New chapters, natural connections

19 January 2024

Heather Hughes, 1:1 Awards Mentoring Manager, chats to E about her experiences with Awards Plus. For a download of this news item click here.

Read about E’s journey through Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and John Muir Award participation, and the role of 1:1 mentoring support. “I needed support gaining confidence and new skills to be able to put myself out there…I’ve learned I can do things I never thought I would. It’s quite weird to reflect on that and remember all the things I’ve done which I didn’t think was possible for me.”

6 months of volunteering with Natural Connections at Heugh Community Garden sparked an interest which led to a course in Rural Skills. Overcoming Expeditions challenges built confidence to attend a residential on the Isle of Eigg, run by The Green Team: ” I thought it would be too stressful, but I really enjoyed it. Me and my mentor spoke about the things that were a barrier for me going, things that I was worried about. The leader was curious about my needs and took them seriously, which made a big difference for me. It was so much better than I thought. I want to go back! It was a fun and special place.” E has a target of reading 50 books for her DofE Gold Skills Section, a thread through all 3 DofE levels: “When I was younger I didn’t read at all, you couldn’t pay me to pick up a book! It’s been a big change for me to get so passionate about reading.”

Download Heather’s full interview with E here