On 16 May 2016, David Hutt, Head of Greenfields School Senior School in Forest Row, attended a once in a lifetime Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace, London. At the event, Greenfields School was presented with a special plaque from the DofE Charity by celebrity supporter Alistair McGowan acknowledging the school’s commitment to running the DofE and thanking it for giving young people the opportunity to transform their lives.
Mr Hutt, who is also the DofE Manager at Greenfields School, spoke proudly about the school’s involvement with the DofE, saying: “Greenfields has held a licence to deliver the DofE for several years now 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.”
Since becoming an official Licensed Organisations for the DofE, more and more Greenfields students have embarked on a DofE Award, volunteering in their community, learning a skill, getting fit, going on an expedition and, for Gold, taking part in a week-long residential. Doing a DofE programme significantly impacts young people’s futures, enabling them to develop vital skills for life and work, such as confidence, commitment, resilience and team work.
