Boasting a deep-rooted history of promoting the personal development of today’s youth, the Duke of Edinburgh Award serves as a wonderful means of encouragement for millions of young people throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. Through the valued support of many of the programme’s proponents such as Tunde Folawiyo, the Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to inspire bright young leaders striving to make a difference in themselves and in the communities around them.

In its quest to further promote extraordinary character among today’s youth, the Duke of Edinburgh Award (D of E) has joined forces with England rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio’s Foundation in hopes of inspiring the development of a variety of life skills through the power of sports. As of September last year, the D of E has worked closely with the Dallaglio Foundation in an effort to promote education through rugby clubs across England. Valuable life skills such as team work, communication and the ability to work under pressure are all practiced under the game of Rugby, demonstrating a great connection between sports and good character, an idea the organisation continues to explore. It is this innovative thinking that has garnered the respect from other charitable organisations throughout the world.

Since its founding in 1856, the D of E has worked closely with young people, continually encouraging them to set forth on obtaining the Award. The success of the programme is well-recognised as over five million students have taken part in the life-changing programme to date. In March of 2014, Actor Benedict Cumberbatch presented the Gold Award to 85 recipients as he praised them for their outstanding accomplishments, reiterating the importance of participating in the world-renowned programme. “It’s with great pride that I’m presenting the Duke of Edinburgh Award gold awards. What these young people have achieved is fantastic, not just for themselves but for their communities…as an actor I know how much their experiences and the skills they’ve developed matter. Without determination and passion, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wish them every success for the future,” he said during the ceremony at St James’s Palace.

Initiatives such as these, as well as the Dallaglio Foundation partnership provide an immense service to the goals of the organisation and the young minds participating. Due to the outstanding encouragement of the award’s supporters such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout the world, the Duke of Edinburgh Award will continue to thrive, serving as a constant source of encouragement for the development of today’s young leaders.