Rianna Patterson, has been selected to receive the 2022 Diana Award for her commitments to Dementia.
Kent Alumni Rianna Patterson, social entrepreneur and founder of the Dominica Dementia Foundation has been selected to receive the 2022 Diana Award for her commitments to Dementia.
The Diana Award was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, to recognise young people aged 9 – 25 for going above and beyond in their daily lives to create and sustain positive change.
Rianna Patterson is an advocate for young people and adults with mental health conditions, using her platform to advocate for global mental health. She works closely with care homes in Dominica to improve the quality of life for older people on the island.
Rianna founded the Dominican Dementia Foundation – a youth led dementia charity in memory of her grandfather. The foundation supports families and caretakers affected by dementia.
As a personal development coach, Rianna delivers workshops to students and purpose-led employees, presents keynote speeches to influence social change and is currently working on producing a documentary film on a dementia in the Caribbean.
This year’s Diana Award recipients will virtually celebrate the achievement of young visionaries and leaders from across the world at their global awards ceremony.
‘It’s truly an honour to represent Dominica and the Caribbean in this cohort.’ Rianna expressed. ‘I’m extremely humbled that the team at the Diana Award recognised the important work that we do at the dementia foundation. I dedicate this award to everyone fighting for this cause. I hope that this accolade inspires a young person with big dreams, it is all possible with faith. Believe in your capabilities, invite other people along the journey. Life isn’t easy so it is up to us to change the game for ourselves and our communities. We have a duty to make this world liveable for all.’
The virtual ceremony on July 1st saw support from a host of celebrities and surprise guests to honour young people for their social action of humanitarian work around the world. Watch here.