My abiding memory of the Duke of Edinburgh will always be how easily he engaged with young people and put them at ease. At the various Gold Award Presentations I was fortunate enough to attend in HRH’s presence, his energy and humour were infectious and he very quickly had parents, volunteers and Gold Award Holders chatting freely about their DofE experiences. He was always interested in individual stories, keen to hear the challenges young people overcame to complete their Award and always seemed to extract the more interesting and humorous memories. Through the work I’ve done with the DofE, I am continually amazed at the insight HRH had back in 1956 when he started the programme. For the programme to have changed so little over the years yet to be held in such high regard by parents, young people and employers shows a true brilliance! His legacy is The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and it will continue to positively impact on so many young people’s lives for years to come …