It’s a triple triple for 1094 (City of Ely) Squadron Air Cadets today as Cadet Flight Sergeant Rory Donoghue received his letter from Windsor awarding him his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Rory, who turns 18 in December, is the third Senior NCO on the Squadron to recently achieve the DofE triple of all three awards -Bronze, Silver and Gold- having started his Bronze when he was 14.
The Award is split into 5 sections: Skills and Interests, Physical Aheivement, Voluntary Work, Expeditions and a Residential project. The Gold Award itself takes a minimum of a years hard work as a whole.
For his skills and interest section Rory chose Aeronautics achieving his Master Cadet Classification, including his Method of Instruction lanyard, culminating in a BTEC in Aviation Studies. Rory took this one step further though adding Parachuting and the pursuit of his free fall licence.
His two 50 map mile, 4 day wild country expeditions, took place in the Peak District and Lake District.
For his voluntary work Rory spent one evening every week on “Guerrilla Gardening” community projects and weekly fitness circuit training sessions helped him prepare for his arduous expeditions.
Adventurous sports are a passion for the Flight Sergeant and for his residential project he spent a week snowboarding and skiing with Ex-Royal Marine instructors and a dozen young people in Glenshee, Scotland.
Flight Sergeant Donoghue said “Although The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a very personal achievement, it can’t be done without teamwork and the help, support, training and supervision of all the adult instructors that have given so freely of their time over the past four years and especially our Wing Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Officer, Flight Lieutenant Steve Johnson who has inspired and helped so many of us achieve such remarkable personal goals”
Rory’s Award is Ely’s third Gold this Summer along with Sergeants Joe Harris and Abigail Stubbs, and we expect our fourth and final “triple” of the year to arrive shortly for Sergeant Emily Pieters.
All four will be off to Buckingham Palace in the summer to receive their certificates along with their proud parents.
Well done all and congratulations on all your hard work and determination.
Time to get the needle and thread out and sew on that Gold Badge Flight Sergeant.
If you would like to find out more about the Air Cadets then simply click on this link below and enter your postcode to find your nearest Air Cadet Squadron:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/
Press release from 1094 Ely Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets
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