Carol Taverner, DofE Facilitator from the Isle of Wight Council attended a once in a life time Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace, London last Monday (16th May).
At the event the Isle of Wight Council was presented with a special plaque from the DofE Charity by celebrity supporter Mike Bannister, (Concorde Pilot) acknowledging the Local authority’s commitment to running the DofE and thanking it for giving young people the opportunity to transform their lives.
The DofE is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary throughout 2016, having supported millions of young people in the UK and across the globe to achieve DofE Awards since it was founded in 1956. The prestigious Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace is one of many memorable events taking place to celebrate 60 years of the Charity.
Members of the Royal Family; HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Earl of Wessex and HRH The Countess of Wessex, congratulated those that were present including young Gold Award achievers, organisations that deliver the DofE and special guests such as corporate supporters and DofE Diamond Challengers, who have set themselves a personal challenge to raise money for the DofE Charity in its anniversary year.
The Isle of Wight Council has been delivering the DofE for 58 years and since then, hundreds of its young people have achieved a DofE Award after volunteering in their community, learning a skill, getting fit, going on an expedition and, for Gold, taking part in a week-long residential. Doing a DofE programme significantly impacts young people’s futures, enabling them to develop vital skills for life and work, such as confidence, commitment, resilience and team work. Widely acknowledged as the world’s leading achievement award for young people, The Isle of Wight Council holds a licence to deliver DofE programmes to anyone between the ages of 14-24 years old.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council and Executive Member for Children’s Services, said:
“The Isle of Wight Council has held a licence to deliver the DofE for 58 years and I feel honoured that officers were invited to Buckingham Palace to receive a commemorative plaque to acknowledge this, and say thank you for their work with the charity during its Diamond Anniversary year.
“Our young people are encouraged to push themselves outside of their comfort zones when doing their DofE and the skills that they develop can be life-changing, so for us to be involved is something very special.”
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Carol Taverner (DofE Facilitator) attended the presentation, and along with many of the council’s management team and volunteers has already accepted the ‘Diamond Challenge’ and will be raising money for the charity as well as pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones.
Peter Westgarth, Chief Executive of the DofE Charity said:
“Through the DofE, Isle of Wight Council is inspiring the success of its young people; equipping them with the attributes and skills to get a job and build strong relationships whilst opening up their worlds and introducing them to a broad range of interests. We are truly grateful to all of our Licensed Organisations for the work that they do, they are an integral part of the DofE family, and our Diamond Anniversary is a fantastic opportunity to say thank you.”
Currently, there are over 300,000 young people doing a DofE programme across the UK through a variety of centres including both state and independent schools, special schools, businesses, prisons, young offender institutions, housing associations and youth groups.
To celebrate its 60th year, the Charity has launched the DofE Diamond Challenge. This one-off initiative allows people of all ages to take on a DofE inspired challenge and earn their Diamond Pin. Signing up to The DofE Diamond Challenge has an amazing double benefit – whilst challenging yourself, pushing your boundaries, you’re also raising money for the DofE Charity so that it can transform the lives of more young people and offer free places and bursary grants to those most in need.
Visit www.DofE.org for more information about the DofE, and to find out how you can support the Charity in its Diamond Anniversary year, go to www.DofEDiamondChallenge.org.
