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‘Inspirational’ HMS Prince of Wales chef Declan nominated for youth award
17 February 2025
Up for a national ‘Inspirational Youth Award’ is one sailor serving on board aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
After a challenging upbringing, 19-year-old Declan Dowler is forging a career as a young chef in the navy, serving more than 2,000 meals a day to shipmates on the nation’s flagship.
About to join the galley team on frigate HMS Portland, Declan – known to friends simply as ‘Dobby’ – could collect the ‘most promising rising star in employment” title.
It’s one of two dozen categories in the Inspirational Youth Awards whose winners will be announced in Birmingham in April.
Declan spent ten years in foster care – his upbringing before that, he says, was “pretty awful” and delayed his speech development. Life improved thereafter – “being put into care was the best thing that has ever happened to me and it changed me”, especially after being adopted by a couple he considers to be his “mum and dad now – they mean everything to me, they changed my life”.
His speech plus dyslexia meant school was a struggle too, but says Declan: “I tried my best, never gave up and look at what I have achieved. I also think it’s important to talk about my background, how hard I’ve worked, and show people that there isn’t such a thing called: ‘can’t’.”
He’s now spent nearly three years in the Royal Navy, continuing in the same vein. As well as giving him a career opportunity in civvy street when he leaves one day, it’s provided sporting opportunities, – the teenager is a keen runner and cricketer – meeting the King and Queen thanks to the prominence of HMS Prince of Wales, and opportunities to travel.
As much as he loves working in the aircraft carrier’s galley (his signature dish is lasagne), he particularly enjoys getting stuck in on damage-control duties – physically challenging (heavy, cumbersome firefighting suits, or fighting torrents of water with chunks of wood and hammers) but also rewarding when the fire or flood is stopped, and has given the teenager “a wide knowledge of skills that not everyone in civvy street can have”.
He's seen the eastern United States with the carrier in 2023, but Declan will miss out on the carrier’s deployment later this year, leading a task group to the Pacific Rim, as he volunteered to serve aboard HMS Portland instead.
I want to inspire other youths who are in foster care ¬- or even those who are not - to join the military at a young age, because it’s life changing, and you learn so much.
She has the least glamorous – but crucial – task of guarding home waters, watching out for hostile threats and movements above and below the waves… with 200 men and women needing three quality meals a day.
HMS Prince of Wales’ catering manager Chief Petty Officer ‘Robbie’ Roberts is sorry to see the young chef leave as the teenager has impressed.
“Hard working and energetic, ‘Dobby’ is enthusiastic and proud to be part of the Catering team,” Robbie added.
“He volunteers for pretty much every ship’s activity – he’s never far from a damage control incident, working on his firefighting skills.
“Despite the challenges he has faced in life, he gives his all to the ship and is always smiling and willing to be a team player to help his shipmates out. He has an extremely promising career ahead of him in the Royal Navy, and I could not be prouder that he has been nominated for the Inspirational Youth Award.”
If the young chef wins in April what will it mean?
“I want to inspire other youths who are in foster care ¬- or even those who are not - to join the military at a young age, because it’s life changing, and you learn so much,” Declan said.