Shropshire teenager honoured for extraordinary efforts in conservation

A Shropshire teenager, Walter Sulaman-Evans, has been named as one of the distinguished recipients of the 2025 British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) Roll of Honour for his exceptional commitment to animal welfare and environmental engagement.

Walter is one of just 22 young people from across the UK being honoured with the prestigious BCyA Medal of Honour for making a significant positive impact on their communities and wider society. He will be presented with his medal at a special ceremony at The Palace of Westminster on October 30th, 2025, and will be entitled to use the post-nominals ‘BCyA’.

The young conservationist earned the accolade through his dedicated work with the International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals (IAPWA). In 2025, Walter joined IAPWA’s newly launched Youth Ambassador Programme and quickly became a standout participant.

Within weeks, he exceeded all targets for fundraising, outreach, and public engagement, earning him the title of IAPWA’s first Official Youth Ambassador and making him the only participant to qualify in the 2025 programme.

Demonstrating remarkable initiative, Walter launched the ‘Walt Adventures’ Instagram account with the clear aim of inspiring other young people to engage with the natural world in a sustainable and meaningful way.

To enhance his campaigning strategy, Walter proactively interviewed an international adventurer and fundraiser. This step led him to secure sponsorship from some of Shropshire’s biggest employers, helping him quickly surpass his initial fundraising target of $\textsterling1,000$.

Walter also successfully approached local and online media outlets to share his journey, raising vital awareness of IAPWA’s mission and encouraging his peers to get outside, connect with nature, and contribute to causes close to their hearts.

His efforts resulted in securing local media coverage that reached over 22,000 households in print, with a further 50,000+ individuals across social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. These actions have significantly elevated awareness about responsible adventure, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare.

Mike Faulkner, Director of the BCyA, commented on the award recipients: “We are delighted to be able to recognise these amazing individuals with a BCyA. It is both heartening and uplifting to know that so many young people are consciously contributing to causes such as the environment, climate change, education, and creating awareness and fundraising for hospitals, medical research and charities. The youth of today are truly the leaders of tomorrow.”

The British Citizen Youth Award, which is now in its ninth year and is in partnership with Specsavers, is widely regarded as the nation’s way of recognising extraordinary, everyday young people for exceptional endeavour. It is open to any person aged 18 or under who is committed to helping others.

Nominations for the 2026 medal presentations are now open and can be registered online at britishcitizenyouthawards.co.uk.