Duke of Edinburgh says awards mark ‘pride and success' in youth achievements
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) was founded by the late Prince Philip in 1956 and to achieve a gold award young people must complete physical, skills, volunteering and expedition sections as well as a residential.
On Friday, the Palace of Holyroodhouse's gardens were transformed into a festival-style party, with games, food stalls, and various activities as around 600 gold award winners celebrated their achievements.
Attendees heard from famous Scots including Olympic runner Eilish McColgan, singer Nathan Evans, and actor James Cosmo.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who received his own award from his father, Prince Philip, in 1986, gave a speech and told attendees: 'It's really good to see you all here today, and particularly, congratulations to each and every one of you who have managed to achieve your gold DofE.
'This is for you, this is our recognition and celebration of your achievements. I hope that today is an excellent day for you and a real celebration for that.'
Referring back to his youth when he began working towards his own award, he joked: 'I hope the experience of doing your award was a good one, that it was enjoyable. I'm guessing there were probably times when you were wondering why you were doing it, and if it was anything like mine that was probably about halfway through the expedition!'
He added: 'But it's a great feeling when you get to the end and it's that feeling of pride and success in your achievement that we want to celebrate today and we want to capture.'
Olympian and British and European record holder, Eilish McColgan, delivered a speech alongside Nerea Winchester, 18, from Glasgow, who celebrated her own gold award achievement.
Ms McColgan said: 'There are many similarities between the DofE and my athletics club. Not just in the obvious areas like hard work and discipline, but that sense of community. Being surrounded by likeminded individuals, all striving to make themselves better.
'In 2011, I ran in my first ever live televised race. Dreaming of qualifying for the world championships. But with 600m to go. I heard a pop. I knew instantly I'd broken my foot. But me being me, and a typical stubborn Scot, I wasn't going to let a broken foot stop me. I kept running.
'Sadly, it wasn't the fairytale ending. Finishing the race came at a cost. A few days later the surgeon told me I'd never run professionally again but suggested I could 'hobby jog'. It was one of the toughest moments of my life, but like many of you on your DofE journeys, I'd learned the value of resilience, of showing up, and of not giving up when things get hard.
'I think if I didn't have my friends from the running club to distract me, my recovery would have looked very different. Instead, I really leant on my support network. Even when I couldn't run, I'd still go down to the track just to keep my motivation high. I truly believe that made a huge difference.'
Nerea, also a DofE youth ambassador, volunteered for Oxfam for three years as part of the work towards earning her award.
She said: 'Through my DofE sections, I found groups and niches of people who not only accepted my chatty, loud self, but embraced it fully. Without meeting these people through the DofE, I can't guarantee I would feel confident enough to unapologetically be myself.
'DofE gave me a purpose in life and let me express my creativity like never before. I never felt I was good at art or capable of creating it.
'However, when I picked up knitting for my DofE Skills section, I found an amazing creative outlet. It was challenging, but I learned to trust the process and, in doing so, built my resilience as well as rediscovering my creativity.'
Speaking before he gave a speech to those attending, actor James Cosmo told the PA News Agency: 'If you are a parent listening out there, or a young person, you should really think about doing the DofE award.
'No matter what your circumstance is, there's something there to suit you and your future career, for your personal development, nothing beats it, it's fantastic.'
He added: 'These people go through the bronze, silver and then gold and so a lot of the time they're doing voluntary work, nobody's paying much attention to them, they're just getting on with it and showing the dedication and stick ability.
'So it's nice at the end of it all, to recognise the effort they've made when clearly there was nobody there to cheer them on. They did it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
British Open: Chris Gotterup's career-altering run in the UK has forced himself into the Ryder Cup conversation
When Chris Gotterup landed in Scotland two weeks ago, he was a largely unknown member of the PGA Tour. That's not a bad thing, it was just reality. The 26-year-old only turned pro a few years ago, and he had won a single time on Tour. But now, after a dominant and stunning two weeks in the United Kingdom, Gotterup will return home playing just about as well as anyone in the sport. It's been so good, in fact, that he's even now in the conversation to represent the United States at Bethpage Black this fall. 'I expected to play well, but I don't think I expected quite this well,' Gotterup said after his third-place finish at the British Open on Sunday. 'I don't know what's going on over here, but maybe my European blood in me has come to life.' Gotterup posted a 4-under 67 on Sunday at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland to record what was by far his best finish in a major championship. He was in the mix for most of the week with everyone except for Scottie Scheffler, who rolled to a blowout four-shot win. Gotterup, however, wasn't even supposed to be in the field at Portrush. He had to earn it with his victory last week at The Renaissance Club, which left him an emotional wreck in the immediate aftermath on the green in Scotland. The win was the second of his career, following his inaugural PGA Tour victory in Myrtle Beach last year, and earned him admittance to just his fourth ever major start. After shooting a 1-over 72 on Thursday at the British Open, Gotterup rebounded to back up his win perfectly. He made two eagles on Friday to get right back under par, and then he kept himself in it with a third-round 68. While it wasn't enough to catch Scheffler — nobody could — Gotterup never wavered. This two-week stretch has completely changed Gotterup's career trajectory. He entered the Scottish Open at No. 158 in the Official World Golf Rankings. His win there jumped him up more than 100 spots, and Sunday's outing will move him to a new career-high. He's at No. 23 in the FedExCup standings, too, which now has him solidly in the FedExCup Playoffs and the Tour's signature events next season. Gotterup is also bringing home a $1.128 million check, which brings his two-week total to just more than $2.7 million. That came about $65,000 shy of matching his previous career earnings. He's undoubtedly set up for success on the Tour for years to come, and in a much more stable position than he was earlier this month. But perhaps most notably, Gotterup has thrust himself into the Ryder Cup conversation. Gotterup moved up 30 spots in the Ryder Cup standings after his Scottish Open win, and his third-place finish should move him inside the top 20. While that's likely too far out of it to earn an automatic bid — the top six American golfers in the standings after the BMW Championship will earn guaranteed spots on the team — it's not unreasonable to think that Keegan Bradley could use one of his captain's picks on Gotterup to round out his 12-man team. That is something that had never crossed Gotterup's mind. 'I haven't thought about it at all. I mean, it really wasn't ever on my radar,' Gotterup said. 'I obviously helped to play well, and it would be a miracle. Now I mean, I have no idea. 'Northeast is my home, and we'll see what happens.' Regardless of what happens with his U.S. Team future, Gotterup absolutely erupted over the last two weeks. His golf future is trending up faster than anyone could've guessed. And if he keeps it up, that may just make Bradley's decision even easier.
