David Lorimer, Chief Executive of Character Scotland, attended the 2014 Awards Ceremony in the throne room at Buckingham Palace where awards were presented by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for the Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition, which was founded in 1883. The theme for 2014 was “Team Commonwealth”, which attracted 10,000 entries from around the world. Raniya Hosain from Pakistan was the senior winner, writing evocatively about the influence and story-telling capacity of an old fruit seller. The senior runner-up discussed the competitive spirit embodied in the word “kaisu” with the pros and cons of competition. Other award winners explored team spirit in music and sport and the importance of encouraging open discussion about the stigma surrounding anxiety. 

From 2015 the Awards will be renamed The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.  More details are available here.