cara

Cara grew up in a military family which gave her opportunities to travel, but with this came the challenge of attending seven different schools and having to regularly form new friendships. DofE has enabled Cara to make valuable connections with people, which has helped her to feel more secure and confident. She quickly discovered the value of teamwork while out on the hockey pitch for her Physical section, and again whilst getting lost in a forest during her Expedition! Cara now understands that everyone has their own challenges which they face along the way and has developed a passion for helping other people. Beyond her DofE activities, she has raised money for families in Ukraine by running a community awareness campaign and selling donuts in school. Cara is also committed to working on her own physical and mental health by completing a first aid course and has recently taken up yoga to help her switch off from the pressures of exams. She is planning to push her own limits with a Residential to Everest Base Camp for her next adventure!

carly

Carly first heard about DofE in primary school from a boy who was volunteering at an after-school club. Inspired, she couldn’t wait until she was old enough to sign up! Carly loves animals and for her Skill section at Bronze, took up animal husbandry. This involved spending time on a local farm helping to birth and bottle feed the lambs. She also learnt how to herd sheep and clean out their pens. She enjoyed the experience so much that she now visits the farm each year to help during lambing season. Now at Silver, she is horse riding for her Physical section, and co-incidentally the horse she rides is called Silver! Carly is also a qualified football referee and has been working her way through refereeing games for different age groups, building her resilience when dealing with confrontation on the pitch. She recently refereed in the Foyle Cup – a youth tournament in Northern Ireland. She is proud to follow in her dad's footsteps and is pleased to see the growing number of females taking up the sport. Carly’s next adventure will be her Gold Award.

courtney

Courtney never had the chance to do DofE at school but feels passionately that DofE should be for everybody, campaigning to get it up and running in her college. Since starting her Award, she has seen her confidence soar and has pushed herself to try things that she would never usually have done. The Volunteering section has had the biggest impact on Courtney, who wants to go into a career working with young people, as she has represented her college as a DofE Young Leader, supporting other students through their own DofE journey. She helped run training sessions and enjoyed the responsibility of taking on a leadership role. She has even been asked to help organise and deliver an Expedition for another local school. Courtney wants to use her position as a Youth Ambassador to spread the message that all neurodiverse young people can achieve, they just need to be given the opportunity to demonstrate their talents. Courtney is someone who says yes to opportunities, as she has seen firsthand the positive impact this can have.

danni

Danni moved to Shetland in 2019 and felt a mixture of nerves and excitement, as this was a completely new environment. The first challenge was meeting new people and she found her community when she joined the Army Cadets, which turned out to be the best decision she ever made! Danni is passionate about providing more opportunities for young people and has volunteered at Ability Shetland throughout her Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, supporting people with disabilities to realise their full potential in all areas of life. Danni has also progressed through the Cadets and has now been promoted to Sergeant. She has helped grow the DofE on the island, with more young people now being given the opportunity to get involved. Danni will be completing her Gold Award later this year, with a kayaking Residential and Expeditions in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Danni’s advice for anyone just starting out on their DofE journey is to choose activities that you really love and are passionate about. Consider what you enjoy and how it fits with your schedule.

emmanuel

Emmanuel signed up to DofE through his church and has noticed a big improvement in his social skills, having had to work with people of all ages. He has enjoyed giving back to his community and has become a role model for other young people by progressing to the role of Youth Leader at his church. Emmanuel took up cycling for his Silver Physical section and has gradually increased his distances to travel out of the city and explore new areas. He has focused on bike maintenance for his Skill and has picked up lots of tips by watching online cycling videos. He can now make his own repairs and feels much more confident when out exploring. His skills were put to the test on the Silver Expedition, which involved a challenging 96-mile bike ride, navigating hills and changing weather conditions, but he stayed positive and was motivated by his friends and family cheering the team on. Emmanuel is proud of the person he has become and aspires to study urban planning at university, to create positive changes in more deprived areas of his community.

finlay

Finlay signed up to DofE to see how far he could push himself, both physically and mentally. He is an athlete and holds three Scottish running titles for 100m, 200m and 400m distances. Finlay has focused on his discipline of frame running for his Bronze, Silver, and Gold Physical sections. To begin with he found the sport challenging due to his cerebral palsy, but he has made huge progress by working on his co-ordination, endurance, and speed. He now has experience racing over longer distances, including his local parkrun, and a half-marathon. He volunteers at his athletics club and enjoys delivering training sessions, seeing the progress made by juniors with his support and guidance. He has been able to educate them on his disability and wants to help other disabled people feel more confident to ask for help and make the world more accessible. Finlay is now planning his first marathon and aims to work in sports development, with a focus on disability sport.  He would also like to see frame running at the Paralympics one day.

