My wife Jackie and i were priviliged to be members on the Dukes 100 Golf Society, i helped organise several events in the North of England and assisted David Bedford at many other events.

We were kindly invited to London to a lunch with Prince Edward where one of the guest speakers was a young lady who said she had been taking her award but had also got in with a bad group of friends, who led her astray and she ended up in prison for her drug related crime.
Whilst in prison she realised many of her so called friends didn't want to know her, but the DoE kept in contact tho as she amusingly said she couldn't do her outward bound, whilst there!! but when she was released she did, and has since turned her life around and now works with young people, trying to help them avoid the same mistakes she made, The DoE saved her.

When Prince Edward spoke he said well I can't really follow that. It's what the award has done for so many, thank you sir its a great legacy you created,
We were privileged to meet the Duke three times once when I won a place at The Duke of Edinburgh World Golf final, we were invited to dinner at Windsor Castle, the Duke chatting to everyone said to me "and what did you do to be here"
I said I was a winner in France sir, important to beat the French he replied "to bloody right" always want to beat the French!! and laughed

Great man he will be sadly missed by the Queen and the country RIP