Bronze D of E Expedition
On one of the hottest weekends of the year so far, 52 Year 10s completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award qualifying expedition. It was exceptionally challenging given the heat - staff had to work hard to prevent the students from getting heatstroke, but no-one gave up. It was also one of the most enjoyable expeditions as students really rose to the challenge. All five of the HGS values were demonstrated in abundance - especially Perseverance!
By the end there were a few tears, mainly of relief; taped knees; sore legs and hips; girls walking with walking poles; patched-up boots; kit and rucksacks removed to lighten their loads; and some just too tired to speak. But they all got to the end and hopefully after a day or two they felt a big sense of achievement.
Pubs en route were great at providing water and facilities, and one group sought a bit of air-con and the loo in a Library, which was a first! The manager at Jordans Mill even gave us their air-conditioned meeting room to sit in when he saw that some of the girls were really struggling.
Huge thanks to all the volunteers (Geoff, Dave, Bob, Anna, Mark, Myk, Natalia and Neil) and especially school staff (Mrs Rowe, Mr Sutton, Mr Walter, Mrs Miller and Miss Wells) for giving up their weekend to support our students.
