And then, on my birthday, I ran away again, this time on the Standish Woodland Chase, a multi-terrain race of nearly ten miles through woods on the Cotswolds escarpment above Stroud and Stonehouse. It was hell. The first mile and a half was uphill. Not just uphill, but up a very steep hill. I never…
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and so I had my arm twisted to join our supporters from across our global network in taking up the challenge of raising money, helping to deliver a life-changing experience to more young people as they find their purpose, passion and…
I woke at 2, 4 and then at 9:30; grabbed a quick breakfast and then joined the morning’s committee meeting – the cultures may be different, but the issues are the same – how to get better youth participation in decision making; how to reinvigorate training and support of adults; how to tell the story…
This morning I stood in silence at a village remembrance service. Tonight, my Facebook wall is full of pictures of those friends, many in Scout or Cadet uniform, who also chose to pause and remember. Those pictures are not just from my own country, but from all over the Commonwealth. Conscripts and volunteers from across…
On the 14th October, I had the opportunity to say a few thank yous as I bowed out as Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award… Thank you. Two little words that truly say exactly what I want to say this evening. Thank you to the young people and their leaders around the…
It was jolly cold this morning, but I soon warmed up and managed to get round a quite jolly course in well under an hour. The route took us round the edge of Hyde Park and then twice round Kensington Gardens before returning back to the Boathouse on the Serpentine. Now all I need to…
