28 OVs Receive Invitation to Buckingham Palace for their Gold DofE

Many congratulations to the 28 recent leavers who had invitations to a special Garden Party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to celebrate their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award.

As well as having an opportunity to explore the beautiful Palace Gardens, there were inspirational speeches from various public figures to enjoy. Adventurer Pip Stewart spoke about how her own DofE experience gave her the passion for what she now does and how she turned potential disasters into opportunities by having the right mindset.

Towards the end of the afternoon HRH The Earl of Wessex gave an address from the West Terrace to offer his congratulations before walking through the crowd speaking to individuals. He spoke how teamwork, perseverance and resilience often define the character of Gold Award holders and welcomed the new Award holders to the “Gold DofE club”.

Speaking about the occasion, Simon Cuthbertson (Hon OV) commented, “I was very proud to see so many recent OVs celebrate their Gold DofE success in the presence of HRH at this special event. Receiving the Gold Award is a fine achievement and I congratulate everyone on their hard work.”