Rtance of challenging yourself

Regarded by future employers, the ous Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme o tackle individual fears and mental hurdles

d i in 18 months, h eventually ll e residential project at Gold aw from what I picked up y,” she says.

is about setting individual ou’re not measured against ut yourself. “The journey is ging because you tackle your d mental hurdles,” says Mr. t the reward is ultimately more than h worth hi it. Th The sense of f accomplishment will give you immense confidence to tackle any challenge, and the award itself is recognised by many institutions and future employers.”

The award programme is quite simple. You need to be between the ages of 14-24 to be eligible to take part. While you’re free to start at any level (it will take the same time period of 18 months to ac achieve the Gold award nevertheless), it is advised that you begin with the Br Bronze, moving onto the next levels de depending on your accomplishment. To st start the programme you will need to c contact the National Youth Awards A Authority, who will put you in touch w with a trained coordinator in your area.

To qualify for the Duke of Edinburgh A Award you must show development i in four areas; skills, service, physical r recreation and your ability to survive i in unfamiliar terrain. The beauty of the programme is in its flexibility and versatility. You can personalise the programme according to your talents and resources and appoint your own (professionally qualified or experienced) assessors. For the skills programme you’re free to pick something that you’re good at and work on becoming even better, while service requires you to engage directly with your community. Physical recreation encourages you to take up a physical activity and the expedition part of the challenge will test your survival skills in the great outdoors. At Gold level, you’ll be required to complete a residential project where you must live and work for a short time in a place of need-anywhere in the world. “The possibilities are endless,” says Thanuja. “You get to do things you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do.”

The award itself is extremely prestigious. “This will give you an edge over your peers,” says Mr. Ellawala. “That’s why we encourage any young person interested to apply and complete the programme. All you need is commitment.” For further queries contact the National Youth Awards Authority on contact@slnyaa.org and visit www.dofe.org