Girlguiding Anglia celebrates Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards success

With the recent passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, Girlguiding Anglia are moved to share the positive impact of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme on its members across the Anglia region.

As Covid-19 restrictions gradually lift, Girlguiding Anglia is celebrating the hard work of girls and young women across the region who have made great strides towards completing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, despite the impact of the pandemic on youth organisations across the world.

Since February 2020, the number of Girlguiding Anglia members completing their Certificate of Achievement was Bronze 16, Silver 4 and Gold 4. The number achieving the full award was Bronze 27, Silver 10 and Gold 6 following the expedition element having been completed before the pandemic-imposed restrictions were in place.

Currently, there are 300 girls and young women across Anglia registered for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Since 2011, Girlguiding Anglia has had over 600 members achieve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at bronze, silver or gold level, with the scheme itself celebrating these achievements at awards ceremonies over the last 10 years.

Valerie, a leader from Bedfordshire says “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been part of my life for over 50 years, first as a participant, then as a leader, and now a leader within Girlguiding. When I first took part in the 1960’s I had never been near a mountain, but from then on, being in the mountains was a passion, climbing many around the world including Kilimanjaro for the DofE 60th year challenge. The most rewarding part of DofE is watching teenagers grow in confidence and independence, make new friends and often take up skills, sports and even occupations that they never thought were possible.”

A new report Girlguiding produced with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) highlights the long-lasting impact DofE programmes have on young people’s wellbeing and mental health, as well as building valuable skills for their future and prospects of employment.

• 62% of participants say doing their DofE made them more confident in overcoming difficult situations.
• 61% feel they have become more independent.
• 67% say it helped them feel more responsible.
• 70% said it made them feel proud of what they can achieve.

Gemma from Bedfordshire achieved her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award whilst dealing with mental health issues and different learning difficulties, which she has contended with throughout her life. Whilst working toward her Gold DofE, Gemma had a relapse, but DofE gave her something positive to focus on. Gemma worked towards each section separately and re-gained her motivation. After ticking off each activity she began to feel she could overcome any barriers she faced, including her own mental health difficulties. Gemma shared: “Doing my DofE has had a huge impact on my general wellbeing as it has shown me that no matter what life throws at me, I can do anything I set my mind to. I showed myself and others that no matter what issues I face, it is possible to achieve anything I want to”.

Hannah, a young member from Oxfordshire has also seen the positive impacts of DofE on her confidence and wellbeing, she said: “I completed my Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award with Girlguiding Oxfordshire.  This involved a residential course on the Isle of Coll, expeditions in the Cambrian Mountains, achieving fitness goals and even spending a year volunteering as a primary school teacher in Malawi. Along the way I met numerous inspiring and remarkable people, many of whom I am lucky enough to now call friends. This was a huge personal challenge but extremely rewarding and so much fun! My experiences have helped me develop confidence, resilience and countless other skills that I will take with me into my future career”.

Julie Wood, Oxfordshire’s DofE Adviser added “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has played a huge part in my life over the last 10 years. Although we have not had much movement in the county with awards during the COVID-19 pandemic, the girls that have progressed with the award have always enjoyed the variety, the adventure and the new activities it offers. The expedition and residential section have always been a great hit with the young people, bringing big adventure and certainly moving out of their comfort zone”.

Girlguiding Anglia could not have provided its members the opportunities for personal development like it does today without the hard work and dedication of its volunteers across many disciplines. Due to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic, Girlguiding Anglia are currently recruiting for volunteers across the region. If you are interested in supporting young women in Anglia with opportunities like The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Scheme, please visit: www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-volunteer/register-your-interest

To find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards visit: www.dofe.org

To find out more about completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards with Girlguiding Anglia, visit: www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/rangers/the-duke-of-edinburghs-award/get-started-on-your-dofe-award

For more information on Girlguiding Anglia, head to our website: www.girlguiding-anglia.org.uk