I completed the Bronze and Silver awards whilst at school and regret not going on to complete the Gold award. I’ve been a Scout leader for 25 years and 2 years ago, became the District Explorer Scout Commissioner for Blackburn. I wanted to give young people the opportunity to take part in the DofE Award Scheme so completed the training to be a DofE Leader and Expedition Assessor. It’s great seeing the sense of achievement on the young people’s faces as they complete their expedition. It’s a fantastic award and helped me get a place in college and my first job. The whole DofE experience is something to talk about in an interview and employers really do want to hear about personal experiences and challenges. For me, doing DofE was an opportunity to make new friends, take on new challenges and step out of my comfort zone. I learnt how to trampoline, helped out at my local Scout group and set myself new goals as a pianist. The expeditions were tough, but so much fun. Walking, navigating and carrying all your equipment, getting tired but still having enough energy to laugh with friends. An amazing experience that I’ll remember forever!