Presentation Of Gold Duke Of Edinburgh Awards

Five young people from the Highlands were presented with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards during a meeting of The Highland Council on Thursday (24 June).

Faye McLeod (18), a former pupil of Grantown Grammar School has just completed her first year at Glasgow University where she is studying Sports Medicine. For her gold award Faye carried out service as a teaching assistant in dancing and swimming and she chose Highland Dancing as her physical recreation. For her residential project she worked as part of a team assisting handicapped children at the Badaguish Outdoor Centre at Glenmore and her expedition involved canoeing in Loch Tay and the River Tay.

Both Graham Finlayson and Callum Rae, former pupils of Millburn Academy, attained their Gold Awards through the Crown Youth Café in Inverness.

As part of his award, Graham (19), who is now studying medicine in St Andrew’s University, successfully did a dinghy sailing instructor’s course and served on the Executive of the Highland Youth Parliament.

Callum (18) carried out service of being a Sunday School Teacher and his residential project was Wild Highland Trekking - an outdoor skills course. Calum has just completed his first year at Strathclyde University where he is studying building design.

Inverness Royal Academy pupils Euan McCorquodale (17) and Kimberly Smith (17) gained their Gold Awards through their school.

Euan’s residential project was in Denmark at a Young Enterprise Trade Fair. He will now be going on to study business and economics at Edinburgh University.

For her Gold Award Kimberly worked with young people. Firstly as a young leader with the Brownies and then she went on to do her residential project as a leader at a Guide camp. Kimberly finished school last week and is now looking forward to studying Psychology at Glasgow University.

Convener of The Highland Council, Alison Magee, who presented the young people with their awards praised them all for their commitment and the effort they had made and then went on to wish them all well for their future.

Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Across the Highlands there are currently 2,103 pupils involved in gaining their Bronze Awards, 730 in gaining Silver and 356 who are working towards achieving Gold.