I was awarded the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award back in April 1972. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given the opportunity by my school, but through the Northumberland Army Cadet Force. The scheme just wasn’t done in many Secondary Modern Schools as they were called back then. I really didn’t know what I was stepping into when I volunteered to do the award. I was born and brought up in a Northumberland Mining Village, educational aspirations were not the best, and my parents really did their best to ensure I was given the best of opportunities. I remember not many of the local cadet force wanting to do the award, only 3 of us and only 2 completed the Bronze award. I firmly believe that the scheme gave me a platform in which to step forward, in fact it probably was one of the reasons I went on to join the Royal Navy at 18, and leave after 22 years’ service, a Radio Supervisor Petty Officer. My volunteering was done renovating a nearby miner’s welfare, which took many weeks work, I remember doing a physical fitness program, my then PE teacher did this with me. This element was really tough, and many of my peers just didn’t understand what I was trying to achieve. I was the only one in the school, it took lots of determination and faith in my PE teacher to get through the weeks. The skills element was learning the piano, as I had been learning the piano since the age of 7. The expedition was done on the Cheviot hills, an experience I have never forgot. Only 9 stone back then, and a big rucksack to carry over 3 days, If I remember rightly. The memory of the expedition stayed with me for years, such that I still have a great love affair with the Cheviots and hill walking and running in general. My love of the outdoors was born in the D of E Scheme, this love has carried me all my life, such that I ended up a PE Teacher, doing voluntary work, and helping teenagers through their voluntary part of their D of E.