Golden girls win prestigious awards

Three Northwood students made a special trip to Buckingham Palace to be presented with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Charlotte Beardwell, Isabella Seale and Zahra Merali, all from Northwood College for Girls, were given the awards by the Earl of Wessex on May 24. To achieve the Gold standard for the prestigious awards, one has to complete 12 months of voluntary service, six months of learning a skill, 12 months of physical exercise as well as two tough four-day camping expeditions, during which the students climbed Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales. Charlotte commented on just what was expected to achieve the accolade. She said: “I volunteered at Barnardo’s every Thursday after school for a year. It was a great way to give back to the community and learn skills which will help me in the future. “I spent six months working towards Grade 5 singing, which I passed, and 12 months swimming at the borough of Harrow swimming club, where I progressed through several squads and worked my way up to the top one. “I completed the residential by participating in the National Citizens Service.” The students enjoyed their trip, which included being taught the royal protocol when addressing the Earl, and exploring Buckingham Palace gardens. Charlotte added: “I am really pleased that I took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award as I pushed myself to new levels and truly learned how to be resilient. “There were definitely points at which I thought about giving up as there is no doubt that the expedition is tough, but that only made my award more gratifying.”