The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provides a balanced programme of activities that develops the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and teamworking. Young people progress through three levels of DofE programmes to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who take part.

John Thornton achieved his D of E Gold and the JTYAF are delighted to have developed a strong partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Dorset.

Bursary awarded to Rhiannon Davies – 2012 Expedition to Kenya

Rhiannon will be travelling to Kenya on a 26 day expedition involving a
community project where she will be helping to build a secondary school. Currently working towards her Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Rhiannon will also be undertaking the daunting challenge to summit Mount Kenya.

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Carl Wood – Canada 2012 Expedition

Carl is a student at Wey Valley School and Sports College and has recently been selected to join an expedition to Canada in 2012 which will contribute towards his Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. During the expedition with the Dorset Expeditionary Society Carl will cycle 1500 miles along the Kettle Valley Railway and canoe 100 miles across the Bowron Lakes. This will certainly provide Carl with an extremely tough physical challenge and will give him a fantastic opportunity for personal development during this once in a lifetime trip.

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Georgie Townsend – 2012 Expedition to Kenya

Georgie has already completed her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and particularly enjoyed the service to the community element. During her exciting expedition to Kenya she is very much looking forward to taking part in community projects which will make a real difference to the local population. Climbing Mount Kenya will provide a physical challenge and Georgie is determined to make it to the top!

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Megan Taylor – 2012 Expedition to the Himalayas

Megan has been selected to take part in a trip organised by the Dorset Expeditionary Society where she will travel to the Himalayas for the adventure of a lifetime. Megan will be rafting the headwaters of the Indus River, trekking across the Moonlands of the Tibetan Plateau, mountain biking several high altitude routes to the Chinese Border and finally completing a crossing of the Greater Himalaya.

Megan said ‘ultimately I would like to lead my own expedition in the future which will give others the life-changing opportunities and experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to have.’

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Rosie Edgeley – 2012 Expedition to Kenya

Rosie is joining the Kenya 2012 Expedition with the Dorset Expeditionary Society where she will be involved in the local community helping in schools and at a medical centre. Rosie is hoping to gain valuable experience from this opportunity in Kenya as she aims to study for a degree in medicine and eventually work in the third world providing essential medical care for people living in poverty.

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Molly Snell – Volunteering in Nepal

Molly Snell is an outstanding young lady and has been awarded a JTYAF bursary to support an expedition to Nepal in December 2011. Molly will trek along the Annapurna Trail for 7 days to reach the remote village of Okhle where she will be very much involved in the local community teaching art and P.E. to the children in school and helping in the medical centre. This expedition will help Molly to achieve not only her D of E Silver but also support her personal development through life changing experiences in this unique and challenging environment.

<back to top>

Bursary awarded to Laura Berrill – Canoe expedition in Sweden

Laura is an achiever, evident from her commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for the last 3 years. She has completed Bronze, is near to completion of her Silver and is now working towards her Gold award. The opportunity to canoe across the lakes and rivers of the Fegan region of Sweden will enable Laura to develop many valuable skills during what is sure to be an adventure of a lifetime exploring this beautiful unspoilt area of Southern Sweden.

<back to top>

Bursary Awarded to Alex Macpherson - Global Young Leaders Conference

Alex has been selected to represent the UK at the Global Young Leaders Conference in New York and Washington in June this year, where he will work with students from all over the world at the UN Headquarters, the US State Department and various embassies. The chance to study in and explore important power and cultural centres will provide Alex with a unique opportunity to develop his leadership skills and provide him with very relevant experience for his intended degree in International Politics and Security at Aberyswyth University. Alex is currently working on his D of E Bronze Award and this trip will meet the requirements of the residential section of the Gold Award which he plans to undertake in the future.

<back to top>

Bursary Awarded to Eleanor Egan - Turtle Conservation in the Caribbean

Eleanor has completed her Bronze and Silver Awards and is currently working towards her Gold. Eleanor has undertaken a range of activities during her D of E career, including taking part in a canoe expedition across the Fegan Lakes of Sweden and volunteering with Riding for the Disabled. The JTYAF is delighted to support Eleanor’s residential section of her Gold Award where she will be travelling to the Caribbean and volunteering with Archelon, a turtle conservation organization. Eleanor will be helping to protect the endangered Loggerhead Turtle with activities such as tagging nesting females, patrolling the beaches and relocating nests that are at risk. She will also be involved in educating local people and tourists. This trip will provide a sound foundation for Eleanor’s future studies in Biological Science and her ambition of a career in conservation

<back to top>

Bursary Awarded to Aaron Cox - Volunteering in Nepal

Aaron has been selected to travel to Nepal with Leading Edge Expeditions and the trip will form the residential section of his D of E Gold Award. Aaron will have plenty of opportunity to develop his leadership skills on this expedition, trekking the Annapurna Trail, working with the local community in the village of Okhle and gaining experience of life in this remote mountain environment. Aaron said that this trip will help him to ‘climb as high as he can dream.’ That is what the JTYAF is all about!

