A Burnham-On-Sea resident has attended an event at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the completion of his Duke of Edinburgh Gold award.
Jacob Kemp, 20, did much of his DofE volunteering while at King Alfred School Academy in Highbridge.
This included setting up the school’s Sixth Form newsletter, ‘Spotlight’, and volunteering with the local youth club. His DofE skills included attending St John Ambulance sessions and taking part in a ‘Restart a Heart’ event, educating the public about CPR. His DofE physical including the Burnham and Highbridge Parkruns.
“It was an honour to be invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the completion of my Gold DofE,” Jacob, who is is now studying at Cardiff University, told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“It was so exciting to walk through the gates of Buckingham Palace and into the gardens, to listen to speeches from the Duke of Edinburgh, and celebrity ambassadors, including BBC journalist, Clive Myrie!”
“The Duke spoke to us about where we had completed our Gold Awards and congratulated us on our achievements. Celebrities were also hosting events in the gardens, among them Kai Widdrington and Nadiya Bychkova, professionals from Strictly Come Dancing.”
Jacob adds: “I enjoyed completing all three of my DofE awards, and I would encourage anyone who is considering or completing their awards to either get started or keep going! It is an amazing opportunity and you gain so many transferable skills.”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those who helped me through all of the awards. Cerrie Williams, Gerry King, and Phillip Aldred have been integral to my DofE experience, and I am very grateful to all of them for their support and encouragement. I would also like to thank Lisa Semple and the staff at the King Alfred School Sixth Form for their support.”
