I started my Bronze Award at school youth club back in the mid eighties and just loved being involved in something 'different'. Having to wear bright orange waterproofs and sleep in heavy weight orange cotton Vango Force 10 tents was a small price to pay for the overall sense of belonging and achievement I felt. Moving onto Silver and Gold was an obvious choice and I became an assistant leader for my Gold Volunteering. And that was it - DofE has been a very big part of my life since. I am very proud to have worked for the DofE Charity since 2004, moving on from DofE Leader and Development Worker roles. My daughter now has the DofE bug and is part way through her Silver, she made me very happy when she told me she can't wait to start her Gold Award. HRH Prince Philip has left an amazing legacy and I feel very privileged to be part of it.