Killinchy group hold presentation to mark Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Killinchy group hold presentation to mark Duke of Edinburgh Awards

8 July 2015

KILLINCHY Activity Group has held a presentation evening to celebrate the success of the young people of the local community and to mark the completion of various levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards scheme.

In the past 14 months a total of 70 awards have been completed at bronze, silver and gold the number of completions follows on the back of 158 awards that were completed at the previous presentation in April 2014.

Unfortunately a significant number of young people were not available to attend due to GCSE & A-level commitments on following day and many university members had not returned to base. 

Karen Patterson, from BBC Radio Ulster, presented the bronze badges and certificates and Ulster rugby star, Ruan Pienaar, presented silver badges and certificates and well as congratulating those who have completed all sections of their gold awards.

The evening marked the completion of 19 bronze awards to Jasmine Beattie, Lucy Bell, James Bennett, Rachel Bogie, Iona Campbell, Christopher Drysdale, Erin Gabbie, Jack Gibson, Georgina Greer, Clare Hale, Brittany Hogan, Elizabeth McCaughey, Callum McLaughlin, Tori McGowan, Christy McGuire, Jemma McMullan, Adam Mitchell, Natasha Morton and Ellen Walsh.

Thirty young people completed silver awards — Megan Adams, Courtney Bell, Sarah Brown, Alice Campbell, Emily Campbell, Iona Campbell, Emma Cunningham, Neil Cushley, Lucy Davidson, Oriel Dawson, Erin Gabbie, Amy Godfrey, Rachel Hinds, Ruth McClenaghan, Callum McCloskey, Emily McGowan, Tori McGowan, Madeleine McIlwain, Neil McKeag, Callum McLaughlin, Jemma McMullan, Stuart Mulligan, Laura Murphy, Catherine Pooler, Ben Rooney, Duncan Ross, Joel Smyth, Matilda Storey, Patrick Telford and Anna Wilson.

Nineteen young people have also completed all sections of their gold award — Sarah Brooks, Adam Conacher, Rebecca Davidson, Issy Dawson, Ruth Dornan, Tara McClay, Susannah McGowan, Glenn McKinstry, Jamie McMullan, Stuart Mulligan, Helen Pruzina, Samuel Purdon, Georgina Pooler, Jenny Robinson, Annabel Terry, Jack Walker, Andrew Wilson, Mac Wilson and Devon Wright.

The formal part of the evening was concluded by Dr Christopher D Gibson OBE who emphasised how beneficial the transferrable life skills that young people gained from being involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award when they moved on to University or even into the workplace.

Killinchy Activity Group has worked hard since it was set up in 1991 to provide a professional service to the young people of the local community and despite having faced some operational difficulties in 2010 continues to flourish in the work that it does. 

The current membership of over 250 young people are looked after by 21 leaders who work hard to ensure that they get the best benefit from their involvement with the Award. Many have travelled overseas and many more have had adventures as a result of their involvement.

Killinchy Activity Group continued to have one of the highest completion rates in Northern Ireland for its members and is part of the Open Award Centre network.

Membership for the Unit starts at 14 to coincide with the young people starting Bronze and is currently taking application for the season 2015 / 2016 an application form can be obtained by emailing killinchyactivitygroup@gmail.com or make contact via one of the existing members or leaders.