DofE Gold Award holders were guests of honour at The Palace of Holyroodhouse
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh welcomed Gold DofE Award holders to The Palace of Holyroodhouse this morning at a very special event to mark their achievements.
Article Source: The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Last Updated: 4 July 2025 15:22
Friday 4 July 2025: Around 600 Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award holders were guests of honour in the gardens of The Palace of Holyroodhouse this morning at a very special event to mark their achievements.
The celebrations recognise young people who have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and resilience to complete their Gold DofE in schools, community organisations, youth groups and workplaces, right across Scotland.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse gardens were transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting, and garden games and activities. Attendees had the chance to hear from famous Scottish faces including Olympic athlete Eilish McColgan, singer and songwriter Nathan Evans and legendary Scottish actor James Cosmo.
This morning’s celebration saw His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh – who received his own Gold Award from his father Prince Philip at St James’s Palace in 1986 – congratulate attendees, telling them that they should all be “incredibly proud”. The Duke also met Award holders, hearing about the positive impact their DofE has had on them.
Olympian and British and European Record Holder, Eilish McColgan, delivered an inspiring speech alongside Nerea Winchester, 18, from Glasgow, who celebrated her own Gold Award achievement today.
Eilish McColgan shared the lessons she’d learnt from her own career, telling the crowd to “find that DofE feeling again as finding your people, your place, your purpose – it matters more than we often realise.”
Eilish said: “There are many similarities between the DofE and my athletics club. Not just in the obvious areas like hard work and discipline, but that sense of community. Being surrounded by likeminded individuals, all striving to make themselves better.
“In 2011, I ran in my first ever live televised race. Dreaming of qualifying for the world championships. But with 600m to go. I heard a pop. I knew instantly I'd broken my foot. But me being me, and a typical stubborn Scot, I wasn't going to let a broken foot stop me. I kept running.
“Sadly, it wasn't the fairytale ending. Finishing the race came at a cost. A few days later the surgeon told me I’d never run professionally again but suggested I could “hobby jog”. It was one of the toughest moments of my life, but like many of you on your DofE journeys, I’d learned the value of resilience, of showing up, and of not giving up when things get hard.
“I think if I didn’t have my friends from the running club to distract me, my recovery would have looked very different. Instead, I really leant on my support network. Even when I couldn’t run, I’d still go down to the track just to keep my motivation high. I truly believe that made a huge difference.”
Eilish told the crowd that the resilience of the DofE “stays with you” and “whatever comes next, remember this: you’re running your own race.”
She said: "As you move on from your DofE journey into your next chapter – whether that’s university, work, or something completely different – I really encourage you to find that ‘DofE feeling’ again. Finding your people, your place, your purpose – it matters more than we often realise. You’ve proven what you’re capable of once, and you’ll do it again, and again.”
Nerea, who is also a DofE Youth Ambassador*, told attendees how the DofE has shaped her into the person she is today, giving her the confidence to be unapologetically herself. She said: “I would say I'm a very outgoing and sociable person, but sometimes I’ve been told I'm too much or too loud. Through my DofE sections, I found groups and niches of people who not only accepted my chatty, loud self, but embraced it fully. Without meeting these people through the DofE, I can't guarantee I would feel confident enough to unapologetically be myself.
“DofE gave me a purpose in life and let me express my creativity like never before. I never felt I was good at art or capable of creating it. However, when I picked up knitting for my DofE Skills section, I found an amazing creative outlet. It was challenging, but I learned to trust the process and, in doing so, built my resilience as well as rediscovering my creativity.”
Nerea also spoke about how important and fulfilling it is to be a part of the local community.
She said: “Volunteering at Oxfam for over three years taught me not only practical skills, but allowed me to connect with new people and my local community in a way I hadn't before. I met so many lovely people and it showed me the immense positive effect that having a simple conversation with a stranger can have.”
Breaking down barriers
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been focusing on breaking down barriers to give as many young people as possible the chance to do their DofE, working with more schools in deprived areas, further education colleges, community organisations, prisons and young offender institutions, and centres supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The DofE charity recently announced record-breaking participation numbers across the UK. In Scotland 33,816 young people actively took part in the DofE in 2024/25, 20,363 young people started their DofE, and participants contributed an incredible 351,156 hours of volunteering – with an estimated total value of £2.2 million.
A Gold DofE Award is a major achievement – young people spend at least 12 months honing new skills and talents, planning and completing an expedition and residential, and volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.
Helen Anderson, Director for Scotland, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “It’s a real honour and a privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the gardens of The Palace of Holyroodhouse today. I’ve seen thousands of smiling faces and proud family members looking on – and rightfully so, as these young people have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and self-belief to be here. A Gold DofE Award will equip them with lifelong skills – and it’s wonderful to see our Award holders sharing their experiences, having fun, and discussing their plans for the future.
“Last year, over 20,000 young people started their DofE in Scotland, showing just how much appetite there is for enrichment opportunities beyond formal education. Together with our volunteers, partners and supporters, we want to reach as many young people as possible – so that even more can take part in a life-changing DofE Award.”
Image credit: JRod
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