Young people from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) braved the recent unsettled weather all in the name of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE).

A total of six patients took part in the twilight expedition activity camp as part of their work towards the bronze award, which consists of four sections. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills and completing an expedition.

The (DofE) programme gives young people an opportunity to discover new interests and a tool to develop essential skills for life and work. Achieving an award is all about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries.

As part of this activity the young patients took part in a headtorch lit scavenger hunt around the grounds of St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Working together they successfully found all the items and completed the challenges before being treated to an outdoor cinema experience where they watched a film under the stars.

All of the young participants enjoyed the series of activities and thanked the organising and escorting staff before returning back to Smyth House tired and ready for bed.

Ian Bradley, DofE assessor in St Andrew’s College said: “It was a great evening and a true team effort. It was great to see the whole of Stowe and a young person from Seacole out having fun for the entire evening.”

Dr Helen Gosney, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist on Stowe ward, added: “It is so good for the young people’s recoveries to engage in an age appropriate leisure activity that they would be doing if they were not in hospital, many thanks to the College team for facilitating this.”