A YOUNG person from Warrington, who is doing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), wants to show how doing a DofE Award can benefit every young person, after being selected as a Youth Ambassador for the charity.
Thomas Burrows, 17, joins a cohort of just 35 DofE Award holders aged 16-24 from all over the UK, who will advocate for young people by sharing their expertise on key issues impacting them. Together, they will make young people’s voices heard by speaking at events, meeting key decision-makers in Parliament and beyond, and feeding into decisions to shape the direction of the DofE charity’s work.
Speaking about his DofE Award, Thomas explains: “DofE expeditions were a totally new experience because I had never camped or cooked before and I was very used to my home comforts. Hiking with my team in Delamere Forest and then the Yorkshire Dales gave me the opportunity to switch off from technology and live without it. My Expeditions also highlighted the impact that we have on the environment and made me want to take care of our planet even more.
“To me, DofE embodies resilience in trying something new and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone for the better. It embodies the small everyday actions where people push themselves to go an extra mile.”
To do their DofE, young people aged 14-24 choose their own activities to complete Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections, an Expedition and a Residential at Gold level. They have fun, discover new passions, give back to their communities, grow in resilience and self-belief, and develop vital skills employers value – while working towards a widely recognised and respected Award.
More young people than ever started their DofE in 2022/23 – with half a million actively participating and more schools, community organisations and prisons running the DofE.
As a Youth Ambassador, Thomas plans to push for the DofE to be accessible for everyone. Thomas said: “My school made my DofE very accessible, but I know this is not the case for everyone. Doing my DofE Award has been one of the best experiences of my life and I want everyone to have the same opportunity I had.”
Funded by The Gosling Foundation, the Youth Ambassador programme puts young people front and centre as future leaders, involving them in shaping the DofE’s work to benefit other young people.
DofE Youth Ambassadors have met Ministers and MPs, spoken at high-profile events such as party conferences and DofE Gold Award celebrations in Buckingham Palace Garden, represented the DofE at international forums, and played a pivotal role feeding into key decisions across the charity.
Ashley Williams, UK Youth Engagement Manager at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Thomas is one of many young people who have achieved incredible things through their DofE. As a charity, we’re determined to put young people at the heart of everything we do and to connect them with opportunities to make a positive impact on the issues they care about – and we can’t wait to see what our new cohort of Youth Ambassadors achieve this year.
“As they navigate the ongoing after-effects of the pandemic and a severe cost-of-living crisis, it’s more vital than ever that all young people get access to opportunities like the DofE, which let them have fun, grow their resilience and self-belief, and develop vital skills they can’t always get in the classroom.”