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Scottie Scheffler wins 2025 Open Championship with dominant final round
There's only one word to describe Scottie Scheffler's performance at the Open Championship over the weekend – dominant. Scheffler wrapped the fourth round with a 68 and added another impressive victory onto his resume. Scheffler won the Open Championship for the first time in his career. The best finish he had previously was tied for seventh last year when the major event was played at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. This year, Scheffler walked the fairways of Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland and made it seem like another day at the office. He started off behind the pack with a first-round 68 but got into the zone in the second round with a 64. He eight birdies in the second round and it propelled him up the leaderboard. A third-round 67 put him in good contention to win the title. Then, on Sunday, it was more consistent and solid play all around. He finished with five birdies and only one double bogey in the round. He never wavered in the final round and no one really ever came close to catching him. Scheffler has four wins in 2025. He won the Byron Nelson in May and followed that up with a PGA Championship. In June, he held off Ben Griffin at the Memorial. Harris English finished in second place with a 13-under par. He shot a 66 in the final round of the tournament. It was the best finish in the major of his career. Before Sunday, the best finish came in 2013 when he was tied for 15th. Chris Gottrup had an incredible tournament as well, finishing 12-under par. He carded a final-round 66 and finished in third place. LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau may have had a tough time at Royal Portrush but he made a mountainous climb back into the top 10 when his round was finished. He shot a 78 in the first round and was near the bottom of the leaderboard when he entered the second round. However, a 65 in the second round helped him make the cut. He shot a 68 in the third and a 64 in the final round. He gained 24 spots to break into a tie for 10th. The Open Championship is the last major of the season. PGA Tour and LIV Golf stars will now finish up their seasons on their respective tours and look toward the Ryder Cup at the end of September. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
How Princess Diana's 'Worst Time' With the Royals Is Shaping Prince William's Future Reign
It's no secret that Princess Diana's time at the palace was a rocky one, but her rough experience may be shaping how her eldest son, Prince William, reigns in the future. One of the most challenging places for the Princess of Wales to visit was always Balmoral Castle in Scotland. It was the then-Prince Charles' favorite place, but it was nothing more than a stuffy home to Diana, according to her former butler, Paul Burrell. More from SheKnows Prince Harry Finds an Unexpected Royal Ally Amid Family Rift - He's 'Suffered So Much' 'Diana tried to please Charles, so her times at Balmoral were to please him,' he told Marie Claire. 'She wanted to fit in, she wanted to be loved, she wanted to be accepted, and that was all part of that acceptance. ' Diana was a 'modern woman,' but the Balmoral summers were part of the royal's 'archaic world.' The family loved hunting, schedules that ran like clockwork, and formal dinners that were part of a 'suffocating' atmosphere for her. That's why Burrell believes William is a 'catalyst for change,' ushering in a new generation of royals. 'He's already planning it now,' Burrell claimed. 'When I see him on the TV, I see his mind working and thinking, 'Oh, when I'm king, this is not going to happen.'' Describing him as the 'people's [future] king,' the former palace staffer believes that the 'pomp and pageantry and excess will not happen' under his reign. In November 2024, William ruffled feathers with an interview with The Times. He mentioned that his time on the throne will be punctuated by putting 'a smaller r in the royal.' It had anti-monarchists complaining about William's work ethic, but the Prince of Wales was undeterred. Look no further than the royal blueprint he laid out in November 2023 when he told reporters during his Singapore tour that he will take on less patronages in the future. 'You have to remain focused, if you spread yourself too thin, you just can't manage it and you won't deliver the impact or the change that you really want to happen,' he told the print media, via Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor of The Sunday Times on X. With King Charles III's illness looming in the background, it's possible that William's reign will begin much sooner than initially planned. The modernized monarchy might be just around the corner with a touch of Princess Diana's legacy at of SheKnows 29 Times Gisele Bündchen's Red Carpet Fashion Proved She's the Ultimate Supermodel 68 Celebrities Who Share a Famous Ex 6 Sexy Celebrity-Owned Lingerie Lines, Made From Rihanna to Sofia Vergara Solve the daily Crossword
