A North Tyneside Council officer visited Buckingham Palace to receive a special award on behalf of the local authority.
Helen Jarvis, Participation and Advocacy Officer for the council, attended a once in a life time Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace, London.
At the event, the authority was awarded with a special plaque from the DofE Charity by celebrity supporter Jon Culshaw, acknowledging its commitment to running the DofE and thanking the council 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.
North Tyneside Council has been delivering and supporting the DofE for many years and in 2015/16 256 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.
Speaking proudly about her involvement with the DofE, Helen said: “The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an incredibly rewarding scheme to be a part of and it’s fantastic to see how much success it is having in North Tyneside.
“Witnessing the growth of each individual taking part is great and I look forward to seeing the scheme continue to grow in our borough.”
Peter Westgarth, Chief Executive of the DofE Charity said: “Through the DofE, North Tyneside 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.”
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.
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