Winners gather for Duke of Edinburgh awards
An extra-special Duke of Edinburgh Award has been presented to a man who has dedicated five decades to the scheme.
Jim Murray receives his award from the duke.
- By Leeza Clark
- Published in the Courier : 17.07.10
- Published online : 17.07.10 @ 11.25am
Jim Murray from Perth started out on the award scheme long before the majority of parents of Friday's gold award recipients were even born.
Being given a special certificate to mark his 50 years' service has marked a tremendous month for Mr Murray, development officer for Perth and Kinross Duke of Edinburgh Association.
He was also awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to the initiative, which was founded by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1956.
"It has been incredible this month -- we also had the royal visit to Perth recently and then the complete surprise of the MBE," he said.
Mr Murray, who is married to Ruth, started on his Duke of Edinburgh's Award journey in 1960 when he joined the Boys' Brigade and got the bronze award in Dalmellington in Ayrshire.
He achieved his gold award by the time he was 18 and has been involved ever since, starting off as an officer with the Boys' Brigade then moving to join the Ayrshire Youth Panel where he worked to develop the award within the community.
Moving to Perth, he has been instrumental in developing the award scheme in Perth and Kinross for 27 years, first as industrial project officer and now as development officer.
Some of the new generation of young gold award recipients converged on the Palace of Holyroodhouse to meet the duke and receive their certificates.
In two sessions around 600 young people from all walks of life around Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland saw years of hard work culminate in a chance to meet the duke.
Each young person achieved their gold award after completing a diverse range of activities through five segments of the award-volunteering, physical, skills, expedition and a residential section.
Included in their ranks were brother and sister Jed and Jenny Roy from Blairgowrie who completed their awards through Blairgowrie Open Group.
Jenny (21), who is training to be a nurse, completed her award two years ago, but had deferred receiving her certificate so was able to join brother Jed (19) in a family double.
They were among a group from Tayside receiving their certificates from guest presenter champion Scottish curler Eve Muirhead.
Four Fifers were also in Edinburgh where they chatted with the duke about their expedition and were later presented with their certificates by Jane Liddell, head of education, quality and development with North Lanarkshire Council.
Receiving their awards were Amy Greenhill from Queen Anne High and Calum Robinson from Woodmill High, both in Dunfermline, and Cameron Whytock from Bell Baxter High in Cupar and Iain Sutherland from Madras College, St Andrews.
Louise MacLeod from Lornshill Academy in Clackmannanshire was one of 14 local youngsters who travelled to the Gambia to complete her award.
The 17-year-old had raised funds for the trip, which counted towards her voluntary part of the award while the visit itself, where the team worked closely with young people from the Gambian equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh award, the President's International Award, contributed towards the expedition and residential sections.
- To view a full gallery of photos from the presentation, click here.
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