Young Exeter man chosen to share his story at Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award celebrations
A young man from Exeter joined His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, and England footballer Hannah Hampton, to give a speech to thousands of young people and their loved ones at Buckingham Palace on Friday – as they celebrated achieving their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.
Ved Kumar, 18 - who was also celebrating achieving his own Gold Award – took to the Palace’s West Terrace to share his inspiring DofE story with around 2,000 other young Award holders. Ved, who did his DofE at Exeter College, was joined for the special day by his parents Vanja and Vinod Kumar.
Ved's celebration was one of four very special festival-style events taking place in the Buckingham Palace Garden over two days on Friday 9 and Monday 12 May, recognising more than 8,000 young people who have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and resilience to complete their Gold DofE in schools, community organisations, youth groups and workplaces, all over the UK.
Ved spoke about how his DofE experience gave him something to feel hopeful about amidst the pandemic. He said: “The expedition at the end of the pandemic year wasn’t just the final step to achieving our Bronze - it was our freedom. Being cooped up inside during the misery of COVID, separated from family and friends, gave us a fierce yearning to be out in nature. As someone who never did anything of the sort outside my Awards, I can’t describe the sheer excitement I had between expeditions for those small but precious moments. Even when I felt far from chipper - dripping wet, covered in mud and totally demoralised, as soon as I changed into something dry and put my food in the jet boil, all I can remember is sitting in the tent with my friends chatting the evening away - and grinning from ear to ear.”
Ved, who also served as a Youth Ambassador for the DofE, added: “My first ever solo trips away from home were as an Ambassador, which empowered me with a new sense of independence and confidence. The role saw me playing the saxophone at Windsor Castle, being interviewed by the BBC and hosting a parliamentary reception in Westminster. Speaking to MPs and knowing that young people’s concerns were being heard was an exhilarating feeling.”
Buckingham Palace Garden has been transformed into a festival-style celebration for the Gold Award events, with giant deckchairs, bunting, and garden games and activities. Attendees have the chance to hear from famous DofE Award holders and sporting legends, and pick up career advice from actors, presenters, authors and campaigners, at stages throughout the garden.
Friday’s celebration was hosted by The Duke of Edinburgh – who received his own Gold Award from his father Prince Philip at nearby St James’s Palace in 1986. The Duke congratulated attendees in a speech from the Palace’s West Terrace, telling them that they should all be “incredibly proud” and “walk a few inches taller,” before meeting Award holders and hearing about the positive impact their DofE has had on them.
Chelsea and England Women’s footballer, and Silver DofE Award-holder, Hannah Hampton also delivered an inspiring speech, where she told attendees: “I am a sportswoman now, but that was not always the plan – or even the expectation. Having been born with a squint, undergoing numerous operations on my eyes, my parents were told I would not be able to be a fighter-pilot or brain surgeon, because I have no depth perception, so understandably I chose the next most appropriate career -professional footballer. More precisely, a goalkeeper.
“It would have been easy to accept my limitations. However, I never did like to take the easy path or be told what I could or could not do. In my heart and mind, I knew that I could prove them wrong and overcome their doubts. I learned something that all of you know deeply: Resilience isn’t just about being strong – it is about refusing to give up when things get tough.
“What you have done with this award is far more than a tick on your CV, or a certificate for your wall. You have trained your mind to believe that obstacles are not ‘stop signs’ – they are just detours on the way to something greater. As someone who was told ‘no’ but chose to find a ‘yes’, I want you to carry this with you, wherever life takes you next: you are capable of so much more than you know. Let this be a launch pad—not the finish line.”
TV personality and chef Big Zuu, Olympic rower and Gold DofE Award Holder, Imogen Grant, SAS: Who Dares Wins star Jason Fox, lifestyle creator and disability campaigner Luke Tarrant, The Traitors star Mollie Pearce and TV personality, Dr Ranj Singh were also on hand with inspirational talks on careers and life skills.
A Gold DofE Award is a major achievement – young people spend at least 12 months improving a physical activity, honing new skills, planning and completing an expedition and residential, and volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “It’s a real honour and a privilege to be celebrating our amazing Gold Award holders in the Buckingham Palace Garden today. I’ve seen thousands of smiling faces and proud family members looking on – and rightfully so, as these young people have shown extraordinary perseverance, creativity and self-belief to be here. A Gold DofE Award will equip them with lifelong skills – and it’s wonderful to see our Award holders sharing their experiences, having fun, and discussing their plans for the future.
“Last year, over 342,000 young people started their DofE across the UK – the highest in our nearly 70 years of history. This shows just how much appetite there is amongst young people for enrichment opportunities beyond formal education. Together with our volunteers, partners and supporters, we want to reach 1.6 million young people by next spring - so that even more young people can take part in a life-changing DofE Award.”
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been focusing on breaking down barriers to give as many young people as possible the chance to do their DofE – working with more schools in deprived areas, further education colleges, community organisations, prisons and young offender institutions, and centres supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The charity recently announced record-breaking participation numbers, with 572,802 young people actively taking part in 2024/25, 342,412 young people starting their Award - with participants contributing an astonishing 5.2 million hours of volunteering, with an estimated total value of £33.4 million.
Image: Gold Award holder Ved Kumar speaks on the West Terrace. Credit Ian Smithers, DofE.
