as a school student I completed all three award levels and loved every minute of it - even today I am still in touch with three of my fellow gold expedition team mates.
as an adult I continued to participate in outdoor activities with mountaineering, hiking, climbing and canoeing at university.
Post-university I went into teaching and set up the DofE award at my school where we now have over 250 students involved across the three levels.
On the back of my involvement with outdoor education and youth work I was recruited by the company World Challenge to lead expeditions for them and since joining the company in 2000 I have now led 15 summer expeditions.
Back at school I now an the licence manager for my current school and over the last ten years I have seen 800 students achieve their bronze award 100 at silver and over 100 at gold.
I have been back to St James palace for three award ceremonies and attended the summer garden celebration at Buckingham Palace.
I have met HRH three times over the years and he has always been a very engaging host, he was always keen to find out your story and he was very adept at cracking a joke. He always had the last word! A true gent and a legend.
we are also in the process of planting a memorial tree at our school (bradford grammar school) where HRH opened one of our significant buildings in the past.