<back to top>

Bursary Awarded to Jessica Dunning - Expedition to the High Andes

Jessica has been working extremely hard to raise the substantial amount needed for her trip with Leading Edge Expeditions to Ecuador in July this year. She has organised sponsored walks and cake sales and managed to fit in a part-time job whilst studying for her A-Levels. Jessica has completed her Bronze and Silver D of E Awards and this expedition will go towards her Gold. She is no stranger to a challenge, having already completed the Ten Tors and the 3 Peaks. Jessica´s expedition to Ecuador will include mountain biking in the high altitudes of the Andes, canoeing the upper reaches of the Amazon and volunteering in a local community. Jessica commented on the selection process for the trip and said that “after passing selection that consisted of a weekend of pure torture walking miles on end, jumping in rivers, mountain biking up never ending hills, running 12 miles at 6am, eating cod liver oil, pilchards, sour milk and tomato sauce all meshed up in a bowl. I hope you can see how much I wanted to have the opportunity to go on this amazing trip.” Yes Jessica, I think we can!

<back to top>

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Dorset

Award Winners 2011 – extracts from ‘thank you’ letters

Jessica Dunning

‘If it wasn’t for your help financially I wouldn’t have been able to go, but thanks to you last summer was a once in a life time opportunity. I went from climbing mountains such as Mount Rucu, mountain biking around the most active volcano in the world (Cotapaxi), surviving a week in the Amazon rainforest and finally living on the pacific coast beaches!! Thank you very very much, as last summer was the best summer ever.’

Jessica with her fellow expeditionary friends

<back to top>

<back to top>

Tom Prior receiving his JTYAF Scholarship from Pete Thornton

Tom is a young man with exceptional qualities and has an ambition to become a diplomat after graduating from university. Tom has used his JTYAF scholarship to further this ambition and also complete his D of E Silver Award.

Tom will be travelling to China to study Mandarin at the Beijing University of Culture and Language which will not only support his university application but will also advance his prospects of a future with the Foreign Office. Tom will face many challenges as he immerses himself in the unfamiliar Chinese culture and will no doubt find this trip a life changing experience. Tom will be travelling by train on a 7,650 mile adventure from the UK to China, passing through 9 countries and 9 time zones. The main feature of his trip will be the journey on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway.

<back to top>

Scholarship awarded to Anna Maycock

The JTYAF are proud to announce their partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Dorset, and the award of the first JTYAF Scholarship to Anna Maycock.

Anna is a member of the East Dorset D of E Group, based at West Moors Youth Club and has now completed her Gold Award with the help of the JTYAF. Anna’s JTYAF scholarship enabled her to complete the residential section of her gold award.

Anna chose to volunteer for the Worldwide Veterinary Service, a charity which is committed to improving the treatment and welfare of all animal species. Anna was involved in Leatherback and Hawksbill Turtle conservation in the beautiful Island of Carriacou, a two and a half hour boat trip from Grenada in the West Indies.

During her four week trip Anna worked with local guides and research teams, from the Kido Foundation helping with their life saving work for the critically endangeredLeatherback and Hawksbill turtles.

Anna carried out night patrols on the beach from 8pm until 5am, tagging post-nesting turtles, monitoring hatchlings and helping to reduce illegal poaching activities of turtles and eggs. She also took part in the Rescue-Tag-Release operation of a Hawksbill Turtle found in local coastal waters and was involved in daytime beach surveys by kayak.

Picture right: Anna working during the night patrols monitoring hatchlings.

Witnessing Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles nesting, watching baby turtles hatching and seeing them running into the sea, knowing that she had made a difference to their chances of survival was an experience that Anna will never forget.

Picture above: Anna and a critically endangered Leatherback turtle.

Anna said, “The experience I had was fantastic. I felt like I was actually doing something to help, it may have only been for a short amount of time on a small island but every little bit counts. The hatchlings that I assisted into the ocean may have been the few from that nest that survived.”

A Zoology graduate from the University of Sheffield, Anna had the opportunity to put her skills to valuable use and intends to use this experience to support her proposed Masters in Animal Manipulation.

We wish Anna every success for the future and particularly with her ambition to become an Animal Chiropractor.

If you would like to find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme please visit www.dofe.org

<back to top>