Glasgow teen honoured with Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award
The event recognised the achievements of Gold Award holders from across Scotland, with attendees congratulated by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
(From left) Nerea Winchester, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Eilish McColgan at the DofE Gold Award celebrations at Holyroodhouse (Image: JRod) Nerea, a DofE Youth Ambassador, spoke about how the DofE has shaped her into the person she is today
She said: "I would say I'm a very outgoing and sociable person, but sometimes I've been told I'm too much or too loud.
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"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."
Helen Anderson, director for Scotland at the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, said: "It's a real honour and a privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse today.
"I've seen thousands of smiling faces and proud family members looking on – and rightfully so, as these young people have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and self-belief to be here.
"A Gold DofE Award will equip them with lifelong skills – and it's wonderful to see our Award holders sharing their experiences, having fun, and discussing their plans for the future."
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