folusho

Folusho worried that DofE wouldn’t be for her. As someone who wasn't naturally sporty, didn't enjoy walking and had never camped before, the prospect of the Physical and Expedition sections was initially unnerving. She signed up for Bronze after some persuasion from her mum and relished the supportive environment of taking part through her Girlguiding unit. Folusho realised that you don't have to be the best at something to enjoy it, and as a result, has pushed herself out of her comfort zone and discovered what she can do. She joined her school’s rounders club at Bronze and learnt to play tennis at Silver, and the more she played, the better she got. Now, near completion of her Gold, she is a member of her local dance group and is working towards performing at her first dance festival! Folusho has found belief and confidence through DofE and wants to use her voice to empower other people to explore what they are capable of.

gracie

Gracie has always been determined to take on any opportunities that come her way. DofE presented a new challenge, and through her Bronze and Silver Awards, she has learnt to never underestimate her own abilities. Gracie signed up to be a Fire Cadet for her Volunteering section. As someone who was not sporty, this was a huge step out of her comfort zone, but she has now completed search and rescue missions, scaled buildings on ladder drills and has worked her way up the ranks to hold the position of Watch Commander. As one of the only females in a leadership role, Gracie wants to break the mould and inspire other female cadets to follow in her footsteps. She put her first aid training into practice when a member of her team was taken ill on Expedition and is campaigning to introduce first aid into the curriculum in her school. Gracie completed a British Sign Language course for her Bronze Skills section and hopes to be able to use this to break down barriers in communication for people with hearing difficulties.

gurt

Gurt is a talented photographer and was first inspired to pick up the camera by his mum, who has experience working for a magazine. He focused on photography for his Silver Skill, as it is something he enjoys, but he didn’t expect one of his images of a snow-covered Mussenden Temple with a train emerging from the tunnel below to feature on BBC news!  He now sells his prints in a local shop and has been hired as a photographer at his first wedding, which he is very excited about. Gurt feels proud that something he does for fun has progressed into so much more. Through DofE, Gurt has learnt the value of teamwork, and his Expeditions have brought together people from a range of backgrounds and abilities. Gurt was able to use his previous Scouting experience to help lead the team at Bronze, but struggled with navigation and recalls the team taking a detour using their rucksacks as sledges to get back on track! Gurt recognises that everyone has something to contribute and to never judge someone before getting to know them properly.

hannah

Hannah’s DofE journey has been one of connection and self-discovery. She relished the freedom of being able to get out on her bike during lockdown and would frequently cycle to see her grandparents and deliver home baked cakes (even if they did get a bit squashed on route!) It was her grandad who taught her woodwork for her Skill and helped her make her own wardrobes and bookcase. Her new-found love for building things has encouraged Hannah to consider a career in engineering. Through her Expeditions, Hannah has made friends for life with people she may never have crossed paths with otherwise. As a DofE Young Leader for her school, Hannah has found her voice speaking in front of assemblies of over 300 pupils and supporting on Expeditions. These are all things she would never have believed possible as a shy year 7 who avoided interaction. Now, a passing smile in the corridor, or stopping for a quick chat and a simple ‘how are you?’ with her DofE peers shows that she is valued. For Hannah, DofE is like a family, and she has found where she belongs.

huda

Inspired by her older sister's experiences, Huda started her DofE journey without much confidence in her own abilities. There have been many occasions where quitting would have been the easy option, but Huda has shown courage and determination and is now reaping the benefits.  Huda remembers conquering a mountain on her Silver Expedition in the Peak District. At first the 500-metre climb seemed impossible, but her team sang the whole way up and the views at the top were breathtaking. For her Bronze Physical section, Huda decided she was going to learn to swim. As the oldest in the class by some way, she initially felt self-conscious, but committed to going every week throughout her Bronze and Silver Awards and is now a competent swimmer with a lifeguard qualification next on the to-do list at Gold! Huda will use her platform as a Youth Ambassador to speak out on issues such as climate change and mental health, and is committed to removing the ‘snowflake’ stereotype that can be associated with young people today.

isabel

Isabel discovered a range of new skills and hobbies throughout her Awards. She took up bell ringing for her Bronze Skill after getting distracted by the sound of them whilst trying to do her homework! She started out as a complete beginner, but over time her confidence grew, and she began ringing at Sunday services in church and even entered a team competition whilst completing her Silver Award. When Isabel first heard about DofE, the Expedition was the section she was looking forward to the least, as she did not enjoy walking. Bronze was a challenge, but after proving to herself again and again what she was capable of, she has now found a passion for hiking. Since completing her Gold Award, Isabel has continued to push herself physically by taking on ‘Ten Tors’, navigating 35 miles on foot over 2 days in Dartmoor. Her next adventure is the ‘Action Challenge’, where she will trek 50km across Exmoor. Before DofE, Isabel lacked confidence, but she now enjoys pursuing new opportunities and wants to encourage others to do the same through her role as a Youth Ambassador.

