Final 9 chosen for the CVQO Duke of Westminster Award

CVQO is thrilled to announce which nine young people, chosen from across the UK after a challenging selection process held at Outposts UK, an outdoor adventure specialists based in the Quantock Hills, Somerset, have won a place on the coveted prize of a three week adventure in South Africa.

The winners, all members of UK youth organisations, will attend an awards ceremony and lunch in June, and one will also be declared the winner of the prestigious Duke of Westminster Award 2012, an annual competition organised by educational charity CVQO.

From 20,000 potential nominees, 21 competitors took part in a challenging selection assessment in April, following a programme of physical and mental tasks designed to reflect which participants are worthy of the top award. In addition, the activities undertaken during the challenge met the criteria for each candidate to achieve a Level 3 Award in Leadership from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

The final 9 were selected from these 21 cadets.

The nine finalists for the award have been selected from 250 nominations, from over 20,000 eligible CVQO learners nationwide. These are young people who possess a wide range of skills and abilities and have overcome personal challenges, as well as demonstrating a consistently high level of commitment to their communities and their peers.

Edward Woods, Chief Executive of CVQO and head of the selection panel says, “It was a really tough job choosing just nine, but we are very confident that our finalists will make a fantastic team in South Africa.”

In addition to a raft of other qualifications, all participants have gained BTEC diplomas with CVQO, and cite this learning experience as invaluable to their future educational and career development.