Brentwoodian 2019

101 Bronze This past year has been another exciting and successful year for the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. With the increasing number of eager participants applying to complete the Award, this year we had to make the difficult decision to limit numbers to 100 places. The commitment and enthusiasm from the lucky 100 was excellent throughout their training and expeditions. This year’s participants showed great independence on their challenging expeditions, leading to all groups passing their Award by the end of the academic year. Ultimately the success of this Award all comes down to the hard work of the staff who offer their time to train, monitor and assess our DofE Groups, and the commitment of the Brentwood School students throughout the different phases of the Award. Please read below some accounts of personal experiences written by successful participants. Expedition - By Cameron Davies We had rather fantastic results for our Practice, but unfortunately the weather showed its true English colours, and we had to ‘struggle’ through the elements. First came tonnes of rain, although this dissipated and we managed to earn ourselves some mesmerizing scenic photos as we trekked through many (wet, very wet) fields, and had high heels worth of mud on our feet, before reaching camp. If I could describe that evening in just a few words, it would be that pasta and tomato sauce could never taste better! Considering that we had to fight the rain and stormy weather throughout the day, crossing ‘Public Footpaths’ that were actually just open fields full of horses...we really were treated that night to some rest and social conversation. However, much to our luck, the rain and thunder quickly ruined it, making all our things wet, but all you could hear was laughter, from the others at least. The second day brought more challenges, and we slowly walked towards the end, now battling what felt like a heatwave, but once we had finished, I (and definitely not others) felt rather sad to be leaving it all - it was a true attainment for all of us and the rigorous efforts unequivocally paid off. Volunteering - By Abigail Rice For the volunteering section of my Bronze DofE, I chose to help out at a Brownie pack.. This was undeniably a great decision, as not only was I able to help positively impact lots of girls’ lives for the better, but I was also given many valuable opportunities myself. Whilst helping out at Brownies, I was lucky enough to take part in climbing, abseiling and archery, as well as learning the skills needed to run these activities for the Brownies. Not only did I get these experiences, but I also gained many valuable skills. After volunteering for six months, my leadership skills improved, and I now feel a lot more confident leading a group. Furthermore, I developed my creative skills, through leading arts and crafts activities for the girls, and my social skills, as I got to meet and work with many new people. Overall, completing my volunteering section for DofE allowed me to positively impact my community, as well as giving me some amazing opportunities - and I really enjoyed it! Skill - By Sammy Li When faced with the decision of choosing a skill, it was something or other. There were so many activities to choose from; however, in the end, I chose to play my musical instruments. These six months were probably the best music-making months of my life! Having played in an international competition in St Petersburg, Russia, for a piano competition, I then went on to compete later in Benidorm, Spain, as well as various violin performances throughout the year. Working in this skill for six months I improved not only my musical performance but I also developed friendships within my string quartet and chamber groups. Overall, within the skill section of DofE, I have evolved as a musician through performance and technique, and also made new friends! Physical - By Will Sedgley The physical section in Bronze DofE is definitely the section with the most choice. This year, people completed weekly sessions in Squash, swimming, football etc, with many continuing to participate in the event even after their three-six months, and with many rushing to add their evidence before the deadline as they realised that the expedition was fast approaching! At the end of the three-six months, many people (including myself) felt that we had improved in our specific sport/activity, with several competing for the School/team due to the commitment of the Physical section. I would like to thank Miss Hunter and Miss Gellard for staying sane while asking us for many pieces of evidence! This year’s DofE has been both exciting and rewarding and I look forward to completing more in Silver next year!