Dozens of young people in South Holland have been rewarded for their hard work in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Many candidates were receiving their bronze award, five have completed the silver award and four teenagers – Spalding High School students Georgina Cantwell, Emily Crossland and Jade Rigby and Spalding Open Award Group member Sophie Roberts – have achieved the top award, gold.
The awards were presented by Spalding and District Round Table immediate past chairman Sam Nundy, who is a holder of all three awards and was a member of the Lincolnshire gold expedition to Nepal in 1994. He spoke about the benefits the award had given him, both as a candidate and in his working life. He encouraged all the young people present to make the most of the openings the award gives.
There was also a special one-off presentation to Beryl Clay, who has been field worker for the award in the Boston, Skegness and Spalding areas for many years and has run open award groups (for candidates unable to join school or other organisation groups).
Peter Kite, secretary of the South Holland award committee, said Mrs Clay had made an “outstanding” contribution in this area.
“Beryl’s input has made it possible for hundreds of young people in our area to complete their awards,” he said. “Unfortunately D of E reorganisation has closed down the original operating authorities like LCC and schools have to be their own directly licensed centres. This regrettably means that field workers and open award groups no longer exist.
“The committee therefore wanted Beryl to receive a parting gift from us as a token of our friendship and gratitude for all she has done in the award and to mark the esteem in which she is held.”
Representatives from Spalding High School, Spalding Grammar School and the now defunct open award groups gave presentations about the gains they had made from involvement in the scheme.
