The Duke of Edinburgh announced as new Patron of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

15 Mar 2023 08:04 PM

The Duke of Edinburgh has become Patron of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award and the International Award.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) and Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award have announced that HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will be the charities’ new Patron.

The Duke takes on the patronages previously held by his father, Prince Philip, who founded the Award in 1956. He has been a passionate supporter of the DofE and International Award for decades, having achieved his own Gold Award in 1986.

The Duke has been a Trustee of the DofE since 1988 and of the International Award since 2006. In these roles, he has travelled widely within the UK and internationally – thanking volunteers and meeting and celebrating young people making a difference through their DofE.

Some say The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is in my DNA; it’s certainly been a major part of my life for a very long time. Being asked to take on the role of Patron after my father is a particular honour and quite a responsibility.

To mark the announcement, The Duke visited the East Midlands yesterday where he met young people in Derby and Nottingham who are making a difference to their communities, workplace and futures through their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. 

The Duke also met young DofE volunteers at a Nottingham city farm, and participants boosting their careers through DofE Business at Balfour Beatty’s national hub in Derby. Following this, The Duke visited Portland College in Mansfield, a residential education and therapy college for young people with disabilities, where DofE is included as part of the college curriculum.

The visit celebrated the amazing commitment and passion of DofE volunteers and highlighted the charity’s work to break down barriers for young people from marginalised communities, from deprived areas, or who require specialist support to do their DofE.

The DofE is a non-competitive, personal challenge, which gives all young people aged 14-24 the chance to follow their passions, discover new talents and build resilience and self-belief. It is run in schools, colleges, clubs and community organisations, hospitals and prisons, in more than 130 countries.

Under his patronage, the DofE and International Award will continue its work to give as many young people as possible the life-changing chance to do their DofE – expanding its reach across the UK and internationally into the most deprived areas, and working to remove barriers for marginalised young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities and those in prison and young offender institutions.