Great to pop by Parkside Academy to meet the children who took part in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, thanks to headteacher Ms Kelly Armstrong for inviting me.
Of the 537,759 young people worked towards their Award during the year nationally, 59 were from Parkside. It was great to congratulate the kids in person and hear about their experiences on the scheme. They seemed to so much out of it, from volunteering to learning a new skill to the orienteering, there is so much to gain from it.
The award, set up by His late Majesty Prince Phillip, is a fantastic initiative. Not only does it challenge young people to attain standards of achievement and in a wide variety of active interests but it helps them to develop and learn outside the classroom.