DofE Awards Presentation 2026
Congratulations to all of our students who successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh's Award last year. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a flexible programme of activities that helps to develop young people for life and work. It encourages teamwork and social interaction and helps young people stand out from the crowd when applying for university and jobs. It also is a great opportunity to get young people to try new things!
During the last year of activity, our students in achieving the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards logged 1547 hours of volunteer time, making a sizable impact in our community. Along with volunteering, students also had to learn a new skill and take on a physical challenge. As a group, they participated in expeditions where they hiked and camped (without a mobile phone in sight!) We calculated all of our expeditions and our students have walked over 7750km through the Great British countryside! It wasn't just the students that were honoured this year, Miss Langdon, our DofE Coordinator, also received a special award this year for her 7 years of service.
During the evening, we were very proud to present 44 students with their Bronze Awards and 16 students with their Silver Awards. Miss Langdon gave an overview of the impact of student involvement and shared stories from the trail--including campsite chicken invasions, groups learning how to read maps the hard way (by getting lost), discovering the importance of a good camp-side meal and after years of lucky weather, finally getting a taste of the Welsh rain on both expeditions to the Brecon Beacons.
Mr Lynch also spoke during the evening, thanking Miss Langdon for her time and commitment to the programme, as well as to the twelve other members of staff who gave up their weekends to support students on their expeditions. He also thanked parents their role in helping make sure that their children stay organised and complete their volunteering, skills and physical sections.
Many of the students awarded on the evening are continuing with the programme for their Silver Award and are planning on taking on Gold once they are 16 years old. Students achieving the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award will receive their certificates at a special reception in Buckingham Palace.
guest speaker - Emily McIntosh
The highlight of the evening was keynote speaker and former Sheldon student, Emily McIntosh. After leaving Sheldon Sixth Form in 2008, Emily embarked on a life full of travel and outdoor pursuits. She embraced the spirit of adventure, even if her first attempts at backpacking ended in bit of a disaster. Despite a rough start at trekking, Emily learned not to be ashamed of failure. She persevered and eventually fell into a life bookmarked by both extraordinary adventures, as well as grief and loss.
“I think adventuring and getting out of your comfort zone is so important,” she explained. “I’m and advocate for using the great outdoors as a healer.”
Emily spoke about her own journey and how walking some of the UK’s most scenic trails has helped her in some of life’s most challenging moments. Over the last decade, Emily has hiked thousands of miles across the UK, travelled through Europe and Asia and spent a great deal of time backpacking in Australia and New Zealand. Back home, she worked as an outdoor activity instructor in the Lake District and ran a successful B&B on the Isle of Arran.
Last summer, after a series of tragic life events, Emily set out on a 1500-mile trek from Wales to Cornwall, combining the Wales Coast Path and the South West Coast Path. This epic 100-day solo journey allowed her to process her grief and make sense of a tumultuous few years. She met kind, generous people along the route and was witness to the beautiful and changing landscape of our coastlines. She explained that the journey, while difficult, was essential to finding healing and peace. They physical challenge of hiking and trekking helped make her mentally stronger and able to embrace the next chapter of her life.
She encouraged the students to make sure they always make time for new experiences, enjoy the great outdoors and to follow a path through life that makes them happy. It is in those moments of adventure that they’ll find a way to navigate life’s challenges.
Her parting advice for the students: