I am immensely grateful to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. Four years ago, I was very fortunate to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. It still has an impact on my life today. During my Gold Award, I was a meal-time volunteer at my local NHS trust, volunteered at the local Age UK Charity Shop and completed the John Muir Award Conservation Project in the Peak District. I also continued my music interests and playing the piano. After completing the Gold Award, I was inspired to continue these activities to this day. The resilience and determination I developed during the expedition on the beautiful Isle of Skye have equipped me for life. I met many interesting and inspiring people and made friends for life. The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award reinforced the importance of kindness, treating others as we wish to be treated, stewardship of nature and the environment and using our different skills to help everyone to thrive.