How Barry campaigned to make the DofE available for young people in Halton

Barry is currently the DofE Manager at The Studio, but has been working with young people across Halton as a youth worker for over 25 years. As his day job he is a Drug and Alcohol worker for Halton Borough Council, but in 2023 he took on the challenge of opening an Open Award centre at The Studio, an organisation at the heart of the local community. With support from Halton Borough Council, Halton Housing and DofE’s Access Without Limits community funding, the Open Award at The Studio is now in its second year and going from strength to strength.

“Halton is one of the most deprived boroughs in the country. I’m not being negative about that, that’s just one of the realities. But over the years I’ve worked with many different people in the borough and they’re very close-knit communities, very supportive. All members of the community tend to pull together and support things that you do, especially community initiatives.

“I campaigned tirelessly to get the DofE back up and running for young people in Halton. The Studio was the ideal place for it. It just felt right – it’s a safe, welcoming environment for young people. They feel at ease as soon as they walk through the door.

“The Halton Open Award at The Studio is a chance for young people to access DofE outside of the typical environments of schools. Some of the young people doing the Award with us weren’t actually accessing school and for some of them, school wasn’t the best experience. They needed a bit more support and I think at the Open Award, that’s what we provide – a little bit of extra support just to get young people started and give them that self-belief.

“My aspiration for this group is just to be the best version of themselves they can be. I think getting involved with the DofE gives them ground for that. The sky’s the limit for them, they can be whatever they want to be! And I think now, they can see that their aspirations are real and within reach.”

The Studio started an open award centre to provide young people in Halton with the opportunity to do their DofE Awards, via funding from our Access without Limits community grant – made possible through generous support from The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust.