DofE Gold Award

8 March 2017

On Wednesday 8 March, four recent Old Stoics, Jack Strong (Chandos 15), Fenella Barrons (Queen’s 15), Anna Bevington (Queen’s 16) and Harrison Dockerty (Chandos 16), were presented with their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards at St James’ Palace in the presence of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. Mr Fraser Liversage was also presented to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in recognition of his outstanding service to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Stowe. Congratulations to all five!

The DofE staff had also invited Sara Thornton, CBE, QPM to present the certificates and deliver a talk to the assembled group. Sara is the former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, so who better, on International Women’s Day, to put into context the value of the Gold DofE Award and the life skills that it affords the participants. Sara talked about ‘purpose’ and ‘determination’ and made continual reference to each and every aspect of the DofE process.

After her talk she invited questions, whereupon Harrison Dockerty asked her to give an example of when, in her career, had her resilience been tested the most. You could sense from the hush that fell over the Throne Room that everyone thought this to be the best question of the session, but we weren’t quite prepared for the fifteen minute response. It was a heartfelt account and a fascinating insight into someone in a position of such importance.

This year’s Gold participants will be heading off to brave the wilds of Dartmoor for their Practice Expedition on Saturday 1 April. Good luck to all and I hope that we shall see many of them at the Palace in the next year or so as they complete their Awards.

Gwilym Jones, MiC DofE