Above: Celebrating Dame Allan's Schools' OLED success at Wylam Brewery
Last night (16 October) saw the return of Dame Allan’s Schools’ Outdoor Leadership and Education (OLED) Awards, which celebrate the many successes that pupils of all ages enjoy in nature: from Duke of Edinburgh challenges and the John Muir Discovery Award, to Climbing Club and Mountain Skills.
Led by Head of OLED Mrs Cookson and held at Newcastle's iconic Wylam Brewery, the awards celebrated pupils from Year 7 to Year 13. The evening began with a coffee and sweet treat for pupils and their parents, before a welcome speech from Mrs Cookson. Junior OLED pupils (Years 7 and 8), were commended first, with awards for climbing, archery, John Muir, and Sup and Survive.
This was followed by an inspiring talk from mountaineer Rhys Jones (below), co-founder of Campfire Wild Adventures and the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits; the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents. Rhys talked passionately about the benefits of adventure and captivated pupils and parents alike with tales of iconic peaks, including Kilimanjaro, Everest, and Mount Vinson in Antarctica - as well as showing some frostbite photos that were not for the faint of heart!
Above: Rhys Jones speaks at Dame Allan's Schools' OLED Awards
Speaking about the awards, Rhys commented: “Having worked with Dame Allan’s pupils on survival camps I have seen first-hand how resilient they are! They are lucky to have a fantastic outdoor education provision, and the awards tonight were a great way of celebrating the special bonds that come from sharing experiences in nature.”
The final award, for Junior Excellence in the Outdoors, was awarded to Hannah and Jasmine (now both Y9), with Mrs Cookson commenting that she was so proud of both girls “continually seeking adventure”.
Senior OLED pupils then arrived for their ceremony, which began with a welcome speech from Dame Allan’s Principal, Mr Scott. This was followed by a moving talk by guest speaker - and former Dame Allan’s pupil - RAF Group Captain Tim Lindsay, who spoke about his life of service and leadership in the RAF before helping to hand out trophies and congratulate pupils.
The Senior OLED ceremony continued with awards for Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh completion, the YMCA Inter Schools Challenge, achievement with the school Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and in Operation Wallacea; a new scientific outdoor adventure that took pupils to the Mexican jungle over the summer break.
Above: Y12 student Milo receives an award
Mrs Cookson reflected on the importance of celebrating outdoor achievements:
“At Dame Allan’s, we’re proud to have one of the most successful OLED programmes in the region. We are constantly impressed by the determination, hard work and adventurous spirit of our pupils as they explore the outdoors, complete drills with CCF, and learn to become leaders. They make us very proud with each excursion and it was fantastic to be able to celebrate with pupils and families this evening.”