I have completed my Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh award through Girl Guiding. Taking part in the DofE since I was in year 9 has been massive. When I was on my way to finishing my Gold award I couldn't imagine completing it and leaving the award all together. Therefore I have become a DofE Regional Youth Ambassador for Wales and am really enjoying it. Throughout completing all the sections I have gained so many skills along the way and I want to stay involved with it as much as I can. The expeditions over the years have given me a lot of independence and taught me resilience and given me communication skills. It also gave me so much more confidence. Getting assessors reports encouraged me to get out there and get engaged with the community. The voluntary aspect of the award has helped me gain a lot of skills that will be really beneficial for my future. I volunteered at a swimming group for my Silver and Gold awards. Its a disabled swimming group for children. I did this for almost 4 years. For the residential section of my Gold award I went on a canal boat. I went for a week and met some really great people and had a fantastic time! The Duke of Edinburgh's award has been a huge part of my life for many years and I hope to be engaged with it just as much in the future!