#Dukers246 - March 2023

Sir Trevor Carmichael KA LVO KC Chairperson - The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Charity

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award has a presence in over 140 countries and territories. The Award is delivered by our network of Award Operators, some of whom run national programmes, and others who operate individual Award Units in schools and other institutions. Presently, over one million young people are participating in the Award, supported by over 200,000 adult volunteers. The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation drives the Award's growth worldwide. Working through our Award Operators, we are creating new ways and places for young people to undertake the Award, ensuring that there are enough trained adults to support them and that their Award experience is of a high quality.

·We strive to expose the value of a sound non-formal education and the reasons why every young person needs one. We promote the Award as one way that a young person's development outside formal schooling may be recognised consistently worldwide.

·We remain the world's leading youth achievement award for young people. We bring together practical experiences and life skills to create committed citizens of the world.

·We equip young people aged 14-24, regardless of their backgrounds, circumstances and abilities, for whatever challenges or opportunities may lie ahead.

·Our long term international ambition is that by 2026, when the Award celebrates 70 years, every eligible young person will have the opportunity to participate in the Award.

In Barbados, the financial benefits from fundraising all contribute to strengthening the Award locally by helping young persons to enjoy the benefits of training and activities within frameworks which have been tried and tested.

We remain extremely grateful for all of the support which has been given locally by direct donations and also through the very generous financial participation by persons and institutions in the annual Duke of Edinburgh Golf Tournament for in excess of twenty years. Our thanks is also extended to our volunteer Trustees Mr. Stuart James Gardiner and Sir Paul Altman who over the years have worked assiduously to ensure the Tournament's success. They have been ably supported by Ms. Sarah Jones. The excellent work of the local Award Authority has been financially supported continuously by these generous acts of charitable giving. A sincere and genuine thanks is extended.

Sincere thanks is also extended to all as we celebrate 60 years of the Award in Barbados!

SCOUTS AMONG NEWEST AWARDEES

Deverron Bynoe, Jaleel Cobham and Melvin Terence can now count themselves among those who are #worldready, as they received their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards earlier this month during the recent Boy Scout Founders Day Parade and Service. The three were presented with their certificates by Sir Marston Gibson, Chief Scout and President of the Barbados Boy Scouts Association.

Each suggested that the Bronze Award complemented the work they were already doing as part of the Scout Programme. In Deverron’s case, many of the activities pursued for his Chief Scout’s Award were directly applicable. As part of his programme, he worked as a church acolyte and sermonist, picked up cycling, and practised piano and chess. Melvin's activities included chess and weighttrainng, while Jaleel perfected his sailing and martial arts. Their adventurous journeys also allowed them to explore various watercourses across the island.

The three are keen on pursuing the Silver Award, and while they realize that it will be a bit more challenging, they are up to the task.

DUKE WEEK: T-SHIRTS EVERYWHERE!

From March 5-12 2023, the Award officially recognized 60 years of service to the youth of Barbados with its annual Duke Week celebrations. A few celebrations were held, capped off by Friday's "T-Shirt Day", where Participants and alumni could dress in their Award colours wherever they were.

Many of our newer Participants would have acquired our Award #WorldReady design for this event (see right). The new design, piloted in 2021, features the use of the Award's #worldready moniker. Our vision as a global movement is to reach more young people from diverse backgrounds and equip them as individuals to succeed in life. That said, we know that the #worldready concept varies hugely from person to person and country to country.

To that end, we asked participants to reflect on what #worldready means to them. Tahlia suggests that it means she is prepared and equipped for the world and the challenges that may come along, For Naomi, the Award prepares participants to be #worldready by encouraging them to find the appropriate work-life balance while engaging in fulfilling extracurriculars outside of school.

Above: Award Volunteer Jeremy showeing off one of our shirt designs from CASC 2016.

Right: New Award Participants enjoying Shirt Day at school.

D U K E W E E K 2 0 2 3

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEYS HAVE RESUMED!

After a two-year pause, 2023 saw the resumption of full adventurous journeys. Participants from Harrison College, the Boy Scouts and the Open Award Units were engaged in Bronze and/or Silver level journeys earlier this year. These journeys tested the abilities of those who attended, as some would not have been engaged in longdistance travel for some time. That said, the journeys served their purpose, taking them to areas of the island they were unfamiliar with and providing new experiences and thrills.

