Hereford Cathedral School – Pair strike Gold at the Palace
26 May 2016
Former Hereford Cathedral School pupils Ben Clements and Helen Davies were among 1,000 young people invited to celebrate the Diamond Anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) and attend a very special, once in a lifetime, Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace, London.
Helen and Ben received their Gold DofE Awards from DofE celebrity supporters Danny Cipriani and Jim Rosenthal and had the opportunity to share their DofE experiences with Patron of the DofE Charity, HRH The Earl of Wessex.
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.
Ben and Helen attended Hereford Cathedral School and achieved their Gold DofE Awards there. They worked determinedly through five sections of the DofE programme and over a number of months to achieve their Gold Awards. Their diverse selection of activities included; trekking, camping and white water rafting.
Widely acknowledged as the world’s leading achievement award for young people between the ages of 14-24, the DofE develops vital skills for life and for work, such as confidence, commitment, resilience and team work.
Speaking about his experience of the DofE, and the excitement of being part of the Buckingham Palace event, Ben said: “My favourite part of my DofE experience was when we went to the Pyrenees and went trekking and white water rafting for 10 days. I also got to fly a plane solo before I could even drive a car. I would definitely recommend it.”
HCS’s Headmaster Paul Smith and the school’s Head of Design and Technology Craig Howells were on hand to see the two former pupils receive their medals and certificates.
Mr Smith said: “A Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is not easy to achieve, and to obtain a Gold Award requires considerable commitment, motivation and determination. It is wonderful to see our pupils doing so well. Helen and Ben have both demonstrated excellent leadership and teamwork, and they thoroughly deserve this exceptional award.”