YOUNG people from Thurrock who recently attended a Buckingham Palace garden party to celebrate completing their gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) have spoken about what the scheme means to them.

The award scheme, which has been running since 1956, encourages young people aged 14 to 24 to take part in a number of activities to develop their personal, physical and volunteering skills in preparation for adult life. Participants progressed through their bronze and silver awards before culminating in the gold award, as part of Thurrock Council's DofE licence.

Tommy Foy, Megan Fresquez, Kelsey Olive, Rosie Falzon and Ted Hillebrandt from the borough were among those who have attained the gold standard.

Tommy said: "The DofE Award was one of the hardest things I have ever done - however, I look back now and would love to do it all again! And the garden party at the Palace was a once in a lifetime experience", while Megan added: "The award was one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences I have had to date. It allowed me to learn new skills, be a part of a team and push myself to new limits. It is an experience I will never forget."

Those sentiments were shared by Kelsie who said: "It was an experience I'll never forget. Challenges and trials throughout lead me to achieve things I never thought I could, like trekking 50 miles across boulder fields in Norway. Determination and team work was key. I was fortunate to see some fantastic sights while camping at heights the equivalent as Mount Snowden" and Rosie was equally enthusiastic, saying: "After completing my Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards I decided to take on the challenge of the Gold Award. Travelling to Norway, trekking through the Jortunheimen National Park covering over 50miles at the altitude of 2000m within four days. From pitching up tents at the side of snowy glaciers to walking the rocky terrain through the clouds. An amazing experience shared with close friends. A truly unforgettable experience." 

And Ted summed it all by by concluding: "DofE is an amazing experience that I'd do again in a heartbeat. It's given me great memories and life-skills that I will remember forever, and am very glad to have stuck it out. It's well worth the free invitation to Buckingham Palace Gardens too"

Thurrock Council's cabinet member for children's social care and education, Cllr Barry Johnson commended the quintet and said: "On behalf of the council I offer a huge congratulations to Tommy, Ted, Megan, Kelsey and Rosie for achieving gold this year.

"Completing the award is a huge testament to the strength, determination and strong will of our young people, who as part of their awards have volunteered to good causes in our borough for a total of 21 months each, which is an outstanding achievement.

"I encourage all our young people to consider taking part in the DofE award and how it could benefit them and help them to develop personal discipline, resilience and leadership and teamwork skills, among many others."

The scheme is run by Inspire Youth Hub, at the Stanford Youth Centre. For more information visit thurrock.gov.uk or email [email protected]