When I was presented to the Duke of Edinburgh to receive my Gold Award, the Duke asked me if my Father still looked like a prophet from the Old Testament. I’m not sure my reply was particularly satisfactory as I hadn’t expected the keen sense of humour but it was certainly a moment to remember! My Dad, John Hamilton, served as the Chair of the Scottish Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for eight years and always enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship with the Duke. My Dad had been the first recipient of the Gold Award in Northern Ireland and credited it with helping him raise his aspirations and sense of himself. I followed my Dad by also gaining my Gold award, doing a six week expedition in British Columbia, Canada - a very character building experience that included mountain climbing, camping out on a glacier, kayaking and carrying in all our equipment and food for camping in the wild for six weeks. An experience I’ll never forget and which provides me with a reminder of what I can achieve when I put my mind to it. I have huge admiration for what the Duke of Edinburgh championed in relation to helping young people build up their skills and belief in themselves, something I also try to contribute to through my own work in global skills developments, standards and lifelong learning. Personally I also really value the work the Duke contributed in terms of leading global conservation efforts, organic farming, and alerting us to the need to look after the planet well before it became a known concern. He seemed to have been a man ahead of his time and will be missed greatly. I feel privileged to have met him.