This spring, we were honoured to present the inaugural Hilary M. Weston Young Leader Award to Amber Culley, a passionate social justice advocate and a member of The King’s Trust Canada’s Youth Council!
The Hilary M. Weston Young Leader Award is presented to a young person in recognition of their remarkable commitment to community service, creativity, leadership, and social responsibility. Their passion, initiative, and dedication to creating positive change exemplify the values championed by the late Honourable Hilary M. Weston—The King’s Trust Canada’s Chair Emerita—and highlights the powerful impact young leaders can make in their communities.
From Kitchener, Ontario, Amber Culley completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Political Science with Minors in Global Studies and Religion & Culture at Wilfrid Laurier University. Currently, she is completing a double-master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care and Theology at Martin Luther University College.
Amber is passionate about mental health and trauma awareness, gender equity, youth empowerment, civic engagement, environmentalism, reconciliation, and access to education. From her involvement with peace and justice work across countries to her mental health advocacy with a wide variety of organizations, Amber’s leadership and advocacy makes her an exemplary inaugural recipient of the Weston Award!
On April 20, 2026, Amy Buskirk, Executive Director of The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation, and Jeffrey Orridge, CEO of The King’s Trust Canada, presented the award to Amber at Humber Polytechnic. You can hear from Amber herself below on what young people need to know about making a difference.
