Port of Milford Haven sponsors inspirational Duke of Edinburgh event at Pembrokeshire College

Over seventy people came together at Pembrokeshire College recently to celebrate and learn about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at a Business Tea, sponsored by the Port of Milford Haven.

The audience heard from Pembrokeshire-born adventurer Tori James who embarked on her DofE journey in school, but now holds the title for the first Welsh woman to climb Mount Everest and is a proud ambassador for the programme. Gold award holder Lucy Aur also spoke about her positive experiences of the DofE programme, highlighting the strong connections she created with her fellow explorers.

During the afternoon, certificates were presented to businesses, the Ascona Group and Hydro Industries, who have pledged their support for DofE, as well as volunteers Caroline Wilson and Andy Jones who have dedicated many years of hard work and commitment to the charity.

The Port of Milford Haven is proud to be a Silver Associate of DofE and its Chief Executive Tom Sawyer and Chairman Chris Martin were delighted to be able to speak about their support. Tom Sawyer said “The DofE programme offers young people so many opportunities and equips them with important life skills such as confidence, creativity and compassion. From an employer’s perspective, candidates who have completed DofE often have an incredibly interesting background and have broadened their horizons as a result of enrolling onto the programme. I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone who’s thinking of signing up to do so and would certainly recommend that other businesses in the area consider offering their support.”

Robert Newsome OBE, who is Chair of Ambassadors for DofE Wales and hosted the Business Tea event, commented “This event has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the impact and success DofE has on the lives of participants. It has also afforded the opportunity to thank local volunteers who support young people in engaging with the programme. Most of all, this has been a chance to showcase to community and business leaders how The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award contributes positively to personal development and wellbeing, encourages volunteering work within our communities and fosters a range of employability skills. We are extremely grateful to all those industries and businesses that support us in ensuring the inclusion of young people in West Wales.”

For more information on the DofE programme visit www.dofe.org