Hosted by The Duke as Patron of the DofE charity, Lucy joined thousands of young people and their loved ones for a festival-style celebration in the Buckingham Palace Garden on Friday, May 9.
The celebration was one of four taking place over two days at the Palace, recognising over 8,000 young people who have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and resilience to complete their Gold DofE in schools, community organisations, youth groups and workplaces, all over the UK.
Lucy, who did her DofE at King’s High School, was one of just a handful of young people to personally speak to The Duke at the event.
For her Gold DofE Skills section, Lucy did biochemistry, she played squash for her Physical and for the Volunteering section, she helped reduce isolation and loneliness by visiting vulnerable patients at Warwick Hospital – some were living with terminal illness, some were elderly and, or receiving treatment following falls, while others came from care homes who rarely had visitors.
Through her DofE, Lucy has been volunteering with charity Kissing it Better for four years, regularly visiting patients where she spends time talking and listening to them and playing games. Lucy also fundraises for the charity, making bracelets for patients and staff and puts together hampers for hospital staff to distribute to patients at Christmas.
During the exchange, Lucy told The Duke how she felt it was important for her to give back to the hospital that had provided care for her when she was unwell with Covid-19.
She said: “I’ve really enjoyed doing all of my DofE, it has been really rewarding, particularly my Volunteering section. I was hospitalised with Covid-19 during the 2020 lockdown and it has been amazing to give back to the hospital that helped me recover.
“I’ve been volunteering for four years at the charity Kissing it Better and I won their art competition for my work to be displayed in the hospital. I go to the hospital to volunteer, and I fundraise, making some bracelets and bags that I make with my grandma. I also provide company and companionship to patients on the hospital wards.”
To which The Duke responded: “For anyone that’s in there and doesn’t get a visitor; well, that’s amazing. Brilliant. And you’re continuing to do all those things still. That’s excellent.
“Well done today. You should feel very proud with what you managed to do. It was lovely to meet you.”
Jill Fraser, Chief Executive of Kissing it Better, said: “Lucy is kind and caring and makes patients smile. She puts others first, listening to their problems, providing care and sympathy; she simply wants to make those who are alone, vulnerable or upset feel valued and better.
“During the pandemic Lucy started writing monthly letters to a 96-year-old lady from Surrey and has been doing so for nearly four years. Their letter writing has resulted in a special bond and a great friendship, despite never meeting. The likelihood of a 17 and 96-year-old striking up a friendship – particularly by post – is a very rare thing but it's another example of Lucy’s caring nature, and willingness to be there for others.”
Buckingham Palace Garden had been transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting and garden games and activities. The celebration saw HRH The Duke of Edinburgh – who received his own Gold Award from his father Prince Philip at nearby St James’s Palace in 1986 – congratulate attendees in a speech from the Palace’s West Terrace.
Attendees also had the chance to hear from famous DofE Award holders and other inspiring speakers, with actor Larry Lamb, broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire and professional dancer Amy Dowden, speaking at stages throughout the garden.
Sports commentator and former professional footballer, Alex Scott MBE, delivered an inspiring speech from the West Terrace, just before Lucy met HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Alex said: “My story starts with football and the football cage at the end of my street in my council estate. I’m an East London girl through and through – a borough called Tower Hamlets. This football cage was the most unglamorous thing ever. It was a patch of concrete – a wire cage with two goals at either end. I had to fight my brother and his mates for time on the ball, for them to pick me. That cage was my Wembley, it’s where my dreams began – and I still get such a smile on my face thinking about it. I played every game for England like I still had something to prove against my brother’s mates in that East London estate.
“Find that space that feels like your own football cage. That’s powerful. Somewhere that feels safe, but gives you the confidence to dream massive. Just like the DofE. That willingness to try, to push yourself, to work as a team while standing tall as an individual. You never know where it might lead – but I promise you, if you keep stepping forwards with that spirit, you’ll end up somewhere amazing. Maybe even somewhere you never thought possible – like me back in Tower Hamlets, dreaming of Wembley.
“I’ll finish with a few words of advice: step onto every new pitch like you own it. Don’t be afraid to take the challenging shots. And never stop fighting for the ball!”
A Gold DofE programme is a non-competitive personal challenge, open to all young people, which takes a minimum of 12 months to complete. Young people build their own programmes with activities in five sections – Physical, Skills, Volunteering, a five-day Residential and a four-day Expedition.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “It’s a real honour and a privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the Buckingham Palace Garden today. I’ve seen thousands of smiling faces and proud family members looking on – and rightfully so, as these young people have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and self-belief to be here. A Gold DofE Award will equip them with lifelong skills – and it’s wonderful to see our Award holders sharing their experiences, having fun, and discussing their plans for the future.
“Last year, over 342,000 young people started their DofE across the UK – the highest in our nearly 70 years of history. This shows just how much appetite there is amongst young people for enrichment opportunities beyond formal education. Together with our volunteers, partners and supporters, we want to reach 1.6 million young people by next spring - so that even more young people can take part in a life-changing DofE Award.”
The charity recently announced record-breaking participation numbers, with 572,802 young people actively taking part in 2024/25, 342,412 young people starting their DofE – and participants contributing an astonishing 5.2 million hours of volunteering as part of their DofE activities, equivalent to over £33 million in paid working hours.