Glasgow charity Boots & Beards has become the first Black Minority Ethnic (BME) organisation in Scotland to partner with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) to offer life-changing programmes to the young people it works with.
On 5 July, charity trustees attended a presentation at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where they received their Licensed Organisation certificate from HRH The Earl of Wessex.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow Southside where the charity is based, said: “I am delighted that Boots & Beards in my constituency has been recognised as the first BME group in Scotland to be awarded a DofE licence.
Having met with them, I have seen the great work that Boots & Beards do and know that this licence will allow them to expand and grow, giving them the opportunity to teach young people new skills, gain confidence and push themselves to achieve their full potential. This is a testament to the hard work of the organisers and I am proud to have such a great organisation in my constituency.”
Abdullah Butt, 14, who will be starting his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award with Boots & Beards, said: “I want to do my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to better myself. I think this award will help me learn new skills and be more confident, especially in the outdoors.”
Barry Fisher, Director for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Scotland said: “We are excited to partner with Boots & Beards, helping more young people in Glasgow to start a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme. In the Year of Young People, it is more important than ever to enable young people to take part in life-changing programmes like The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. As the first BME organisation in Scotland to deliver The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Boots & Beards is in a unique position to help their young people build their skills for life and work. We look forward to seeing many of their young people achieving their Awards soon.”
Those who achieve a DofE Award volunteer, learn a skill, get fit, plan and undertake an expedition and at Gold level also take part in a week long residential. Widely acknowledged as the world’s leading achievement award for young people, DofE programmes enable any young person, aged 14-24, to develop key skills for life and work, such as confidence, resilience and team working.
To find out more about the DofE and how it enables young people to succeed, please visit www.DofE.org
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For further information about the DofE or this presentation contact:
Jamie Mitchell
Communications Officer, DofE Scotland
T: 0131 343 0920
Zain Sehgal
Boots & Beards
Media Development Officer
E: zain@bootsandbeards.co.uk
Photo in One Drive:https://bit.ly/2Ndq0oI
· Boots & Beards Trustees collect DofE Licence Certificate from HRH The Earl of Wessex
(l to r) Nav Bakhsh, Kasif Butt, HRH The Earl of Wessex
Notes to editors
Boots & Beards
Boots & Beards is a voluntary outdoor group which works with communities to improve their health, widens access to the natural environment and thrives to create a better life for present and future generations via the means of the health and outdoors.
Our group is set out to strengthen our bond towards our natural environment and to unravel the sheer beauty at our doorstep and to address issues such as climate change and mental health. The restorative and spiritual effect of experiencing nature forms the sheer backbone of our organisation and helps to underline this important issue which we tackle.
Boots & Beards is a Registered Charity: SC047737.
For more information about Boots & Beards go to: www.bootsandbeards.co.uk
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award– figures correct as of 2017/18 stats
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is the world’s leading youth achievement award that develops over 430,000 young people for life and work every year in the UK.
Founded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, the DofE is currently being delivered in Scotland in over 700 DofE centres such as schools, youth clubs and prisons, supported by over 80 partner organisations and approximately 3,500 adult volunteers from all walks of life.
In 2017/2018, nearly 21,000 young people in Scotland enrolled on a DofE programme, with an estimated 1 in 6 young people in S3 taking part. 10,919 young people in Scotland achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. 679 Gold Award holders from Scotland received their certificates at the presentations on 5 July.
In total, over six million people have participated in DofE programmes in the UK and achieved over 2.7 million Awards since 1956.
The DofE is supported by UK employers including RSM, Amey, DFS and Royal Mail who endorse the skills and attributes developed whilst doing a DofE programme such as resilience, commitment, self-motivation and team working.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a Registered Charity No 1072490 and in Scotland No SC038254 and a Royal Charter Corporation RC000806.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation is a Registered Charity in England and Wales, No 1072453.There are more than one million young people currently participating globally in more than 140 countries and territories.
For more information about the DofE go to www.DofE.org
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