My association is attached to both my Son and myself. My Son completed his Bronze DoE with his School, afterwhich due to School work, Rugby commitements and Air Cadets he ommited doing his Silver, that said he went on to do his Gold, this while associated with the Air cadets when old enough.
From a young age my Son Ryan always wanted to be in the armed Forces, firstly as a Pilot in the RAF and then later a Navel Officer, it was while following these ambitions that we attended a Pilots seminar at Heathrow, where Ryan spoke to an RAF Warrant officer about being a Pilot in the RAF.
He advised him on the fact he would need to be an officer, what quilifications he would need and that it would help if he had a DoE award, by this time Ryan had completed his Bronze and was most proud to state that fact. It was then that I first realised how they are held in such high regard and represent such great values.

I had many conversations with my Son about how I wished I had been involved with such a great scheme when his age.
I attended St James Palace to watch my son recieve his Gold DoE from HRH Prince Edward, one of the proudest days of my life, the photo of us both and my Royal invite are Framed with pride in my hall, I found out from a DoE member of staff there that up until recently the Duke still attended and had not missed a single event in the many decades it had been running, that alone is extraordinary dedication.

I had my oppotunity to be involved in 2016, when the special Diamond award was open to people of any age, I had to raise some funds and complete a hard challenge I would not normally consider, I climbed the ranger route, tough going, of Snowden, with my son, and my Diamond certificate also hangs in my hall and my pin badge is worn with pride, I at my age finally feel like I am part of the DoE family after missing out in my youth.

My Son is now a Commissioned Navel Officer, Sub-Lieutenant, many thanks to DoE.