A total of 24 young people from the island received their Duke of Edinburgh gold awards during a special presentation at Government House.

Every recipient of the award had completed a 12 to 18 month programme that included volunteering, learning new skills, a physical activity, a four-day expedition and a ‘residential’, where participants volunteered and helped at an organisation of their choice.

All recipients were presented with their gold badges by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer at Government House in Douglas last week.

The Lieutenant Governor said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme is a fantastic way of empowering young people to learn new skills, gain confidence and support their community. They are a credit to their families, schools and the Isle of Man.’

Alison Barnes, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture’s awards coordinator, said: ‘Participants learn about and practice teamwork and logic, learn how to overcome challenges, push themselves to achieve goals and grow in confidence to prepare them for life’s challenges.’

The DESC’s youth service delivers the award through secondary schools, voluntary youth organisations and independent groups. Participants must be 14 to 24 years old to take part and more information can be found on gov.im or the Duke of Edinburgh website.