A garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate 60 years of the Duke of Edinburgh Award

Held in the beautiful gardens of the London palace to mark the diamond year of the awards, the party was the biggest gathering of Gold Award winners ever with more than 1,000 young people presented their awards by Prince Philip, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and more than 60 celebrities.

The Warden and Mr Moore-Hurley were invited in recognition of the sterling work the School does as a licensed DofE centre, and to see Y13 pupil Ellen Kirk receive her Gold Award.

During the event, Ellen Kirk received her Gold Award in the presence of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, while Mr Faccinello and Mr Moore-Hurley were given a licensed organisation plaque by Capital Radio DJ Greg Burns.

Speaking about the occasion, Mr Faccinello said: “The scale and dynamism of the DofE organisation in its sixtieth year was plain to see; it continues to do so much for individual personal growth and strengthens society too.”

“The young people especially enjoyed the chance to share with the Earl and Countess of Wessex their experience of taking on new challenges.”

Both the Warden and Mr Moore-Hurley also met the Earl and Countess. “They were both wonderful, showing genuine interest in the efforts made by Forest and the endeavours of the participants and staff alike,” commented Mr Moore-Hurley.

Forest can be proud of its contribution to the DofE Award, boasting some of the highest achievement rates in the country.