STRS, as a new Direct Licencing Organisation for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, enrolled its first Gold Award level students in 2013 with their Practice and Assessed Expeditions taking place the following July and September 2014.

It is pleasing to see a number of students in this first cohort gradually completing their awards and receiving their certifications. Congratulations are due to Christopher Bell, Emma Coleman, Christopher Rawlings, Christopher Tarling and Dominic Trott (perhaps on being Christopher?)

Congratulations are also due to several students from our most recent cohort who have managed to complete their Gold award whilst still at school in Year 13. Well done to Toby Hogg, Bethany Morse, Mark Thiselton and Simon Walker.

This summer we were able to celebrate these achievements by taking part in the Palace Garden Party to mark the Diamond Year, 60 years of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Emma Coleman was invited to receive her certificate on this occasion. She attended with her mother and Chris Rawlings, who had received his award the previous year at St James's Palace.

Both Emma and Chris were sporting their Diamond pins for completing their sponsored Diamond Challenges

Emma took up trampolining and came 36^th out of 90^th in a Bristol competition after only three months training. Chris, with very little preparation, managed to complete the Bath half marathon.

This summer I will be undertaking this challenge by cycling C2C from St Bees on the west coast in the Lake District to Whitely to the North east of Newcastle. I am looking forward to one of the stops at the top of the Pennines aptly called Kill Hope.

If you would like to sponsor me please go to

http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponso...

All money will go to the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme to try and ensure they can extend the provision to children from deprived backgrounds who do not always manage to access this valuable experience.