Vale Youth Service went to Buckingham Palace this week for a special celebration marking 70 years of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and it came away with a fresh commitment of its own: a new Gold DofE group will launch in September 2026.

The gathering brought together youth organisations, supporters and participants from across the UK, with the afternoon shaped by talks from award participants and guest speakers. The timing gives the local announcement extra weight, because the anniversary event was not just a ceremonial date on the calendar. It was a national show of how the award has endured, and why it still matters to young people now.

Hannah Brown, speaking for the service, said the award is “so much more than a certificate” and said it has the power to genuinely change lives for young people across the Vale of Glamorgan. She said she has watched young people arrive unsure of themselves and leave with their heads held high, proud of what they have achieved. Brown also pointed to the hours spent volunteering, the challenge of rainy expedition weekends and the moments when a young person realises they are capable of more than they thought.

Annette Harrison said the programme is open to anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of background, ability or experience, and described the Buckingham Palace celebration as a huge milestone for the service and an opportunity for young people. That promise sits at the heart of why the award keeps drawing interest, but it also leaves a practical question hanging over local access: how that openness will be delivered for all young people in practice, and which of them will be able to take part when the new Gold group begins next year.

Councillor Rhiannon Birch said it was fantastic to see Vale Youth Service recognised as part of the national celebration marking 70 years of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. For the service, the Buckingham Palace invitation was recognition of work already under way and a sign that the next chapter is already being set in motion. The new Gold group in September 2026 is the next step, and the question now is how many young people in the Vale will be able to take it up.