'I would just cry': Bullied Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipient from Leeds aiming to make the world a better place

Lira Lewis, who has dyslexia and dyspraxia, faced bullying at school but saw her confidence grow after taking on the scheme’s challenges.

Now 21, Lira has overcome a number of challenges in her life and now studies Marine Biology at Bangor University in North Wales.

"I remember the first time a teacher noticed that there was something wrong, I was about five, she asked me to read something and I couldn't, I just couldn't process the words." she explained.

"I struggled to communicate with people so I couldn't understand people sometimes when they spoke to me or my mum would have to give me instructions one at a time."

Dyslexia is a processing disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words.

Such was the severity of the disorder, Lira saw herself written off by many but with the help of her mum she refused to give up.

"My mum told me do what you want, barriers do not exist for you." she said.

"She said told me - aim for the stars and you are bound to hit something on the way down.

"I had people telling me you won't be a Marine Biologist and if I had listened to them and accepted the status quo then I wouldn't be at the second best university for the subject in the country."

Lira was also forced to overcome bullying during her time at school. As a third generation immigrant with family from the Caribbean islands, this bullying ranged from racism to nasty comments made about her dyslexia and dyspraxia.

"It made life difficult, it made me go inward on myself, it made me not want to be seen and I would purposely try and hide in some aspects." Lira explained.

"I would just cry. I remember in sixth form and explaining I couldn't sit an exam as I had another that day and a guy shouted - not like you can do the exam anyway.

"He was like - you can't do it so why are you even here - and people would snicker at the back of the classroom."

Lira was encouraged to sign up to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme to help boost her confidence and went on to achieve all three levels - bronze, silver and gold.

Through doing DofE, Lira experienced things she never thought she would have and discovered what she is capable of achieving.

She camped for the first time, set up a poetry club and developed public speaking skills through debating.

“There are so many false perceptions that ethnic minorities don’t camp, they don’t do DofE, that’s for other people. I’m representing people through the DofE, people who are black, on the spectrum, dyslexic, dyspraxic and from deprived backgrounds." she said.

"I’m showing them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and put the effort in.

“I want to say thank you for everything The Duke did in setting up the DofE because the experience has equipped me to help my wider community and set me on a path to make the world around us a more caring one."

She was recently selected to be one of nine recent Gold Award recipients invited to line the steps of Westminster Abbey for the recent memorial held for Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

This was an element of Prince Philip’s original funeral plan that was unable to go ahead at the time of his passing due to Covid restrictions.

Dressed in bright purple DofE jackets, the nine stepliners were present for a poignant memorial service that brought together close family, friends, foreign royals and hundreds of charity workers in remembrance of the Queen's beloved husband.

"I saw the email and thought great this will be fun then my mum was like - you do realise what you are doing - and I was like wow, what an immense honour." she said.

"I was fortunate enough to stepline as the Queen walked in and seeing the Queen was like this is someone you see on TV not a foot away from you."

In her desire to help others alongside her studies, Lira is now a warden for her university and when on shift can be called to help struggling students between 6pm - 8am.

"That student that I meet can be going through anything in the world from needing an ambulance to not wanting to be alive." Lira explained.

"And before I go I pray because I want to be able to say the right thing, to help them and if didn't have god I don't think I would be able to do that."