The first journey saw three teams - "Power Rangers", "Winx Club", and "Up In the Air"taking in the sights of the Northern and Eastern Coastlines. After a slow start from St. Clements, the group battled rains in Kings Bay, sargassum in Laycock Bay and spouts in Little Bay before embracing the hills from Cove Bay through The Risk, Boscobelle and finally Cherry Tree Hill. After a long lunch break at Morgan Lewis, and playtime in Shorey Village, the groups crawled to their overnight stop at Alleyne School before a long march along the East Coast to their final destination at Bathsheba.

The second journey took team "Power Rangers along major parts of the historic Trailway. Over three days, the group of six traversed the central and eastern areas of the island, overnighting at KGVM Park and Codrington School, before ending once again at Bathsheba. Despite one participant losing a shoe on the way, one major highlight of this journey was taking in the morning twilight experience while overlooking the horizon at the School.

We encourage Award Participants to keep planning these journeys as we slowly put the restrictions of the pandemic behind us.

Members of Team Winx Club making their way through The Risk, St. Peter.

Right: Scenes from the Adventurous Journeys in Jnuary and February

A D V E N T U R O U S J O U R N E Y

HRH THE PRINCE EDWARD, HAS BEEN NAMED THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

(March 10, 2023) The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Barbados is delighted to confirm that the International Award Foundation’s Chairman of The Board of Trustees, HRH The Prince Edward has been named as the new Duke of Edinburgh, as announced by Buckingham Palace earlier this morning

"His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime."

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”

Chairman of the Award in Barbados Mr Stephen Smith commented: “I always felt it would be great if HRH Prince Edward would be conferred with the title Duke of Edinburgh which his father and Founder of the Award, HRH Prince Philip previously bore, as he is now Chairman of the Award program which also takes its name from the title.

We are indeed very pleased at this development as it augers well for the legacy of the Award program. As a member of the Award’s International Council, I meet with HRH Prince Edward each year and see firsthand how dear this program is to him. I therefore have no doubt he is very pleased to carry on the legacy with this new title.”

The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952.

The Award in Barbados would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to His Royal Highness, as he continues his late father’s legacy (PR)

HRH The Prince Edward with Gold Award recipients during his 2010 visit.

UPDATES TO AWARD REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several temporary changes were developed to help ensure Award continuity These changes not only enabled Operators around the world to continue to offer the Award under difficult circumstances, they also provided a greater access to Award participation for those who had previously been unable to take part

These were due to end on December 31 2022, but following a review of their impact, a majority of them have been permanently incorporated into the global Award programme The hope is that these will enable greater access to the Award for those who cannot currently participate, and provide greater scope for AJ activities, especially those amazing things that do not currently fit within the Award requirements

Some of these changes have already been used locally, including

The option to go home to sleep at night during a Gold Residential Project

The use of virtual Gold Residential Projects. Volunteering from home or for family members.

Waiving of the practice AJ or use of a virtual AJ

The use of these “Award Flexibilities” will be up to the discretion of the Award Office - Award Leaders will need to seek consent to exercise them They should not be used where traditional options are available and primarily where they provide the opportunity to enhance access to participation.

Additionally, there have been some revisions to the requirements for Adventurous Journeys. Now termed “The Ten Requirements”, these offer a more comprehensive, easier to understand group of expectations, allowing volunteers to concentrate on delivering amazing experiences, without worrying that they have done anything wrong. These changes are compulsory for all organizations, and a briefing will be made available following consultation with the Barbados Expedition Assessment Panel

April 1

April 3

April 4

April 6-11

April 11

April 13 & 20

April 15

April 16

April 22

April 27-May 1

July 15 (TBC)

Aug 1-8

Aug 10-20

Follow The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Barbados Instagram and Facebook pages for updates on upcoming events.

Unit establishment visit - Etananova

National Award Council Meeting

Award IAF Communications Working Group

Award Office Closed - Happy Easter

Launch - ORB update 2.14

Foundation Trainer Skills Course #1

Unit establishment visit - Cutting Edge Community

DofE Cup - Royal Westmoreland

Relaunch - Ninasafiri Open Award Unit

Award Office Closed

National Bronze & Silver Award Ceremony

TPATT-DEIA Award Exchange - Tobago leg

TPATT-DEIA Award Exchange - Barbados leg

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