The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) is delighted to launch the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards, a landmark programme to celebrate the enduring legacy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her lifelong commitment to empowering young people across the Commonwealth.

Building on the inspiration of the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards, this new initiative will recognise 100 exceptional changemakers from across the 56 Commonwealth countries who are driving positive change in their communities. These Awards mark what would have been Her Majesty’s 100th birthday in April 2026, honouring her dedication to youth leadership, service, and innovation.

Applications are now open until 8th October 2025. We encourage all young leaders who are making an impact – whether through education and employability, environment, health, food and agriculture, and inclusion – to step forward and apply for this prestigious recognition.

For more information and to apply, please visit: https://www.queenscommonwealthtrust.org/100yla

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The Hauwa Ojeifo’s Global Impact Fund for Women and Girls, supported by its lead sponsor Melinda French Gates, in partnership with The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) will support the health and wellbeing of women and girls in the global South. This fund is part of a bold initiative to invest in young leaders and community-rooted solutions that address systemic challenges around access, equity, and care.

The $250,000 Global Fund marks a significant milestone for QECT and the communities we serve, enabling us to expand support for youth-led organisations advancing inclusive healthcare for women and girls across the Global South.

At the heart of this initiative is Hauwa Ojeifo, a leading voice in global health equity and mental health advocacy. Selected by Melinda French Gates through Pivotal Ventures as one of 12 Global Young Women Leaders entrusted each with advising a $20 million portfolio, Hauwa continues to lead with purpose, proximity, and vision.

“Commonwealth countries have such a vibrant young population; a melting pot of innovation, audacious solutions and urgency. Young people have always had answers to the big questions and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. It is my hope that this grant equips them with the resources to reach their next big milestone in making change,”said Hauwa Ojeifo.

by:
Hassan Mujtaba Zaidi | The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust is delighted to announce its new name: The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT), a change that honours the extraordinary legacy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on request of His Majesty The King and Buckingham Palace.

This name change is more than symbolic – it reaffirms our mission to support young leaders across the Commonwealth who are driving positive, lasting change in their communities. Her late Majesty was a lifelong champion of the Commonwealth and a passionate advocate for its young people. By carrying her name forward, we pay tribute to her firm belief in the power of youth to shape a better future.

We are deeply honoured that His Majesty The King is guiding QECT into this next chapter as our honourable Patron. His continued support underscores the enduring importance of our work and the relevance of our mission in today’s world.

As The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust, we remain committed to empowering young changemakers with the tools, networks, and opportunities they need to create a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive future – true to the vision of Her late Majesty.

While our name has changed to The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT), our social media handles remain the same for your convenience. However, the display name on all our social media platforms has been updated to reflect our new identity. We invite you to continue following and engaging with us as we move forward under this name, staying true to our mission and the legacy of Her late Majesty.

#QECT #QueenElizabethIICommonwealthTrust #YoungLeaders #SocialChange

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust is delighted to announce the honour and privilege that
His Majesty, King Charles III has accepted to become our Patron.
Buckingham Palace have written to us to share the news to mark the first Anniversary of Their
Majesties’ Coronation.

His Majesty has always believed in the Commonwealth as a strong, positive, uniting force for
good across the world and in its young people as drivers of change for the better.
At this year’s Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration during his message the King said:
“The Commonwealth, above all, retains a particular focus on our young
people, who make up two-thirds of the entire Commonwealth population.
Whether in Kenya or Malaysia, Vanuatu or Dominica, Malta, or Canada, I
never cease to be impressed by their creativity, innovative skills, and hard
work, often in the most challenging circumstances. Their energy is
transforming approaches to development, technology and preserving and
restoring Nature and will, I hope, help to shape, and safeguard our
common future.”
 
Through its active and dynamic network of 850+ young leaders around the world, The
Queen’s Commonwealth Trust exists to support young people who are
transforming their communities in the Commonwealth. The Trust helps them grow their work, share ideas and solutions, and so support more and more people.
 
Stephen Ball, Chair of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust , said “To have His Majesty The King as
our Patron is an enormous honour and privilege. To have his Majesty’s support as we
continue our work with and for young people will be an inspiration to us all. “

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In the coming days, as thoughts turn to when the world lost an extraordinary leader – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – we will be both commemorating and celebrating her incredible personal investment in the Commonwealth and its young people. Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) broadcasted a message where she dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth. We cannot say it better than she did: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” 

We are eternally grateful for her unending belief in the young people of the Commonwealth. Her memory inspires us every single day and we look to the future with hope and optimism.

A year after the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we continue to remember her selfless service and how she personally directed the establishment of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trustin her 90^th year to support young changemakers building a better future for their communities. 

Through The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust , we support young changemakers making a positive difference on climate, education, employment, and health & wellbeing in communities. We provide funding and practical advice and support, as well as a Network of over 850 young changemakers from across the 56 countries in the Commonwealth. 

We are proud to continue supporting the young leaders of the Commonwealth in her memory and helping them to make a real and positive impact in their communities. 

Please join us to continue Her Majesty’s legacy. 

Click here for ways to get involved.

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On July 26th, 2023, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) hosted its first-ever QCT Youth Assembly (YGA) with the theme “Collaborating for Change.” The virtual event brought together QCT Network members from various regions of the Commonwealth who were committed to inspiring, engaging, connecting, and collaborating to make a positive impact.

During the assembly, the QCT Network team led attendees through various aspects of the QCT Network hub, with keynote speaker Helen Baxter, QCT’s Director of Operations and Finance, encouraging members to use the platform to collaborate and create a greater impact. 

