
A GROUP of students from Melksham Oak have received the Prince’s Award which was collected by a member of the group from Prince William himself at a ceremony in London.
The students earned the coveted award for their part in a community project to enhance and improve the local Bradford-on-Avon Youth Centre. Tom Thorpe, aged 15, from Semington was chosen to attend an event at the London Stock Exchange and received the award from Prince William on behalf of the group.
The students had participated in a programme led by SkillForce, an educational charity working in Wiltshire, which uses the skills of the ex-Forces to inspire young people. The culmination of the programme was ‘24 Hours to make a Difference’, where the students came together to refurbish Bradford on Avon Community Centre.
The entire group who took part were congratulated for their work and diligence to the task, but special mention went to Tom Thorpe who was selected by the judging panel for his work throughout the project and was selected to receive the Prince’s award at a special charity event at the London Stock Exchange.
Tom said, “Initially I thought it was the whole group who would get this chance but when I found out it was just me I thought wow!
“I had a massive sense of pride and is an achievement I can cherish. It was a great experience and something I will remember for a long time.”
SkillForce instructor Mark Getley said, “It was an honour to introduce Tom from Melksham Oak to The Duke of Cambridge, our charity’s Royal Patron. He really took an interest in the work of our students and it was a really special day. I can’t wait to get cracking with next year’s students.”
The Prince’s Award was an idea developed in conjunction with SkillForce’s Royal Patron, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. The award requires the group to find and develop a plan that will help and enhance their local community and to give up their own time to achieve this task.
As part of the judging process for the award the group was visited by members of SkillForce’s senior management team to see each project and speak to different members of the team to find out their own personal experiences.