Prince Philip: Dubai pupils and teachers share fond memories of Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Launched in 1956, the award offers young people aged 14 to 24 the chance to challenge themselves through community work and outdoor expeditions

Pupils Madeleine Berry, Israh Ashraf, Alliah Altaf, Elizabeth Bennett, Alina Shabanova and Natalia Cliff (left to right) from Dubai British School - Emirates Hills on an expedition as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Courtesy: Nicola Hamer

Pupils from Uptown International School, Dubai, during one of their outdoor expeditions in the UAE. Courtesy: Nicole Kass

Madeleine Berry (right) from Dubai British School - Emirates Hills participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Courtesy: Nicola Hamer

Launched in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh Award offers young people the chance to challenge themselves through various outlets including community work, fitness and outdoor explorations. Courtesy: Nicole Kass

The death of Prince Philip left a wave of sadness around the world on Friday. Since then pupils and teachers in Dubai have been reflecting on how the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) has left a lasting impression on the lives of those who took part.

Founded in 1956, the award offers young people the chance to challenge themselves through various outlets, including community work, fitness and challenging outdoor expeditions.

Open to people aged 14 to 24, hundreds of thousands across the globe have joined the programme, including more than 2,500 pupils in Dubai last year.

Having met The Duke of Edinburgh on more than one occasion, it always struck me how much he cared about the young people completing the award

There are three levels of award: bronze, silver and gold. In the past, many who achieved the highest gold award were invited to attend a special ceremony to meet Prince Philip.

Sarah Donovan, director of sport at Dubai British School, was one of them.

“As a PE teacher, it is no surprise I have been heavily involved in the award for the last 21 years, not to mention I did bronze, silver and gold as a pupil,” she said.

“A personal highlight has to be going to Buckingham Palace with pupils for their Gold Award Ceremony.

“Having met His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on more than one occasion, it always struck me how much he cared about the young people completing the award.

“He would make time to chat to them individually and hear about their experiences. Whilst he may have awarded hundreds of students in each ceremony, he made every group feel unique and important."

As an assessor and supervisor for the award in the Middle East for eight years, Ms Donovan has supervised expeditions in the UAE, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

She said the “grit and resilience the expedition element affords the pupils” is unrivalled by any other school activity.

Haya Salam, a grade 10 pupil at Uptown International School, holds a bronze and silver DofE Award.

She said an extremely rewarding part of her journey was when she completed the service section of her silver award.

“Volunteering as a Global Goals Leader gave me the opportunity to gain the experience of a work environment, test out possible career pathways, develop new skills, or develop existing ones,” she said.

“It was a great feeling knowing that I was making a huge difference and giving something back to my community each week."

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle three weeks after he was discharged from hospital. Getty

There are four main sections of the programme: volunteering, physical, skills and expedition. At gold level, participants also complete a residential section.

Here, participants must undertake a shared activity or course with people they do not know, in a residential setting, away from home and in an unfamiliar environment.

At this level, pupils often live temporarily on boats, barges or camps.

Laura Treliving, head of PE at Uptown International School, is a Duke of Edinburgh's Award international co-ordinator.

Having been involved in the award, both in the UK and internationally, she said she has seen it “change students’ lives”.

“New talents have been discovered, passions become ignited, life-long skills developed and a true love of learning and growing has been created during the process of completing the award,” she said.

“When I moved over to teach in Dubai I had to continue the award here to give our students at UIS these same opportunities.

“I worked hard to get the school accredited and launch the award here, which has been one of my greatest achievements.

“His Royal Highness Prince Philip has been an inspiration by setting up this award and has had such a positive impact on millions of people's lives. His legacy will live on."

Francesca Di Meo-Smith, a teacher at Dubai British School, has been heavily involved in getting pupils enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

“Within our school, pupils have explored a variation of tasks from snowboarding to knitting, and even climbed the height of Mount Everest on their stairs at home,” she said.

“The school has relished seeing pupils become more confident within themselves.

“With the help of Zoom, pupils have helped tutor younger students, do yoga classes at home and arrange dog walks for vulnerable members of society.”

Prince Philip in the Middle East: in pictures

King Hussein of Jordan, second left, and his wife Queen Dina, right, on honeymoon in Britain, pose with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh second right, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, in 1955 at Windsor Castle. AFP

Crown Prince Abdul Illah of Iraq, Queen Elizabeth II, King Faisal of Iraq and Prince Philip, in 1956. Getty Images

The Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said, with Prince Philip, the Queen Mother and the Queen, before a banquet at Buckingham Palace, London, in 1982. Getty Images

The Queen and Prince Philip exchange gifts with the Amir of Bahrain in Bahrain, during a visit to the Gulf states, in 1979. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive in Algeria to meet victims of the El Asnam earthquake, in October 1980. Getty Images

Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, in November, 2010. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II stands with King Abdullah of Jordan, Prince Philip and Queen Rania of Jordan, upon their arrival in Windsor, England, in November 2001. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sit with Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, during a visit to Oman, in February 1979. Getty Images

Prince Philip meets well-wishers during a visit to Kuwait, in February 1979. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and King Hassan ll of Morocco attend a feast in the Moroccan desert, in October 1980. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II, Sheikh Abdullah Jabir and Prince Philip watch a dancing display, in Kuwait, in February 1979.. Getty Images

Prince Philip meets local residents on a visit to Morocco, in December 1964. Getty Images

Prince Philip pilots a flight to El Asnam, Algeria, in 1980. Getty Images

Prince Philip visits a souk in Muscat during a 1979 state visit to Oman. Getty Images

Prince Philip, pictured with Massimo Rissi, group director of Tofas industrial group, visits the Tofas car factory in Bursa, Turkey, in 2008. AFP

Prince Philip, in his role as colonel-in-chief, visits The Queen's Royal Hussars in Basra, Iraq, in October 2006. Reuters

Prince Philip with the Amir of Bahrain, in Bahrain, during a tour of the Gulf states, in February 1979. Getty Images

Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, seated before lunch at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, during a tour of the Gulf states in February 1979. Getty Images

King Hassan II of Morocco and his family with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the royal palace in Rabat, Morocco, in October 1980. Getty Images

Prince Philip is taken on a tour of a dhow building yard in Kuwait, in February 1979. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul pose before their meeting at the presidential office, in Ankara, Turkey,in May 2008. AFP

Queen Noor of Jordan, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and King Hussein of Jordan on the bank of the Dead Sea, during a state visit to Jordan. Reuters

Prince Philip attends a reception at the ambassador's residence in Muscat, Oman, during a state visit to the Middle East. Getty Images

Prince Philip enjoys a joke with Second World War veterans after a wreath-laying ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Ramle, Israel, in October 1994. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, during a state visit to Tunisia in October 1980. Getty Images

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Prince Philip sign a memorandum of understanding between University of Cambridge Judge Business School and the University of the UAE for Teaching and Research in the Further Development of Abu Dhabi, at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, in November 2010. Getty Images