AN ‘inspirational’ 17-year-old has been recognised by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and a host of celebrities for his innovation and creativity at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) charity’s This is Youth celebration.

Joshua Ellicott from Bodmin, was selected as winner of the Innovator of the Year category, supported by AVEVA, for the upcycled, sustainable clothing range that he initially created for his Gold DofE expedition. His creativity and passion for accessibility and sustainability which were evident in his designs were among the reasons why category judges Fats Timbo and DofE Youth Ambassador Erin, selected him.

Joshua, who is currently doing his Gold DofE at Bodmin College, was celebrated alongside six other This is Youth winners at a star-studded event hosted by The Duke at Buckingham Palace, shared his story and afternoon tea with His Royal Highness and This is Youth celebrity judges.

Now in its second year, This is Youth recognises the amazing stories behind The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, its half a million participants and nearly 40,000 volunteers celebrating the astonishing things young people achieve and the remarkable dedication of the adults who support them. .

Commenting on his win, Joshua said: “It felt really good to be recognised as Innovator of the Year. Anything that is a fabric I will take apart and reuse it – as long as I can put a needle through it. I think it's important that the clothing I make is all sustainable because this fabric already exists, but it's not being used, and if it's not being used, it’s often going straight in the bin.”

“The coats I make are really unique and absolutely no one else is going to have the same one – you can never recreate it. Wearing my own coat out for the first time after I made it myself was very rewarding.”