I firmly believe that completing DofE helped shape me for who I am today. It got me to try out activities I wouldn't have otherwise e.g. church bellringing for my skill section and learn valuable work skills by volunteering in a charity shop.

As for many participants though, it will be the slog of the expeditions that I remember best and, despite the slog, most fondly. They taught me just how much resilience I had in me, that when we were completely lost and things seemed quite hopeless, as a team we had to work out a plan and carry it out. There was no point just sitting on the ground and crying about it, that wouldn't change anything, we had to do something and one way or another that always paid off.

Going with my parents to receive my gold award from Buckingham Palace remains probably the proudest moment of my life. It was somewhere none of us would have ever gained admission to for a garden party otherwise!

I returned to my school as a voluntary award leader and very much enjoyed several years supporting the next generation to complete their silver and gold expeditions.

The award changes lives and we can all be thankful for the opportunities afforded to those involved with it thanks to its conception by the Duke of Edinburgh.