Representatives from different chapters shared successful collaborations and experiences, while thematic breakout rooms tackled challenges faced by members and encouraged the exploration of potential pathways for enhanced connections and engagement. 

Participants actively engaged in the proceedings, offering feedback that resulted in the change of the event’s name from QCT Youth General Assembly to QCT Youth Assembly, reflecting the focus of building a cohesive movement driven by the passion and vision of QCT’s young leaders for a better future.

The event concluded with a question and answer session, and the announcement of the date for the next QCT Youth Assembly will be shared on the QCT Network hub to keep members informed about future opportunities to further their impactful initiatives. The inaugural QCT Youth General Assembly served as a dynamic platform that showcased the power of collaboration and reinforced the commitment of QCT and its network members to effect positive change within the Commonwealth and beyond. 

The QCT Youth Assembly will be held quarterly to continue building a movement for a better future led by QCT’s young leaders.

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Through our signature Youth Ventures Programme (YVP), we provide youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and support, and a vibrant network to help them transform their communities. Our support is tailored towards helping the organisations become stronger, leading to greater impact for their communities. This support is across the areas of agriculture & food, education & employability, environment, health, and inclusion. 

Since launching the YVP in 2020, we have so far supported 25 youth-led organisations with flexible funding and tailored support for 2+ years. This has helped the organisations become more sustainable and resilient, enabling them to provide lasting solutions and impact to local problems in their communities. 

We are delighted to announce the enrolment of the following four youth organisations into the YVP in 2023.  

Grow your Reader Foundation who are improving access to quality of education for underserved children in Bangladesh. 

Native Discovery who are enhancing the livelihoods of indigenous Orang Asli communities displaced from their ancestral land. 

Vceela who are empowering artisans across Pakistan by connecting them to local and international markets. 

Wreetu Health and Wellbeing Foundation who are providing access to menstrual health education and affordable period products for girls and women in Bangladesh. 

Through the YVP, QCT will provide flexible funding of up to £20,000 per year for two years as well as practical tools and support to ensure long-term success and impact. In addition, the young leaders will be connected to a global network of like-minded social entrepreneurs to share learnings and ideas for sustained positive social impact. 

Click here to read more about the organisations we support.  

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These country chapters are a unique opportunity to identify, encourage and connect unseen and unheard young leaders for collective action and change in their communities. 

The launch was held at the Oasis Mathare‘s centre in Nairobi Kenya and was hosted by Douglas Mwangi, who is the founder of Oasis Mathare and the chair of QCT Network’s country chapter in Kenya. Douglas introduced the chapter as a great opportunity for the young leaders present to share about their initiatives, learn and collaborate with one another.

“The QCT country chapter is a great opportunity for us to share, learn and collaborate. This is also a great opportunity for us as young leaders in Kenya to learn and collaborate with others in the Commonwealth that the QCT Network gives us access to. I encourage to continue being actively involved in our activities.” Douglas Mwangi, chair of the Kenyan country chapter. 

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The Trinbagonian chapter is currently being chaired by Benedict Bryan and co-Chaired by Kurba Maria Quetelle. Speaking during this launch, Benedict Bryan said,

“We believe this chapter will enable on the ground support to young leaders in Trinbago and provide greater opportunities for peer learning and collaboration across organisations, in-country and across the region.”  

Benedict Bryan, chair of the Trinbago country chapter speaking during this launch

“QCT Network members are helping to transform their communities across the Commonwealth, and the Year of Youth is an excellent reminder of the change that young people can make for the benefit of society, and the need for us all to support them.”

Chris Kelly, Chief Executive of QCT

On behalf of QCT, Benedict Bryan joined in celebrating 2023 as the Commonwealth year of the youth and expressed QCT’s pledge to remain devoted to supporting the work of young leaders across the Commonwealth. QCT further extended congratulations to Trinbago on a successful bid to host the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.  

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The launch event was attended by Andrew Dalgleish, the Acting British High Commissioner as a Chief Guest, who praised QCT for its efforts in supporting young people across the Commonwealth. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving meaningful change between QCT and the British High Commission Pakistan.

“QCT Network members are helping to transform their communities across the Commonwealth. The launch of this country chapter in Pakistan is an excellent reminder of the change that young people can make for the benefit of society, and the need for us all to support them.”

Chris Kelly, Chief Executive of QCT

“I am delighted to be here in Pakistan for the launch of one of the first QCT Network Country Chapters. I hope it provides many opportunities for young leaders to collaborate and further QCT’s vision of communities transformed by young leaders.”

Helen Baxter, Head of Operations and Finance, speaking at the event

“QCT is proud to launch its Pakistan Chapter, and we are excited to work with exceptional leaders who are committed to making a positive impact in their communities. We believe that by collaborating with these leaders, we can build a brighter future for young people in Pakistan and across the Commonwealth via collaborations and increased engagements.”

Mujtaba Zaidi, the founding chair of QCT Pakistan Chapter

QCT also used the occasion to introduce its Co-Chair, Syed Kashf Ahmed, an exceptional young leader, and also introduced 12 others tremendous QCT young leaders from Pakistan, who shared their stories of how they are making a difference in their communities. 

The launch of the QCT Pakistan Chapter comes at a time when there is a growing need to support young people in Pakistan, who face numerous challenges, including poverty, lack of education, and limited access to opportunities. By working with exceptional leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities, the QCT hopes to empower young people to realise their potential and make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those around them.

For more information on QCT Network’s Pakistan Chapter, please contact: Mujtaba Zaidi on connect@QCT.org.uk

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