Varun Tiwari
At first, Duke of Edinburgh was just another credential to add to your resumé. But it became the highlight of my year 10.
The volunteering section was the hardest to complete. But the most rewarding too. I was part of Tiffin School's team in creating a safety presentation delivered to the lower school as part of TFL's youth travel ambassador scheme. At first, I was reluctant to take part simply because I felt I didn't make a difference in the community. That was until I saw the enthusiasm of the lower school students when they participated in the activities with great enjoyment and had learnt a lot about safety whilst travelling. As part of TFL's scheme, we met other teams across South-West London, who were helping their school in teaching about travel safety. To a lot of people, volunteering is boring. But once people step out of their comfort zone to take responsibility, it really becomes a rewarding process.
The expedition was terrifying, especially for Londoners. Living in the woods without your phone and habitual amenities was a pain. The dirty toilets, the sweat running through the back of your shirt whilst you carried a 20 kilogram backpack and trusting a 15 year old to guide you through a desolated and unknown area is horrible! However, sitting together at the top of a hill viewing down on the country side whilst sharing peanuts, playing hide-and-seek in the night , as well powering through the last mile of your expedition without a break, really was a unique experience that I am grateful for. We all had to make sacrifices for one another, connect with one another, share with one another because we were all stuck in the middle of the forest, regardless of any personal difference between us, and that's what truly made the expedition a remarkable experience.
The culmination of skill, volunteering and a gruelling expedition was a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I am thankful for how it has shaped me today.
I should've done Silver!
The volunteering section was the hardest to complete. But the most rewarding too. I was part of Tiffin School's team in creating a safety presentation delivered to the lower school as part of TFL's youth travel ambassador scheme. At first, I was reluctant to take part simply because I felt I didn't make a difference in the community. That was until I saw the enthusiasm of the lower school students when they participated in the activities with great enjoyment and had learnt a lot about safety whilst travelling. As part of TFL's scheme, we met other teams across South-West London, who were helping their school in teaching about travel safety. To a lot of people, volunteering is boring. But once people step out of their comfort zone to take responsibility, it really becomes a rewarding process.
The expedition was terrifying, especially for Londoners. Living in the woods without your phone and habitual amenities was a pain. The dirty toilets, the sweat running through the back of your shirt whilst you carried a 20 kilogram backpack and trusting a 15 year old to guide you through a desolated and unknown area is horrible! However, sitting together at the top of a hill viewing down on the country side whilst sharing peanuts, playing hide-and-seek in the night , as well powering through the last mile of your expedition without a break, really was a unique experience that I am grateful for. We all had to make sacrifices for one another, connect with one another, share with one another because we were all stuck in the middle of the forest, regardless of any personal difference between us, and that's what truly made the expedition a remarkable experience.
The culmination of skill, volunteering and a gruelling expedition was a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I am thankful for how it has shaped me today.
I should've done Silver!
