Students at Ponteland High School are being celebrated this week for their outstanding contribution to the local area, dedicating a total of 1,859 hours to volunteering through The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE).
A group of 176 dedicated participants from the school took part in the initiative, strengthening community links across Ponteland and its surrounding areas. The young people volunteered in a variety of vital local roles, including supporting charity shops, helping at primary school after-school clubs, leading community litter picks, and coaching younger sports teams. Through these activities, participants developed essential life skills while directly benefiting their neighbours.
“The students taking part in the DofE across all levels are a credit to themselves, the school, and their family,” said Andy Allman, DofE Manager at Ponteland High School.
This local success mirrors a record-breaking year for the DofE charity, which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary. Nationally, more than 345,000 young people started their DofE programme in 2025–26, marking the highest enrollment since the charity was founded. Across the UK, participants contributed an astonishing 6 million hours of volunteering, delivering an estimated economic value of over £45 million.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity, praised the school’s achievements: “We’re absolutely delighted to see the impact that young people at Ponteland High School have made through their DofE volunteering. Over the past 70 years at DofE, we have seen first-hand how volunteering is a great way for young people to build confidence, develop essential work-related skills and use their passions and talents to benefit others.”
Looking ahead, the DofE charity has set an ambitious target to give two million more young people the chance to take part in the programme by 2031.