AN Irvine man has a prestigious date for next year when he heads to Holyrood Palace.

Sergeant Lawrence Owens, 20, who is an instructor in the Saltcoats Army Cadet Force detachment, will be there in July 2015 and a member of the Royal family is always in attendance at this high-status event.

Colonel John Dalrymple Hamilton OBE TD DL, the vice Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire & Arran visited a training weekend recently and took the opportunity to present the five sectional gold certificates.

Lawrence has to wait until July to get his hands on the full certificate of this internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The Gold Award Presentation (GAP) is a celebration and recognition of Lawrence’s achievements in completing his Gold DofE programme. The GAP is a unique event and a fitting culmination to mark the hard work, etermination and perseverance required.

Lawrence worked tirelessly through the five sections of her DofE programme over a few years, starting off as a cadet to achieve his Gold Award. His diverse activities included a four-day practice expedition in the Galloway Hills, a four-day visit to the Yorkshire Dales and being a mentor to a group of youths on a residential activity-based course.

Throughout the DofE programme many additional skills like teamwork, decision making and communications came into play.

Lawrence said: “It was over three years ago I started my gold award when a cadet. I did bits of the award, but when I became an Adult Instructor, I pushed my own development into the background for the benefit of other young people”.

Lawrence added: “Early this year a few young adults in the Army Cadet Force took up completing their Gold Award again. It has given us all good life experiences, and I will certainly encourage all young people to take up any extra-curricular activities, especially those with recognised awards.”