A FORMER Chase pupil was rewarded for years of dedication with a trip to St James's Palace in London.

Nineteen-year-old Beth Cartwright received her Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award last week from its patron and founder Prince Philip.

"To visit the palace was a great way to end a brilliant scheme," she said. "I was slightly nervous meeting Prince Philip, but he was really nice and made everyone feel very comfortable."

The award, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, targets the personal development of young people aged 14-25.

Beth has also achieved her bronze and silver awards over the last six years.

She learned yoga, gave learning support to young students and endured rainy four-day expeditions to complete the gold award.

"Over the three awards I've been chased by every sort of farm animal, endured every sort of weather and been lost countless times," she said. "Yet I loved every minute of it, the camaraderie was great and what we accomplished as a team was worth all the time and hard work."

Beth is taking a gap year before going to Nottingham University to read social and cultural studies.

She feels the team building and organisational skills she has learnt will come in useful and would like to help other young people follow in her footsteps.

"I'll definitely look into coaching the scheme in the future," she said. "I'd love to help other people enjoy the same opportunities I had."