I loved completing both my Bronze and Silver awards. I will always remember the effort of the final expeditions, particularly my Silver ones, having had our practice expedition in the coldest two nights of the year and then our final expedition on the hottest of the year- a real contrast! My friends and I still talk about the funny memories we created together. One moment in particular is always brought up: the three of us girls were in a tent together on one of the coldest nights of that year, and one girl sat up in the middle of the night absolutely freezing looking for extra socks. As our eyes adjusted to the dark, we realised her socks were in her hat that she was wearing. She looked hilarious and even more hilarious in the delirium of the final night of the expedition. It's something we double over with laughter about to this day. From being chased by horses and cows and honing my map reading skills, to racing to put up tents before dark and learning the importance of working as a team, I will aways have great memories of completing the wards.


The Duke of Edinburgh Award has also contributed to what I have worked towards in my career. As part of my volunteering, I became a Girlguiding Leader with Rainbows, which I continued with long after my required time for the award as it was something I became so passionate about. I am now nearing the end of my teacher training year. My love and enjoyment for working with children was sparked as a result of volunteering and something I will always be thankful to the award for.