours of high-quality enrichment for all young people

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Youth Ambassador had a lively discussion with the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP for North East Fife

Pledge your support for an Enrichment Guarantee by signing the petition today: www.change.org/BackEnrichment

Saieesha Bailour from Essex, called on leading Liberal Democrats to show their support for young people by backing an Enrichment Guarantee – during a panel event she hosted at this week’s Liberal Democrat Party Conference.

The 19-year-old aspiring politician, who is a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) UK Youth Ambassador, attended an event introduced with a speech by Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, where she quizzed the Chief Whip, Wendy Chamberlain MP, at a panel event at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth on Monday 22 September. Saieesha called on the party to back universal access to 80 hours of high-quality enrichment for young people each year, as part of the Government’s upcoming National Youth Strategy.

The DofE charity, a global leader in young people’s personal development, is urging politicians from all parties to get behind the call by signing its petition ahead of the National Youth Strategy being published this Autumn – with universal access to activities like sports and art clubs, public speaking and adventures away from home, they will be supporting young people’s social and personal development whilst building essential skills for life and work.

During the interview, Saieesha, who hopes to pursue a career in politics to generate positive change, asked Chief Whip and DofE Gold Award holder Wendy Chamberlain MP, “How has enrichment shaped your own life?”

At which the Chief Whip recalled her own Duke of Edinburgh’s Award experience, saying: “I completed my Gold DofE when I was at school – from a Scottish perspective, it’s much more straightforward to do your hike, because there’s a lot of places to go – but if I look at the other things that I did, like sport and fitness, they are still really important to me today.”

Commenting on her involvement at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference, Saieesha Bailour, 19, from Basildon, Essex, who is working towards her Gold Award with Westcliff High School for Girls, said:

“I have always had a passion for politics so being able to take part in party conference is not only a dream of mine but an opportunity to be able to represent youth voices and express my views directly to those making change.

“The DofE has allowed me to create new experiences for myself, pushing me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to create amazing memories. Most importantly, it has led me to the role of DofE Youth Ambassador which allows me to attend events like party conference - helping me to pursue my passion as a young person looking to get into politics.”

A committed RAF Air Cadet, Saieesha supports younger cadets at her local Air Training Corps and is learning new skills such as air navigation, air frames and rocketry to support her Gold Volunteering and Skills sections. For her Physical section, Saieesha is strengthening her connection to her culture with Bharatanatyam – a classical form of Indian dance.

Saieesha, who was named a DofE UK Youth Ambassador this summer, was one of three DofE Youth Ambassadors to attend the Liberal Democrat Party Conference. The DofE charity also has a presence at this year’s Labour and Conservative party conferences, giving young people a platform to share their insights and experiences with high-level decision makers and have their say on the issues that matter most to them.

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Access to positive activities and experiences outside of the classroom, like the DofE, boost confidence and resilience, bring communities together and build essential life skills that set young people up for the future – we see it every day here at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

“With rising mental health issues, disruption to education and deepening inequalities, access to high-quality enrichment opportunities has never been so important. That’s why, together with our UK Youth Ambassadors, we’re attending this year’s party conference events and urging decision makers to back young people by pledging their support for an Enrichment Guarantee as part of the National Youth Strategy.”

The DofE has helped millions of young people build essential skills, resilience and lifelong self-belief since it was established nearly 70 years ago. Young people who take part in the DofE experience positive impacts on their wellbeing, skills development, community ties and physical activity levels*.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wants to support 1.6 million young people by Spring 2026 to start a lifechanging DofE Award, with a focus on reaching those experiencing poverty, those with additional needs and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

An enrichment guarantee will ensure universal access to high quality non-formal learning opportunities. Support our call to back young people by signing our petition today: www.change.org/BackEnrichment