Edward visits Sydney
for International Award Assocation
HRH Prince Edward travelled to Sydney to hand out Gold Awards and congradulate young Australians who have completed the Award programme. As this is the 50th Anniversary of the Awards, Prince Edward also thanked the Australians for their remarkable support for the programme over the years.
The Earl of Wessex has spent the morning commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.The worldwide program sets personal challenges for people aged between 14 and 25 years, and is being celebrated in Sydney with a photographic tribute. The Prince says Australia has played a big part in the success of the award program." I'm delighted that this year, the 50th anniversary year of the award's launch, that Australia and the Asia-Pacific region have gotten behind this activity and have launched this particular event and these photographs," he said.
r the prince joined 300 guests at the Porsche Centre in Alexandria, he was thanked in a speech by the outlet's dealer principal Amanda Lintott, who referred to him as the Duke of Wessex. There was slight hiccups in the events organisation, Prince Edward first been called the Duke of Wessex, which he laughed out and than when on with his presentation through a technical problem, like quiet a professional. He joked, "Don't mind the duke, but make sure you're right about Wessex" The collection of images on show at the Porsche centre, taken by six photographers across 11 Asia-Pacific countries in 11 days, marks the award's anniversary.
Later, Prince Edward made polite conversation with students from Sydney private schools about their award experiences. His casual dress - chinos, a blue sports jacket and loafers - reflected the low key flavour of the morning. Security was almost negligible as he worked the room, with two minders in suits keeping a throng of photographers and camera crews at arm's length.
A number of young Australian achievers were presented with gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards by Prince Edward yesterday in recognition of completing an 18-month program of personal challenges. Prince Edward told the 34 recipients who gathered at Government House they had joined a special group of individuals. "When you leave this room a little bit later, just walk a little bit taller. Just feel a bit proud of what you have achieved," he said. "I'm sure that you know lots of other people out there, and your friends, who say: 'Oh, the Duke of Ed? Oh, I can do that'. "The difference is you know you can. Well done."About 250,000 young Australians aged from 14 to 25 have achieved gold, silver or bronze since the awards were established by Prince Philip in 1956 to foster youth. To achieve the gold award participants must complete a community service, undertake an adventurous journey, develop a skill and a physical recreation and complete a residential project in an 18-month period. For Melbourne's Stephanie McCarthy, 25, yesterday's ceremony was part of a journey that has taken more than half her life to complete.One of seven Victorians to receive the award yesterday, Ms McCarthy said she had begun working towards her bronze award as a 13-year-old. In the past 18 months Ms McCarthy worked as an AusAid youth ambassador in Samoa helping a local team develop and implement the island's first urban planning system. She also went hiking in the Grampians, studied German and took up body pump aerobics. Ms McCarthy, who now works for Canada co-ordinating local community development aid programs in the Pacific region, urged other young Australians to get involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. "It's just reinforcing the need to push people and to see their new potential in some environment where they can feel a part of something."