DofE Gold awards for BB young people
Tuesday 12th July 2016BB young people have been presented with a Gold Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award certificates at a special ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on July 6th.
HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, gave the Royal seal of approval to the nine young people and spoke to them ahead of the awards ceremony. John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, presented the certificates.
They undertook a variety of challenges to achieve his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award including four-day, three night expedition, developed skills and volunteered in their community.
Ian Vernon, 4th Dunfermline, said:
“I decided to take on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as I hoped it would be something that would improve me as a person whilst also enjoying myself and benefitting others.
“It’s hard to put into words; it’s just something you need to experience!”
The Gold award is the highest accolade in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme which started in 1956. The Boys’ Brigade was one of the first organisations to pilot the award.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:
“I was honoured to present the members of The Boys’ Brigade with their awards. Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is a huge achievement and the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. They are all fantastic ambassadors for The Boys’ Brigade and their local communities.”
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Bill Stevenson, Director of The Boys’ Brigade in Scotland said:
“I am exceptionally proud of these young people and everything they have achieved to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards. While working towards the award, the young people undertook a lot of work, which at times was tough, but his resilience and dedication is highly commendable.”
The awards were set up to inspire, guide and support young people in their self-development and recognise their achievements. Currently over 300,000 young people participate in DofE programmes each year.
Receiving their Gold Award certificates at Holyrood Palace were: Callum Ferguson and David Walker (1st Cumnock), James Webb (1st Houston), Campbell McNicol (25th Stirling), Alasdair Hewitson and Paul Cunningham (3rd Galston), Ian Vernon (4th Dunfermline), Clark Lawson and Mairi Dalgleish (5th Livingston).
