 Back in 2019, a time when we were all guilty of taking social interaction for granted, I started my Duke of Edinburgh award. When making my choices I knew I wanted to complete each section in an area that I have an interest in and I didn’t want this to just be a box ticking exercise, I wanted to enjoy it too and if possible develop my skills and interests In no particular order I decided to complete: Skills – Cooking (Yes I know I still owe the team a chocolate cake!), Physical – Rugby and for Volunteering I wanted to incorporate diving. I approached Tracey to ask if she would allow me to carry out my Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering with Dive Rutland, with a focus on mentoring the junior divers. Tracey and the team kindly took on the challenge of supporting me whilst I supervised the juniors! In addition to helping with the junior theory and practical sessions I also learnt what goes on behind the scenes in the shop getting the sessions ready and I was even let loose on a few customers and stock taking!     The finale to my volunteering was to be a ‘Dive Against Debris’ for the members and juniors. I had put a lot of work into preparing the marketing material but unfortunately, due to Covid 19 this has not yet happened.
During my time volunteering I learnt patience, how to interpret and satisfy needs and requirements and I was also pleased to discover that I know more about diving than I thought I did! The bronze DofE volunteering component requires 13 weeks with a minimum input of one hour a week. I managed 35.5 hours and I really enjoyed all of it. I love diving and I am lucky to have such a supportive local club which provides such excellent opportunities. Thank you to Tracey and the crew for facilitating this. Written by Thomas Frieland
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