Royal date for Kirklees DofE award winners

Some of the local DofE students with Prince Philp during the presentation.

THE Duke of Edinburgh recently presented 46 young people from Kirklees with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards in what is believed to be his last presentation ceremony before he retires from public duty.

Prince Philip met a selection of the 2017 award winners at a garden reception in the grounds of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.

Currently just over 6,000 young people are taking part in the DofE Award Scheme in Kirklees alone, and at the reception 350 Gold Award Holders from around the country were honoured at the reception.

Denise Bedford MBE, DofE manager for Kirklees, said: “It was a very poignant moment after all these years and a memorable occasion for our young people to be there for the Duke’s last presentation ceremony.

“The success of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in Kirklees relies on the help of many volunteers.

“If anybody would like to get involved to help ensure that the award is offered to future generations please get in touch via the website on www.kirkleesdofe.org.”

The Kirklees DofE Award Trust, which helps to steer and support the scheme locally, is also looking to recruit new trustees who feel that they could contribute to its work.

Since founding the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards in 1956 more than six million young people have taken part in the scheme. It is hailed as the world’s leading youth achievement awards.