The expeditions were the memories that I recall best. Planning out our route over a few weeks after school and getting to grips with reading maps and contour lines properly!
We undertook our bronze award during the foot and mouth outbreak so that restricted the bronze expedition with no camping. So our silver was a bit of a shock! Learning to walk and work as a team was a challenge; a member of our group fell and took a bad sprain so we had to work out how to get to a point where she could get proper help. We learnt so much about each other and realised we were physically and mentally capable of so much more than we thought.
We also had every kind of weather from heavy rain and strong wind to blistering sunshine so the Dukes’ maxim of ‘no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing’ stuck with me!
I am so glad I had the opportunity to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme; 20 years later I can still remember the high of completing that expedition. Thank you Prince Philip.