Duke Of Edinburgh's Award Scheme Celebrates Twenty Five Years

Tony Adams interviews participants and leaders in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards to celebrate 25 years of the scheme.

To black background an orchestral score of The Planets, Op. 32: Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity plays. Tony Adams introduces his report: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme is founded on his own belief that an immense difference can be made in the lives of vast numbers of the younger generation, if they’re simply given the scope and the incentive to do something useful with their leisure time.” The Duke of Edinburgh reveals the idea for the scheme originated from his headmaster at Gordonstoun. As image appears, Andy Ross argues that the idea of the DofE is to make young people aware of themselves and help the community. Interview with Frances Sunderland. When asked how a person with a disability can help others she responds firmly “exactly the same way as an ordinary person”. Her friend Amanda Owens has a heart condition and does childcare service. Footage of Amanda helping children play with voiceover from Frances. “She washes them after dinners…feeds them. Talks to them and plays with them.” Gold winner David Rose recounts how he undertook his award scheme despite living with disability. A group of children and David are sitting in a circle recounting their experiences of the scheme. Over footage of a young lady describing her work for the Gold Award, Alan Harper extols the values of the scheme for younger people. Diseased Dutch Elms are felled and chopped for firewood, and saplings are planted in Burwell, Cambridgeshire. A boy is supervised ascending an indoor climbing wall. Footage of Ian Fraser, a welding apprentice with Blackwood Hodge in Northampton. In an interview, Keith Matthews argues that employers receive benefit compensating for any loss in productivity. Footage of a busy factory interior. David Rose fondly recounts collecting his award from Buckingham Palace. Interviews with several enthusiastic young people and their families, smartly attired at the Palace. One young man argues the Scheme has developed his confidence and social skills, and he now wishes to give something back. Keith Matthews extols the value of the DofE in allowing young people to achieve their own independence. Holst plays once more over black.

Featured Buildings

Buckingham Palace

Featured Events

Duke of Edinburgh Awards ceremony

Keywords

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme; Youth Training; Disability; Apprenticeships;

Other Places

Northampton

Background Information

"The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE), is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young adults for completing a series of self-improvement exercises modelled on Kurt Hahn's solution to the "Six Declines of Modern Youth"." Wikipedia