The late Prince Philip established The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956 for the “balanced development” of young people’s character.
The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust recently began delivering the DofE
Since its conception 70 years ago, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) reaches 15.5 million young people globally, with over 8.5 million young people having started a DofE Award in the UK – enough people to fill Belfast’s SSE Arena 758 times.
In 2024/25, 10,157 young people actively took part in the DofE in Northern Ireland. In the same year, 5,361 young people started their DofE, and participants contributed an incredible 116,389 hours of volunteering – with an estimated total value of £744, 890.
As a lifelong advocate for young people, the late Prince Philip established The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956 for the “balanced development” of young people’s character.
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The DofE charity has been equipping and empowering millions of young people from all communities to build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to make the most out of life, ever since.
The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust recently began delivering the DofE. Supported by Belfast Activity Centre, the group of young people with cared for experience, pulled on their walking shoes and backpacks to scale the Divis and Mourne Mountains as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition.
A 16-year-old participant in the South Eastern Trust, who recently completed their Bronze Award said: “Achieving the Award has meant a lot to me in terms of the skills I have learnt and the new people I’ve met. I have done so much more than I thought I could. It’s not easy but the people really support you.
“My Residential Support and Engagement Team (ReSET) worker really helped me. The expedition was amazing – it really helped me with my mental health. I feel so good, so happy to be part of the Award.”
The group of young people with cared for experience, pulled on their walking shoes and backpacks to scale the Divis and Mourne Mountains as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition
The Assistant Director for Cared for Children, Marie-Louise Sloan said: “I’m so, so proud of each of our children and our young people that have achieved their Duke of Edinburgh, Joint Award Initiative. It is such a truly remarkable accomplishment that reflects their dedication, their resilience and their strength. The Award is not easy, it demands commitment, teamwork and the courage to step outside their comfort zone.
“Our children and our young people have learnt a host of new skills and made lasting friendships that will carry them into adulthood and the next stage of their lives. I want to say thank you to each and every one of them, as well as our wonderful staff and partner agencies for creating this memorable opportunity.”
Anyone with a connection to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is being invited to celebrate the charity’s 70th anniversary by joining the likes of Matt Tebbutt and Dame Kelly Holmes in sharing their fondest DofE memories at DofE.org/your-story.
Through these shared experiences, the DofE charity is celebrating the millions of remarkable young people who have transformed their lives and the communities around them through DofE, and the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who make DofE experiences possible — whilst inspiring other young people to start a DofE journey of their own.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Government House in Belfast on 4th July 1966(Image: Ray Bellisario/Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Chef, television presenter and Gold DofE Award holder Matt Tebbutt, who has already shared his memory on the charity’s new website, fondly reminisces about his unusual expedition meal and how he should have known that he was destined for a career “centred around food.”
Matt said: “During my Bronze expedition, while my friends were sensibly rationing freeze-dried meals and cooking their instant noodles, I decided to take a rather unusual item for my evening meal: a fillet steak. I had diligently packaged it, seasoned it and pan-fried it in butter – delicious.
“In my mind, a fillet steak seemed like the perfect outdoor meal — portable, practical and protein-rich! Looking back, it’s clear that, even then, my foodie tendencies, no doubt encouraged by teenage greediness, were leading me towards a career centred around food.”
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