The Duke of Edinburgh Award: Young people of Kirklees celebrated at presentation evening

The last year saw 881 new participants enrol on the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award in Kirklees, which is based at Little Deer Wood in Mirfield, through schools, colleges, open award centres and other youth provisions.

593 of participants achieved their ambition of a bronze, silver or gold award, with an additional 238 achieving their Certificate of Achievement over the past 12 months.

Young people were presented with their awards by a range of special guests including Mr Ed Anderson CBE (Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire), Coun Masood Ahmed and Iram Ahmed, the Mayor and Mayoress of Kirklees, and international saxophonist Ellie Sax.

Young people themselves were at the forefront of the event, with performances coming from pupils at All Saints Catholic College and Shelley College.

Coun Ahmed said: “It was an honour to officially recognise the young people of Kirklees with their awards. Their resilience and self-belief to reach their goals is something to admire.

“The programme, for a lot of young people, means stepping out of their comfort zone and pushing personal boundaries. As Mayor it makes me incredibly proud that we have some of the most dedicated and committed young people in the country.”

The DofE is open to all 14-24 year olds and is a popular way of developing skills for life and work. It includes helping the community and environment, becoming fitter, planning and completing an expedition and, for gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.

Coun Carole Pattison, Cabinet member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities, said:

“The council plays a key role in delivering these awards, supporting young people to aspire, achieve and fulfil their potential.

“It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. The DofE scheme is a great opportunity for young people in Kirklees to shine, have fun and develop new skills that will benefit themselves and other people.”

Kirklees’ DofE team base at the Little Deer Wood site is an accessible outdoor activity centre which is available for bookings where people can enjoy archery, climbing, bouldering, canoeing, bushcraft, outdoor cooking, orienteering and team building.

Little Deer Wood offers half and full days of activities, as well as evening sessions and residentials. Accommodation is in bespoke shepherd’s huts or tepees, while the central log cabin with multimedia connections is an ideal place for team away days.

The venue also offers outdoor courses for adults such as the Lowland Leader, Countryside Leader Award, Archery and First Aid.

For more information about Little Deer Wood and the DofE scheme, visit www.kirkleesdofe.org