Ian Carruthers
I have completed my Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards in England. The DofE scheme has helped shape the person I have now become by introducing me to interests I never knew I had. For the volunteering section of all of my awards, I returned to my old Primary school to volunteer in the After School Club so that I could give something back to the community. It was here that I discovered how much I enjoyed working with children. After finishing my Gold award, the school offered me a job in the after school club. I can quite confidently say that it is the best job I have had, and I have enjoyed every minute working there and I am so incredibly grateful for the experiences I have been able to have whilst working there. With the experience gained through this job and the DofE scheme, I now have a job offer to work as a summer camp counsellor in Canada this summer. Absolutely none of this would have been possible without my participation in the DofE - I never would have been able to work either of these amazing jobs, travel to Canada, or have been lucky enough to be involved in so many brilliant children's lives. The scheme has allowed me to expand my horizons further than I thought possible. This, combined with the amazing experiences I had on the expeditions with my friends, is why I will be forever grateful to HRH Prince Philip for the brilliant DofE scheme that he created, and the amazing legacy that he leaves behind.