Wrexham Scout Network members Elen Griffiths and Tegan Shepherd have earned one of the toughest awards young people can achieve in the UK, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award.
To achieve the award young people must: spend at least 12 months helping a local charity, community group, or voluntary organisation; commit to a sport, dance, or fitness activity; develop a practical, creative, or social interest; plan, train for, and complete an independent, self-sufficient journey lasting 4 days and 3 nights; and spend 5 days and 4 nights away from home in an unfamiliar residential setting, undertaking a shared project or activity with people you do not already know.
Elen, 19 from Coedpoeth, is now a Leader at Atlas Explorers. She did couch to 5k, ending with a 5km race for life, helped out in her local Sunday league football, developed her guitar playing and attended the All Wales Scout Camp for her residential.
She said, “The parts I enjoyed most were exploring Barmouth on our qualifier expedition, and meeting new friends at the All Wales Scout Camp. The most challenging parts were the start of the expedition in the summer heat, and to stay motivated during the couch to 5k, but the end achievement of each section was very rewarding.”
Tegan, 18, is also from Coedpoeth and also now helps at Atlas. She told us, “I enjoyed the residential the most because I got to meet new people and made some new memories, the most challenging was the actual expedition with most of it being uphill and challenging but being with the group made it a better experience.”
Team Leader at Atlas Explorers, Trev Haughton said, “I have known both Tegan and Elen since they came to our Explorer Scout Unit as shy 14 year olds. Over the past five years it has been a pleasure to see them thrive and grow, through Scouts and the DofE scheme, into confident independent young women, who have since become volunteers themselves and are giving back to others what these experiences brought to them. I am immensely proud of what they have both achieved and accomplished.
“The Scouts offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for all of its members aged 13 to 25 and we’re one of the largest providers of the Award in the UK. We’re always looking for adults to support young people in this age range to reach their potentials. If you’d like to help out you can volunteer via our website scouts.org.uk”
We’d like to wish both Elen and Tegan huge congratulations!
