Beacon Academy DofE Awards Celebration 2026

Beacon Academy proudly celebrated the achievements of more than 100 students who completed their Bronze or Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award during the 2024-25 academic year, at its annual DofE Awards Celebration Event. 

The school was honoured to welcome Mr Andrew Blackman, HM Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex as the guest of honour, who presented certificates to students and congratulated them on their outstanding commitment, dedication and resilience. 

"It was a great pleasure to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award ceremony at Beacon Academy and to celebrate the impressive achievements of the students who have completed their Bronze and Silver Awards. Their determination, enthusiasm, and resilience are truly commendable. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme provides experiences that build confidence, character, and leadership, and it was inspiring to see how fully the students have embraced those opportunities. I extend my warmest congratulations to all the Award recipients and my sincere thanks to the staff and volunteers whose dedication makes the programme possible."

Guest speaker, Crowborough Town Mayor Cllr Natalie Whittle, also addressed the audience, thanking students for their service to the community and recognising the contribution their volunteering makes to Crowborough. 

The celebration was further supported by representatives from the DofE South East team, expedition provider, Outspark, and special guest Cerys Martin, a UK Youth Ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, who began her DofE journey as a Beacon Academy student. Cerys delivered an inspiring speech about the Gold Award and the opportunities it offers young people. 

Contributions from Beacon Academy students brought the youth spirit of the DofE programme to life. Highlights included a specially written DofE song, performed by two Bronze Award students, and a video presentation created by two of the academy’s Silver Award teams.  

Beacon Academy’s Headteacher, Mr Keith Slattery, welcomed guests and congratulated students with the following message: 

“Lord Lieutenant, Cllr Whittle, distinguished guests, Outspark colleagues, Beacon Academy colleagues, parents, carers and, of course, all our brilliant students, welcome. 

We are pleased you could join us to witness and celebrate the achievements of all the students here tonight. The challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme certainly brings out a sense of determination and commitment in our young people, and it is wonderful to see their hard work and dedication being recognised. 

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Beacon continues to grow year on year, and we are proud to remain one of the largest Licensed Organisations delivering the Award in East Sussex. Over half of last year’s Bronze students have continued to Silver this year, and our Gold cohort is also growing. 

Our Sixth Formers, who have taken on the challenge of the Gold Award, have also excelled, and several will be invited to a Gold Award celebration event at Buckingham Palace this summer. 

I would like to thank everyone who makes DofE at Beacon possible: our DofE Team and volunteers, our wider staff and the parents, carers and families who support students through every stage of their Award.”

Beacon Academy continues to see strong growth in its DofE participation, with students contributing hundreds of hours of volunteering in and around Crowborough and the wider local community. Their work has supported charities, care settings, sports clubs, local events, youth organisations and environmental projects. 

The school looks forward to supporting its next Bronze, Silver and Gold cohorts throughout their 2025-26 expeditions and volunteering placements.