This month, we cheered on Old Maynardians Tali, Erin, Eleanor and Katie, who deservedly had the chance to celebrate their momentous achievement of completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award at none other than Buckingham Palace!
As anyone acquainted with DofE will know, it takes passion, determination and resilience in spades to complete the five sections of Skill, Fitness, Volunteering, Expedition and Residential. These absolute superstars went above and beyond, now standing in good stead for their future no matter what path they choose, and their grand trip to the Palace is the cherry on top for this experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
To complete their award, Katie and Erin both attended a Year 7 cycling trip to France as leaders, Eleanor joined other like-minded individuals for a Latin and cultural camp in Yorkshire, and Tali joined Dynamic Adventures as a leader on the Gold Expedition for last year’s cohort. They each completed sections in sport from horse riding to swimming and gave up over 200 volunteering hours collectively, supporting groups inside and outside of school – or, in Katie’s case, picking litter up from the towpath along the Grand Western Canal. They gained new skills and progressed in existing ones, from singing and dramatic arts to swimming teaching certificates, and the odd driving test too!
These four now join the 16 girls who have successfully completed their Gold Award in the past 12 months. Congratulations to them and all future Gold award holders who will undoubtedly follow in their footsteps as the Outdoor Education department continues to thrive at The Maynard!
