Duo make Buckingham Palace trip
Course co-ordinator, Jim Lewis, and Deputy Head, Tim Cashell, attended the once in a lifetime Gold Award Presentation to celebrate the Duke of Edinburgh Award's diamond anniversary on Monday, May 16.
At the event the pair were presented with a special plaque from the DofE Charity acknowledging Rydal Penrhos’ commitment to running the scheme.
The DofE is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary throughout 2016, having supported millions of young people in the UK and across the globe to achieve awards since it was founded in 1956.
The presentation was one of many memorable events taking place to celebrate 60 years of the Charity.
Among the many dignitaries that attended included HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Earl of Wessex and HRH The Countess of Wessex.
In addition, former pupil Sravya Bathula, who left us three years ago, picked up her prestigious Gold Award at the ceremony after completing it with the school a few months after she departed.
Mr Lewis, said: “Rydal Penrhos has held a licence to deliver the DofE for many years and I feel honoured to have been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive a commemorative plaque to acknowledge and say thank you for our work with the Charity during its Diamond Anniversary year.
“Our young people are encouraged to push themselves outside of their comfort zones when doing their DofE and the skills that they develop can be life-changing, so for us to be involved is something very special.”
Peter Westgarth, Chief Executive of the DofE Charity, added: “Through the DofE, Rydal Penrhos is inspiring the success of its young people; equipping them with the attributes and skills to get a job and build strong relationships whilst opening up their worlds and introducing them to a broad range of interests.”
Ieuan Franssens, Katie Marston, Will Marston, Soumini Peeka, Anna Popyuk, Nikita Shershavikov, Jack Sissons and Alice Waltham all took part in the physically demanding challenge over three days in a practice expedition ahead of their Gold Award assessment.
Mr Lewis, said: “In the best of conditions, this can be a serious and physically-demanding challenge.
“However, the cold forecast for the weekend combined with the snow falls of the previous week placed an added level of importance on the need for proper preparation.”
After a training and acclimatisation day on Friday, in which the teams were put through their paces with navigation exercises off the beaten track in the Carneddau, they then descended to Rowen in the Conwy valley from which to launch their actual expedition.
During the next three days, the two groups of four pupils successfully navigated their way across 45km of arduous terrain, involving over 2000m of vertical ascent with full expedition rucksacks, facing fierce hail storms, battering headwinds and persistent rain.
Over the next few weeks, preparations will begin for the assessed expedition, due to take place in September in the Rhinog Mountains of southern Snowdonia.