Twins Taylor and Tyler Mark-Conlon, 19, from Thetford, met His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace after achieving their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award.
(left to right) HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Taylor and Tyler Image: ©Ian Smithers, DofE
The brothers joined more than 9,000 young people from across the UK, including fellow Thetford Academy students Kennedy, Grace, Kamile, Erin and Katie, at a special Gold Award celebration hosted by The Duke in the Buckingham Palace gardens. The event recognised young people who have shown perseverance, resilience and commitment in completing their Gold Award.
Taylor and Tyler completed all three levels of their DofE at Thetford Academy and now volunteer there, helping to inspire and support new participants. During a personal conversation with The Duke, Taylor explained how they continue to assist with expeditions and have gained leadership qualifications through the programme.
“We did all of our DofE levels together,” Taylor told The Duke. “Now we both volunteer at the school, helping with expeditions – we’re qualified assessors, have completed our leader and manager training, and I’ve signed up for my Mountain Leader qualification.”
“Good luck – you’ll have lots of fun doing that. Well done,” The Duke replied.
Growing up in foster care, the twins were encouraged through school and DofE charity funding to take on new challenges and develop confidence and skills that have shaped their futures. Keeley Purslow, Head of Service for East Anglia at By the Bridge, described Taylor and Tyler as “two truly remarkable young men”, whose Gold Awards reflect their “determination, resilience, and commitment”.
She added that their journey was “a powerful example of the life-changing opportunities that fostering and programmes such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can provide”.
Tyler, who is studying Chemistry at the University of York, credits DofE with helping him discover a love of camping and hiking, as well as developing leadership and navigation skills. He hopes to progress to a master’s degree and pursue a career in research, with a particular interest in pharmaceuticals.
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helped me discover my love for camping and hiking,” said Tyler. “It gave me the opportunity to learn new skills like navigation, and I now have qualifications to teach and lead the programme as well.
“My brother Taylor and I still volunteer with Thetford Academy’s DofE programme. Some of my favourite memories include wild camping in the Lake District and hiking alongside waterfalls.”
Taylor, now studying Physical Geography at the University of Sheffield, said DofE introduced him to the outdoors and inspired his ambition to become a Mountain Leader. He became the first Young Leader at his school and continues to support expeditions.
“Before DofE, I had never been camping or hiking,” he said. “The expedition then completely changed my life – I discovered my passion for the outdoors, camping and hiking.
“DofE has been an amazing journey. It helped me choose my university, as being close to the Peak District was a big factor. I’ve become a walk leader, joined the walking club committee as charity officer, and I’m now training for the UK Mountain Leader programme.”
A Gold DofE Award requires at least 12 months of commitment, including volunteering, learning new skills, completing an expedition and taking part in a residential experience.
The Buckingham Palace event formed part of celebrations marking the DofE charity’s 70th anniversary. The gardens were transformed into a festival-style celebration, with giant deckchairs, bunting and activities, while speakers including Jake Humphrey, Hugh Bonneville, Alex Jones and Larry Lamb addressed the Gold Award holders.
Presenter and author Jake Humphrey told attendees: “Moments like this are not earned through comfort, they are earned through challenge.”
Since its creation in 1956, more than 8.8 million young people have started a DofE Award in the UK. More than 345,000 began their DofE in the last year alone – the highest annual figure in the charity’s 70-year history.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is open to any young person aged 14-24 years. Participants build their own programmes, choosing activities and a cause to volunteer for, in order to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award.
Anyone with a connection to the DofE is invited to celebrate its 70th anniversary by sharing their memories in DofE’s digital scrapbook at: DofE.org/your-story
