Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants from Portslade welcome Secretary of State Peter Kyle

Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) is a co-educational school for 11- to 16-year-olds based in the heart of the Mile Oak Community in Portslade, Brighton. With a commitment to inclusivity and limitless aspiration, it champions the DofE, giving all its pupils the opportunity to complete the Bronze and Silver Award.

Since 2016, when PACA became a DofE Licensed Organisation, 339 students have achieved their Bronze Awards and 57 have progressed onto Silver, with over 40% of these students from marginalised backgrounds. The school supports many of these students to access the Award by providing opportunities to complete Volunteering in their local community and reducing financial barriers by supplying the kit and equipment pupils need to complete the Expedition section. With funding from the DofE, the school has built its stock of expedition kit in addition to sectional equipment such as litter pickers that students can use to complete their volunteering locally.

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: "I'm a huge fan of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and seeing students in Portslade achieve this success confirms why I support it. Seeing these students who have put themselves out of their comfort zone and gained confidence, resilience, skills for work and friendship groups warms my heart and makes me so proud of this community."

Volunteering has been a major focus in recent years and the number of hours spent by PACA students volunteering in their local community has been steadily increasing. In 2020, PACA DofE participants completed 221 hours of Volunteering, reaching a high of 1027 hours in 2023. The value of the Award and impact on the students is felt throughout the school and celebrated. These positive foundations have now seen four leavers progress to the Gold Award, with the first completing in 2024.

Lucy, 15, a student at PACA working towards her Silver DofE Award, supported an elderly member of her local community for her Volunteering section. Lucy helped Glenys around the home, doing housework and did her shopping for her.

Lucy told Peter Kyle: “Helping Glenys has meant a great deal to me, and as a result of spending time with Glenys I have gained a second grandmother. The experience has been so valuable to me and to her.”

Ruth Marvel, CEO of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, who also visited PACA on Friday, said: “It was great to show the Secretary of State the DofE in action in his constituency on Friday. It was inspiring to hear Peter Kyle share his journey to becoming an MP – his story of perseverance in the face of many obstacles and his willingness to grab opportunities when they arose perfectly reflects the spirit of the DofE.

“The DofE helps young people build important lifelong skills such as resilience, teamwork and self-belief - and I am delighted that Peter Kyle MP was able to hear first-hand, of the incredible difference young people at Portslade Aldridge Community Academy are making through their Award across Hove and Portslade. We’re really looking forward to working with him to champion young people and make sure life-changing enrichment opportunities like the DofE are available to all.”

During Peter Kyle’s visit, parents of students at PACA thanked the school staff who contribute hugely to the Award, giving up many hours of volunteering to ensure the expeditions run safely every year. They also acknowledged the impact and skills the Award develops in young people.

To do their DofE, young people aged 14-24 choose activities in four sections: improving a Physical and Skills activity, Volunteering for a cause of their choice, and completing a demanding Expedition. Along the way they have fun, grow in resilience and self-belief, discover new talents and passions, and learn practical skills to help them in future – while working towards a highly respected Award.

A record-breaking number of young people started their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award across the UK in 2023-24 – with more than 330,000 starting their DofE and more than 545,000 participating. Young people contributed an astonishing 4.7 million hours of volunteering as part of their Award.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wants to see 1.6 million young people start their DofE by Spring 2026. It has launched ambitious projects to fund schools and community organisations in the UK’s most deprived areas to start offering the DofE, to expand into more prisons and young offender institutions, and to support more young people with additional needs and disabilities to achieve their DofE Awards.