Duke of Edinburgh
Achievements
Bronze and Gold 2022/23
The Bronze and Gold D of E cohorts joined together to make one united team even though they were completing two different awards.
There were 5 Bronze participants and 2 Gold participants. This meant that we did our training together and our Practice expeditions together. The 4 night expedition counted the Bronze cohort’s practice and qualifying expeditions in one whereas it counted as the Gold cohort’s practice expedition as they have a bit more work to go to get their award!
The photos below show the activities we got up to!
NMC Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award Expedition
Originally set for 2020, this expedition was postponed several times due to the pandemic but the team of six determined participants felt it was worth the wait.
On the first day of the expedition we planned our activities for the week ahead and, most importantly, the route we planned to complete by walking/wheeling and canoeing. We then went orienteering which was pretty cold, wet and rugged – the ideal preparation for what was to come.
The second day we did rock climbing which a few members of the team were very apprehensive about. Every single participant made it to the top of the wall and really did themselves and the NMC proud! The team proved that no challenge is too great when you have the support you need to do it! On returning to the accommodation, everybody prepared and cooked their evening meal outdoors.
The third day was time for canoeing and the weather could not have been better! We had glorious sunshine and little to no wind so we were able to spend hours on Windermere being very comfortable. We had planned everything and had all the equipment and cushioning needed to stay comfortable!
On the fourth and final day we did our walk/wheel through the countryside and in true Lake District fashion – the weather was awful! We did our 5 mile trail in torrential rain but managed it perfectly as we had planned and prepared for all eventualities. Despite the weather and soggy sandwiches the team made it through to the end and proved that there really is a way to do everything.
Dominic Morgan Achieves His Bronze Award
Dom was the first person to achieve this prestigious award through the NMC DofE scheme.
It's a tough challenge for anyone, and we are all in complete awe of Dom's achievement. The award ceremony was a proud evening for Dom, his parents, his fellow DofE team members and our whole charity. Several hundred people heard about Dom's achievements and gave a huge round of applause when he went up to collect his certificate. Some said it wasn't possible. Dom has proved ANYTHING is possible. It's all about what you can do. It's much more about abilities than disabilities.
Enormous congratulations to Dom from all us at NMC!
Dom successfully completed a team expedition in the Lake District with our group of ambitious young people who triumphed against the wind, rain and freezing temperatures to take on tent-building and outdoor cooking training. They also developed exceptional first aid awareness and map-reading skills.
Dom learnt a new skill, which was to develop a high level of drawing and artistic creativity. He also volunteered in a community Basketball club for under-privileged youngsters in Crewe. There, he took photos and took responsibility for all their social media work.
