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In the spirit of celebrating good news and achievements within our community, Jignesh Panchal from Peterborough, tells us about his recent Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. It certainly sounds like Jignesh put in a lot of hard work - especially during his time working with the orphanage in India and on his expedition. Well done Jignesh!
In August 2008, I signed up to the Duke of
Edinburgh Gold Award scheme which was being run through my school. As a
direct entrant in to Gold Award (without completing the bronze or
silver), I had to do carry out one of my activities for 18 months,
rather than the standard 12 months.
Firstly, the group undertook a first aid course, which we all passed.
There are five main elements to the Gold Award: Service, Skills, Sport,
Residential and Expedition.
Service - This is a voluntary contribution to the local community. The
activity I chose was to volunteer at Sue Ryder Care every Saturday
morning. I did this for 18 months, and very much enjoyed it.
Skills - I was learning to drive at the same time as doing the other
parts of the award and so I incorporated it into one. I passed my test
after around 20 hours of tuition, approximately 6 months. I was still at
school at the time, so finding time to do everything at once was
sometimes a little tricky!
Sport - For this part, I decided to go jogging for 30 minutes around 3
times a week. I also played cricket for the local men's team.
Residential - This part of the award requires
you to stay away from home for about 4-5 days in which you are
contributing to the community. I went to India to do mine, where I
helped out at an orphanage for a week. It was a highly rewarding
experience.
Expedition - This was probably the hardest part. First we went on a
practice expedition in the Peak District (October 2009), where we walked
on all kinds of terrain for 4 days. On average we walked around 6 miles
a day, navigating on a set route and setting up camp. For the final and
assessed expedition, we were set in Wales (March 2010). We walked for 5
days, covering about 8 miles a day. The weather was awful most of the
time during both trips!
I have now completed all sections of the award, and am currently
awaiting my certificates and the invitation to the awards ceremony at
St.James' Palace.
I would definitely recommend the award, as it is very rewarding and is a
great addition to your CV. However it is also challenging and as such
requires determination and perseverance.
Jignesh Panchal
(Peterborough, Northamptonshire)