Birmingham woman recognised for her dedication to the DofE charity by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Hosted by The Duke as Patron of the DofE charity, Sophie, 24, joined thousands of young people and their loved ones from across the UK for a festival-style celebration at Buckingham Palace Garden last week - Monday 13 May. The celebration was one of four taking place over two days at the Palace, recognising over 8,000 young people who have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and resilience to complete their Gold DofE in schools, community organisations, youth groups and workplaces, all over the UK.

The celebration saw HRH The Duke of Edinburgh – who received his own Gold Award from his father Prince Philip at nearby St James’s Palace in 1986 – congratulate attendees in a speech from the Palace’s West Terrace.

Sophie, who did her DofE with Harton Academy in South Shields and who is now a DofE Manager at Smith’s Wood Academy in the West Midlands, was one of just a handful of people to personally speak to The Duke following his speech. Originally from South Shields, Sophie now lives in Birmingham and is passionate about giving young people the opportunity to do their DofE, having experienced first-hand the benefits this can bring.

Having originally completed her Gold Award in 2019, Sophie attended this year’s celebration event after several years of delay. However, during this time Sophie has gone on to qualify as a secondary school teacher and become a passionate DofE Manager at the West Midlands school. With funding from the Department for Education, Sophie has been able to re-establish DofE in the school and build awareness of the programme. Sophie is described by colleagues as ‘a very positive person, who is ‘giving her all to establish DofE’. They say her passion for the Award is ‘just incredible’.

Reflecting on meeting HRH The Duke of Edinburgh after the event, Sophie said: “Meeting HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was the highlight of the day. To have the opportunity to discuss not only my own experience, but the experiences of my students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and who have started their own DofE journeys, was brilliant.”

Chef, television presenter and Gold DofE Award holder Matt Tebbutt – whose son, Henry, also collected his Gold Award on Monday - delivered an inspiring speech. He said: “My own DofE journey taught me to embrace the bumps along the road, learn from them, and see where life takes you. I used to dread public speaking. At 26, I couldn't even manage to give a best man's speech – a regret I still carry with me. But here I am today, speaking to all of you and millions more every Saturday on television. It shows that, with enthusiasm and a willingness to try, anything is possible.

“The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is not just an impressive badge of honour - it represents integrity, perseverance, a spirit of adventure, and a desire to give something back. These experiences ultimately make you more interesting and well-rounded human beings. Your journey is just beginning, and I have no doubt that each of you will do extraordinary things.”

Buckingham Palace Garden had been transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting and garden games and activities. Attendees had the chance to hear from famous DofE Award holders and other inspiring speakers, with Actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe, animator and co-founder of Academy Award-winning Aardman studios Peter Lord CBE, Jodie Ounsley – also known as Fury from Gladiators – television presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram, and marathon runner Sally Orange MBE speaking at stages throughout the garden.

A Gold DofE programme is a non-competitive personal challenge, open to all young people, which takes a minimum of 12 months to complete. Young people build their own programmes with activities in five sections – Physical, Skills, Volunteering, a five-day Residential and a four-day Expedition. 

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: "The young people here today have achieved something exceptional, and it is wonderful to see them celebrating together, sharing their experiences and hearing their aspirations for the future. DofE is all about proving to yourself just what you are capable of, and the young people here today have showed the world that their potential is limitless. I can’t wait to see what they go on to do next.

“As a charity, we’re working hard to give as many young people as possible the chance to have a DofE experience and we're delighted to announce that last year 330,948 young people started a DofE Award - another record-breaking year. This growth in participation shows just how much appetite there is amongst young people for enrichment and development opportunities beyond formal education and, together with our partners, we are determined to keep extending our reach until every young person has access to these types of life-changing experiences."