Latest Stories

Treks, volunteer work and exciting expeditions all form part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.

Around 3,500 people receive their bronze, silver and gold awards here each year. And today, Prince Phillip was in Northern Ireland to give out a few more. Ciaran Tracey was at Hillsborough Castle earlier today.

There are 17,000 young people taking part in the award in Northern Ireland at any one time - the highest penetration in the UK. 6,500 people join the scheme each year, from approximately 700 centres. These centres include schools, Boys and Girls' brigades, Scout and Guide troops, young offender institutions and some young people attempting to the award on their own.

Every participant who receives an award will have

• completed an expedition
• learnt a new skill
• taken on a physical challenge
• volunteered to help a person, a community or the environment

Participants from Northern Ireland can choose to receive their award in one of the other locations, for exampe in St. James's Palace or Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, so the people who received their awards in Hillsborough today chose to collect them close to home.