British Indian Medical Association Awarded The Diana Award 2024

OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSON IN UK RECEIVES AWARD IN MEMORY OF DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES 

Young person from the United Kingdom is honoured with the Diana Award for going above and beyond in their daily life to create and sustain positive change. 

Harroop Singh Bola, 23, from London, England, has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts—the Diana Award. 

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex. 

The British Indian Medical Association (BIMA) was founded in 2020 to address the critical need for mentorship and support among British Indian medical students.

'While access to medical school has improved through widening participation initiatives, the systemic challenges remain; opportunities within medicine often favour those with access to high-quality mentorship. With approximately one-third of medical students coming from medical families and competition for training posts increasing annually, mentorship has become an invaluable asset. For individuals like me, navigating the complexities of a medical career and building a competitive portfolio without prior insight into the profession can feel overwhelming' - Harroop Bola

In response to this, during the height of the pandemic, we founded the British Indian Medical Association to foster a sense of community, leveraging collective support to bridge these gaps.

Since 2019, the organisation has delivered over 275 events to a global audience of more than 7,500 individuals and mentored over 300 students. From collaborating with the General Medical Council to support international medical graduates transitioning to the UK, to partnering with Wesleyan for financial education, and leading cancer awareness campaigns within the South Asian community alongside the Asian Cancer Support Group, we remain committed to creating opportunities and empowering the next generation of changemakers within the NHS.

This recognition is a testament to the tireless efforts of our team. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my colleagues Dr. Amar Rai and Virensinh Rathod for their exceptional contributions, as well as past and current committee members who have played a pivotal role in BIMA’s success. Together, we will continue to inspire, support, and empower future generations in medicine.

---------- 

Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, says: 

“We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award Recipients from across the world who are dedicating their time to making positive change. These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana Princess of Wales. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities.” 

--------- 

HOW DO YOU RECEIVE A DIANA AWARD? 

Diana Award Recipients have been nominated by adults who know the young people in a professional capacity and want to recognise their efforts to make a positive contribution to society. All Diana Award Recipients have dedicated a minimum of 12 months to leading positive social change through a variety of activities from campaigning and educating, to fundraising to delivering services. 

In 2024, there were over 80 volunteers representing over 30 countries, who came together in panels, read through and marked each nomination against five key criteria: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and social action journey. Each judging panel consisted of at least three judges who understand the value of young people, including one young person representative. The panels have an important main purpose: to determine which nominations will receive the Diana Award. 

This year The Diana Award received over 1700 nomination submissions, making this the most competitive year yet.