Tag: Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Bill’s Patch: Care home resident gets his own piece of happiness

Strachan House Care Home resident, Bill Lathe had dreamed of being able to garden again so staffed teamed up with a local boy Struan Dow who helped Bill out with his wish to make it come true. 

Bill has lived at Strachan House for several years and is oved by staff and residents alike. Staff and Struan were delighted to be a part of making his dream come true, as they knew how much it meant to him and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Bills face. 

Staff first found out about Bills wish through their active activities program. Mandy, Head of Activities, said “Bill has always had a love of gardening and when we were a contacted about a local boy Struan needing to complete his JASS project it made sense to pair the two up by surprising Bill.”

JASS is the junior programme for the Duke of Edinburgh awards and Struan needed to undertake his silver award. This meant he was tasked with having to complete a 12 hour project. A student in class 6HD at Erskine Stewart Melville School, meant that Struan gave up his Easter break to work on the project.

He said: “When I heard of Bill’s wish I knew I could combine my project with his wish, so I decided to spring into action and build Bill an accessible herb garden box and present it to him within the gardens at Strachan House.

“I was so happy to see Bill’s face and was so happy to be part of something special for him. To know that my herb box will be appreciated and go to good use is awesome!”

Mandy Head of Activities added “What and amazing young lad Struan is and he should be proud of his hard work. Bill is over the moon!” 

In response to this wonderful surprise, Bill said: “I was overwhelmed. It is such an amazing feeling to know that the youngsters still look out for us and care so much.

“I’m really grateful to Struan and the team for making my wish come true. I can’t wait to get planting my herbs for the use in the kitchen”

Gordon Philp, General Manager at the home, said: “We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Strachan House. It was so nice to see how happy Bill was and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”

Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.

Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.

First FetLor youngsters graduate with Duke of Edinburgh Awards

A VERY special ceremony has taken place to present the first youngsters from FetLor Youth Club with Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards following an ambitious programme of volunteering, wilderness activities and physical challenges.

Eighteen young people have graduated from the scheme for the first time and their achievement was celebrated at a special event at the charity’s Crewe Road premises. Continue reading First FetLor youngsters graduate with Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Want to get on? Young people advised to brush up their soft skills

One in three employers regard soft skills as more important than academic achievements

  • In a poll of more than 500 senior managers commissioned by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, 98% think young people should invest more time enhancing their soft skills
  • 9 in 10 say young people with strong soft skills often progress faster in the workplace
  • Three quarters of employers think traditionally laid out CVs do not showcase young people’s soft skills in the best possible light
  • British Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor, Sarah Willingham is amongst the 82% who think ‘soft skills’ should be renamed to better reflect their importance
  • 93% reveal they are more likely to employ a candidate who can demonstrate achievements beyond their curriculum studies, such as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with 86% looking more favourably on a candidate who shares evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media channels

As GCSE students across England and Wales await their results and prepare to enter the world of work or higher education, new research by youth charity The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) reveals the attitudes of UK business leaders when it comes to employing young people.

The polling has found 95% of UK senior managers regard soft skills as equally or more important than exam results alone, with 98% recommending young people invest more time in enhancing soft skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership, to get ahead of the game in the competitive job market.

9 in 10 of the business leaders surveyed revealed they are more likely to employ a candidate who demonstrates achievements beyond grades and those who show evidence of strong ‘soft skills’ often progress faster in the workplace.

British Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor, Sarah Willingham is amongst the 82% of employers who think the term “soft skills” does not adequately reflect their importance. “Real life skills” or “Core skills” would give the term more gravitas and better highlight the key message: when it comes to employability, the value of those skills cannot be underestimated.

It comes as no surprise to UK Businesswoman and Dragon’s Den investor, Deborah Meaden, that a third of UK employers are urging young people to value soft skills over academic achievements. Deborah said: “I would actively encourage young people to get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteering. Achieving a DofE Award is a brilliant way to gain recognition for all the effort put in and shows potential employers a candidate has great communication, confidence and teamwork skills, which are indispensable in the workplace.”

When it comes to receiving a young person’s CV, three quarters of senior managers say the traditional format does not showcase soft skills in the best possible light. Employers are urging candidates to flip traditional CVs on their heads, highlighting skills and experiences up front, to better reflect their skills and competencies outside of the curriculum.

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Chief Executive at Virgin Money agrees and said: “There’s more to life than exams. I did 10 O Levels and got 5 ‘A’s and 5 ‘B’s. Sir Richard Branson left school without any qualifications and went on to launch the Virgin Group. Good exam results show you have the discipline to study hard and that’s important, but the right attitude will get you a long way. Be yourself. Find your purpose. Make a difference. Each and every one of us can change the world. Go out and find your way.”

As social media continues to be an increasingly popular tool at the hiring stage, over half (65%) of senior managers say they check a potential candidate’s online presence before recruiting and 86% state they look favourably on candidates who share evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media.

The DofE’s Chief Executive, Peter Westgarth, said: “The results demonstrate that a young person’s potential should not be measured solely on academic achievements. Whilst grades are of course important, they don’t showcase a young person’s full potential. Evidence of soft skills helps employers to see that a young person is more employable and that they will adapt to the workplace culture more easily and progress faster in the job.  

“It’s therefore really important that young people are aware of this and have access to opportunities such as the DofE which is instantly recognised by employers as evidence of the skills for life and employability they are looking for. Over the years, our Charity has helped millions of young people from all walks of life to transform their lives, gain self-confidence and develop essential employability skills.”