Fifty years of adventure, experiences that stay with you for life, and vivid memories. That's what the Duke of Edinburgh's Award has provided for over 3,650,000 people since it began in 1956. When the award started only boys could take part and it had four sections: Rescue and Public Service, Expeditions, Pursuits and Projects and Fitness. By 1957, 7,000 boys had started the award with 1,000 awards being gained. This lead to girls being allowed to join in with the award in 1958. The girls award had its own programme: Design for Living, Adventure, and Interests and Service. As the award has evolved over the last half century parts of it have changed but the essence of it has remained the same.  | | Barry McClean |
To mark the anniversary, people all over Essex have been recalling their experiences and memories of doing the award, in the early days. Barry McClean started doing his Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1957, just a year after it was launched. He remembers being taught how to boil a pint of water, in a brown paper bag, whist sitting up a tree! As part of his award he also worked with the police and the fire service. His expeditions still stick in his mind. He was told to pick an area he and his friends would like to go to, and they chose North Wales. They hiked around Snowdonia and finished near Harlock.  | | Barry on one of his expeditions |
They had planned to walk 40 miles but soon realised that walking it was a lot different to looking at it on a map, they hadn't taken into account the contour lines! Once they had walked up and down all the mountains it was a lot further. Barry's father was one of the first members of the army catering corps so his group were well equipped with food for their expedition. They had army rations to eat, which included mashed potatoes in a paper bag, and some other tinned food. Barry can remember going to Buckingham Palace very clearly to receive his Gold award and meeting Prince Philip.  | | Hazel Andrews |
"Everybody lined up in the days when everybody wore uniform. There were three Wrens in front of us, in the days when they used to wear short, tight, skirts. He just looked at them straight in the eye and said: "Whatever you do don't curtsy - only bow." Hazel Andrews is another early award participant. She started doing her award in 1958. She has vivid memories of working in Germany in a rehabilitation centre for girls aged 13-18 run by Roman Catholic nuns. She was only 18 at the time and read stories to them in German, even though she couldn't really speak the language. Whilst she was there Hazel worked in the hospital for very old nuns - often they couldn't speak and they just lay there. She had to help them eat by massaging their jaws to try and get them to chew and swallow.  | | Yvonne Towns with her Gold book |
Hazel had some close encounters with wildlife on her expeditions which included pitching her tent on top of an ants nest, having her food eaten by rats and cows getting rather too close to their camping area. Yvonne Towns started doing her award in 1967 through the Girls Brigade. She was one of the first three girls in Chelmsford to gain their Gold award. For Gold there were three extra sections that she recalls. These were Residential, Practical Service to the Community and Everyday Nursing.  | | Yvonne (right) with her friend |
On her bronze expedition she cycled around Essex churches, and as part of her project her group studied the history of the buildings. You can hear more stories from people who took part in the award between the 1950's and mid 1990's by listening to Take the Challenge - a documentary celebrating 50 years of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Just click on the link below to listen. | 
