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Duke of Edinburgh
Friday, 24 November 2023
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In his capacity as Acting National Chairman for Australia’s Duke of Edinburgh Award, Cameron Smart (OKG82) hosted His Royal Highness The Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh KG GCVO on his 4-day visit to Australia this week. In his first visit to Australia since both receiving his late father’s title and becoming the Award’s International Patron, Prince Edward participated in a series of royal engagements in support of this eponymous Award. According to Mr Smart, it is important to ensure the Award is accessible to young people from all walks of life, in keeping with the late Prince Phillip’s vision when the Award was founded 63 years ago. In his speech addressing hundreds of Award supporters who attended a dinner at NSW Parliament House, Mr Smart highlighted the determination to ensure the Award was accessible to people from disadvantaged backgrounds including those experiencing financial, physical and mental hardship. In an effort to broaden its accessibility, the Award is offered through volunteer associations such as Surf Life Saving, SES, and RFS. Another immediate goal is to improve the integration of the Award into the broader education system as the non-formal education offering of choice. “Schools such as Knox have long focused on educating the whole child, but following COVID, there has been a rallying call to build the resilience of young people through the Award,” Mr Smart said. A highlight of his four days hosting HRH was meeting the young people whose lives have been positively impacted by the Award. This included a former prison inmate and recipient of the Bronze Award who has returned to prison as a free citizen to assist current inmates working towards their Award goals. Mr Smart said Prince Edward’s commitment and passion for the Award’s purpose was inspirational. Equally inspiring was the contribution of two Plumpton High students who were among many invited to attend the supporters’ dinner, with long-serving teachers and school leaders involved in the Award (including Plumpton’s Principal, Tim Lloyd (OKG87)). The Award, which currently delivers circa 55,000 individual programs a year in Australia is heavily reliant on the service of 60,000 plus volunteers, supporting a full-time staff of 38 around the country. The Award has a strategic goal to reach 75,000 young people in the next couple of years, ensuring the platform is in place for growth to reach 250,000 plus in the years ahead. Photo credit: Brendon Thorne, Getty Images |