This year 107 young people who have participated in the Award are eligible to be presented with their Awards at a ceremony, at The Convent, on Tuesday 19th September 2023. 

A statement from the Duke Of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar follows below:

His Excellency The Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel KBE DL, as Patron of the Award in Gibraltar, will present Bronze and Silver Awards at a ceremony which will be attended by families, Award leaders, activity coaches, assessors, sponsors, and many others.

The young people receiving their Awards have been involved over the last 24 months in a wide variety of activities geared towards completing the requirements of the Award.

For over sixty years, millions of young people have participated and received Awards, with millions more benefiting from its impact on communities around the world.  Through non-formal education, the Award can play a critical role in a young person’s personal development and is achievable by any young person who wants to accept the challenge.

The Award gives young people, aged 14 to 24, the opportunity to experience challenges and adventures, acquire new skills and make new friends.  Young people who do the Award become more confident and resilient, and develop skills in areas such as communication, problem solving and leadership.  This in turn impacts on their communities, who see improvements in areas including employability, health and well-being, and educational attainment.  The Award aims to help young people become #WorldReady via non-formal education.

The Award comprises four sections.  The Voluntary Service section intended to develop a sense of community and social responsibility.  The Adventurous Journey aims to cultivate a spirit of adventure and discovery and an understanding of the environment.  The Skills section develops cultural, vocational, and practical skills and the Physical Recreation section encourages improved performance and fitness.

The Gold Award has an additional section, the Gold Residential Project, which sees participants undertake some form of purposeful enterprise whilst living away from home for a week.  This year’s Gold Award recipients have participated in an arts retreat, undertaken climate change and sustainability work in Bosnia & Herzegovina and undertaking an outdoor adventure course in Lancashire.

To complete the Voluntary Service requirements the young people have, amongst other things, been assisting with animal welfare, helping at various charities, first aid activities with St John Ambulance, dog walking, sports coaching and officiating, conservation and environmental work and, assisting at the Cancer Relief Centre, helping at soup kitchens, as well as other activities.

For their Skills they have learnt about acting, art and design, bible studies, chess, cookery, drama, online gaming and cybersecurity, learning other languages including sign language, singing and playing musical instruments, photography, and other pastimes.

All have completed a physically challenging expedition as part of the Adventurous Journey requirements and this has seen them hike a minimum of either, 24 km (Jimena de la Frontera/Sierra de Grazalema), 48 km (Sierra de Gredos) or 80km (Cevennes, France) depending on which Award they are receiving.

The recipients have also been heavily involved in sports.  For Physical Recreation there has been involvement in athletics, ballet, basketball, cricket, cycling, dance, football, gymnastics, hockey, lawn and table tennis, martial arts, netball, rugby, swimming, volleyball, and Zumba to name but a few.

All these varied activities require the support of a small team of dedicated, volunteer, Award leaders who make all the arrangements and take the participants on their adventurous journeys.  In addition, there are countless volunteers who give their time to teach, supervise and assess the young people in their chosen activities.  To all of them the Award's Board of Trustees owes a debt of gratitude and thanks them for their untiring efforts and support.

Naturally, without the participation of the young people there would be no Award Ceremony and therefore the Board, leaders, supporters, and families wish to congratulate the following on their achievements;

BRONZE

Niklaas Matthew Acolina

Kobie Allen

Phoebe Banda

Caitlyn Bautista

Jesus Bernal

Ella Bocarisa

Alaina May Borge

Charles Camilleri

Liam Caruana

Ryan Caruana

Sarah Cavilla

George Horace Cawood

Harvey Benjamin Chadwick

Samuel Chapman

Jerome Chellaram

Eve Cruz

Tzu Lee Marie Cruz

Lauren Davies

Eva De Los Santos

Leila Debono

Aditya Dhanwani

Adrianne Durante

Grace Olivia Anne Dyson

Lilly Mae Estella

Ella Garcia

Gino Guilliano

Miles Robert Hamilton

Zach Hamilton

Madison Frances Harper

Harry Hignett

Mark Imossi

Alex Latin

Alice Leroy

Shyrelle Ann Macias