On the 13th April, 17 year old Freya Lygo, of Oundle School, Peterborough, and 20 more young competitors will face a challenging 36 hour assessment in the Quantock Hills in Somerset to determine which of them, selected from over 20,000 young people earning extracurricular qualifications with educational charity CVQO, can prove themselves worthy of the top prize.
The participants, all members of the UK’s cadet organisations, have been chosen to compete in the last round of selection for the Duke of Westminster Award 2011. The prestigious competition is organised by CVQO and sponsored by the organisation’s patron, the Duke of Westminster. Not only are the hopefuls competing for the highest accolade of being named winner, but also for a place as one of the top nine learners to participate in a three week expedition to South Africa.
The event will test communication, teamwork and leadership skills through a variety of demanding physical and mental tasks. This year, 300 entrants were nominated for the award. These are young people who possess a wide range of skills and abilities and have overcome personal challenges, as well as demonstrating a consistently high level of commitment to their communities and their peers.
Freya enrolled with CVQO through her activities as a cadet at Oundle School Combined Cadet Force, where CVQO’s BTEC qualification is held in high regard. Around 60 learners undertake the programme every year. She says, “The BTEC programme maintains enthusiasm, but also stretches the individual and encourages learners to work together and build friendships.”
Edward Woods, Chief Executive of CVQO and head of the selection panel, said, “These cadets are the cream of the crop of over 20,000 CVQO learners. They have done extraordinarily well to get as far as the finals, but this week will prove to be the real test. The fantastic 3 week South Africa trip should be a real incentive!”
The nine finalists will be announced at the end of April and will attend an awards ceremony and luncheon in June, where the Duke of Westminster Award winner and runners up will be announced. All finalists will then participate in the expedition to South Africa.
In addition to other qualifications, all participating cadets have gained BTEC diplomas with CVQO, and cite this learning experience as invaluable to their future educational and career development.