Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has recognised Chelsea Foster, representing St Lucia, as the 73rd Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of her exceptional voluntary service leading mentoring programmes for disadvantaged girls.
Chelsea Foster is the founder of ‘Girls of A Feather’, a non-profit organisation that aims to empower young women and girls. Since launching the organisation in 2013 when she was just 17 years old, she has encouraged girls aged 10-18 to discuss the issues that affect them most, including gender based violence, economic empowerment, and reproductive health. During their nine-month placements on her flagship ‘Girls with Goals’ mentoring programme, the girls are paired up with trained mentors who aim to boost their self-esteem. Chelsea also leads projects such as digital skills workshops, recruitment fairs, and tutoring sessions, where the attendee’s accomplishments are celebrated and shared. The St Lucia Government recently named Chelsea ‘Youth of the Year’ for her work supporting disadvantaged girls.
As part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London 2018, Her Majesty The Queen – as Head of the Commonwealth – is thanking inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference they are making in their communities and beyond, by recognising one volunteer from each Commonwealth country each week in the two years following the summit.
By sharing these stories of service, the Commonwealth Points of Light awards celebrate inspirational acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make their own contribution to tackling some of the greatest social challenges of our time.
Chelsea Foster receives a personalised certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen.
