In a prestigious ceremony held at Buckingham Palace earlier in May, a collection of Framlinghamaians, old and current, were bestowed with the coveted Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The College pupils were recognized for their outstanding achievements in various fields and their dedication to personal development – the grandeur of the palace served as a fitting backdrop to celebrate their remarkable accomplishments.
The Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards symbolize an extraordinary level of determination, resilience, and a strong sense of social responsibility. Those who achieve the award never fail to reference the invaluable experiences gained through volunteering, physical activities, skills development and expeditions that had shaped them into well-rounded individuals.
Of the nineteen Framlinghamians and Old Framlinghamians who were invited to the event, special congratulations must go to two Year 13s, Henry S and Joe G, who received their awards as earlier finishers within their current College career.
Martin Myers-Allen has led the charge on College DofE achievement for over a decade. He said: “Almost every member of Framlingham College will achieve at least one Award at DofE. We enjoy a success rate of three times the national average and we are the most prolific school on a per-capita basis in the Eastern Region, if not nationally. You probably want to know why we are all so passionate about it here.
“From the outset, let me make it clear that getting a Gold Award isn’t a competition or about being first or the being best. It’s a marathon not a sprint. It’s mainly about our young people setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries, and this mirrors the aims of the Colleges so well.
“As the DofE website declares, ‘by participating in the scheme, youngsters have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications.
“These are very compelling reasons to get stuck in and we have a team of staff and volunteers led by me who create an environment that makes that happen here. They join, they thrive and they succeed, and it has been snowballing here. At this rate, they are going to need to build a bigger Palace just for the Framlingham College lot.”
Huge congratulations to all.
The full list of Framlinghamians who were invited to the Palace to receive their Gold Award:
Amelia Bidwell, Eliza Bowditch, India de Labillière, Joseph Edmonds, Friederike Fischer, Joseph G, Evie Hall, Megan Jackson, Conal Judge, Jack Lewis, Alice Moore, Hugh Orford, Samuel Ponty, Emilia Salsby, Theodore Salsby, Henry S, Tallulah Torrance, George Wright, Laurence Myers-Allen.
