b'THE ELLESMERIAN The Duke of Edinburghs Award62Thankfully the Duke of Edinburgh AwardOnce again, the variety of skills students take on never stops scheme in College has returned to normalityexpanding. This year we have seen a vast range, from crocheting to welding and even some taking on the challenge of learning British this year. Students have embraced theSign Language following inspiration from last years Strictly Come opportunity to get outdoors once again toDancing winner. test their skills and fitness with friends afterJMU long periods of disruption. We have seen a huge uptake in the awards this academic year, with approximately 60 students enrolling on Bronze, over a dozen taking on Silver, and an impressive 50 Gold Award participants from our growing Sixth Form. We are proud to say that Ellesmere College boasts the highest take up of the Duke of Edinburgh of any across Shropshire.With all Award levels out on training, practice, and qualifier expeditions across October, April, and Juneeither walking or canoeingthe benefits of these expeditions are immense. Some include teaching students key map reading skills, campsite etiquette, developing resilience, and team building, whilst their volunteering sections highlight the importance of giving something back to others through volunteering. Students at the College have completed a record number of 3692 hours of volunteering, something they can be very proud of. We have also taken the opportunity to enhance our DofE provision by ensuring all of our participants across all award levels complete a formalBronze Awardexternal first aid course; these prove to be a challenging 4-hour session with lots of practical elements and a written exam. Suffice to say allWe combined the expeditions this Summer with a visit to the Pro-students so far have worked hard and passed their courses and feelActive Outdoor Activity Centre just outside Llangollen, which gave more confident to deal with emergency situations when out onpupils the opportunity to try their hands at white water rafting. The expedition. rafting was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, with many taking the'