thomas b

Thomas has a real passion for basketball. He has watched as several of his friends have been scouted to play in America and hopes one day to do the same. Thomas says that without DofE, he would never have tried refereeing, and this has given him a newfound appreciation of the role of a referee on the court, making split second decisions, controlling the play, and resolving disputes. He was also inspired by the leadership skills demonstrated by the instructors on his wildlife and conservation Residential for Gold, which he has taken back into his own coaching role, inspiring younger players who are new to the sport. As someone who is usually a leader on the court, through the Expedition section Thomas developed his ability to empathise and be patient. From supporting a teammate who was poorly by carrying their rucksack, to taking the time to listen to the quietest member of the team (who it turns out was the best at navigating!) Thomas’s DofE Expedition taught him the valuable lesson that everyone's voice deserves to be heard.

thomas j

Thomas describes his DofE as a transformative experience. What he’s seen and learnt along the way has given him a sense of gratitude and a desire to give back to others. Bronze Volunteering was for an online organisation called Missing Maps, where he helped to map locations at risk of natural disasters or crises to support future humanitarian aid missions. This opened his eyes to the challenging conditions people are subjected to across the globe. For Silver he baked cakes for a small charity called Little Bakers, with money raised supporting families in Ukraine. The Silver Expedition took Thomas out of the city into the Brecon Beacons, where he discovered a love for the outdoors and the breath-taking mountain views. He had a realisation about how much better he felt without the reliance of his phone and has now phased social media out of his life. Inspired, Thomas now plans on undertaking a pilgrimage across Spain which is a gruelling 23 kilometres per day for 35 days.

tryphene

Tryphene’s goal is to encourage others to speak up on the issues they care about. She has successfully tackled the topics of racism and discrimination in school, which is something that she has experienced herself growing up. By raising awareness of these issues in society, people can be supported to feel understood and included, regardless of their backgrounds. Tryphene has implemented change within her school by running assemblies for several year groups during Black History Month, and meeting with school leaders to change the school's curriculum. This led to helping design and run her school's first ever culture day, which raised over £500 for charity. Empowered by her success on a local level, Tryphene is now planning a culture catwalk as part of Leeds Year of Culture 2023, where she will raise awareness on the range of cultures and faiths living together in the city. Tryphene has become a DofE Youth Ambassador to work with other likeminded people from across the UK, to make a positive impact on a larger scale.

ved

Ved is a musician and has explored this passion further through his DofE. For Bronze, he volunteered for a charity called Kissing it Better, working to end the isolation of old age by bringing generations together. Ved recorded videos of him playing saxophone and sent them off to care homes. The response he received was overwhelmingly positive and it was gratifying to know he was able to make a difference. He plays in the jazz orchestra and is now working on composing and arranging his own pieces for his Silver skill section. Through repeated practice and a dedication to build his experience, Ved’s dream is to one day have his own touring jazz band! Ved wants to create pathways for young people to get into music through their DofE Award, as he knows first-hand the benefits this can bring. Ved’s advice for someone about to start their own Award is to take it one week at a time, set small attainable goals which you can work towards, and take pride in the progress you are making.

zainab

Before doing DofE, Zainab had never been camping, but the idea of having an adventure away from home with friends drove her to sign up for Bronze. Although she initially found her Expedition challenging, she pushed herself outside her comfort zone and found a new determination to succeed. For Skills, she learnt Arabic and developed her academic writing, which even led to one of her articles being published by a university professor! But after being diagnosed with a heart condition part way through her Silver Award, it was touch and go whether Zainab would even get the chance to complete her Expedition. Thankfully, after the thumbs-up from her doctor, she was able to join her friends in the Dorset countryside and was rewarded with a traditional fish and chips dinner followed by ice-cream on the beach at the end of a challenging 3-day hike. DofE has sparked Zainab’s taste for adventure, and she plans to take a gap year after finishing her A-Levels to travel Europe and explore famous historical sites.

zak

Zak believes that the purpose of DofE is to make you a better version of yourself, by getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new! As someone who grew up in the city, opportunities were not always readily available, and he relished the chance to explore the countryside on his Expeditions, giving him the opportunity to switch off from the digital age and get out in nature. Zak has worked hard to develop his confidence and found structure and discipline through his Physical section, where he took up boxing. He is now at university, completing his Gold Award through DofE Direct and one day aspires to become a Barrister. He is a founding ambassador for the charity Youth Network, helping young people develop new skills and giving them a voice, particularly those who struggle to be heard. DofE taught Zak to seize every opportunity and he hopes to inspire more young people to do the Award, achieve their dreams and discover what they are truly capable of.