Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Presentations, Buckingham Palace
I was delighted to attend the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Presentations in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in London earlier in the week. The sun shone, the bands played and it was a joyous occasion for all who attended. It was made all the more special to be in the presence of two Sidcot Gold Award winners: Gaby House and Helena Ring, both of whom are former Head Girls.
We have a proud tradition at Sidcot of students taking DofE, with around 120 participating in the programme at present. For those not familiar with it, the award is offered at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold and covers the areas of volunteering, physical, skill and expedition. It requires commitment, perseverance and a desire to develop a range of expertise, some of which will come easily, some will need to be worked at.
However, the achievement of gaining the award, at whatever level, cannot be underestimated. The recent awards ceremony bore testimony to this and those who were receiving their Gold Awards were justifiably proud. Equally to be celebrated are those who support participants both at home and in school. We are very fortunate at Sidcot to have a dedicated team of staff, under the leadership of our DofE Manager Jim Scott, who gives up time to run expeditions (in all weathers) and encourage our students through the various aspects of the award. It really is an investment that repays over a lifetime and the memories made through taking part in DofE last long after school.
If you would like to find out more about the DofE Award, either to support your child, or to take part in the Diamond Challenge celebrating 60 years of DofE, please follow this link: http://www.dofe.org
IWK – May 2016