Mr Robert Clapham
is the Duke of Edinburgh Award’s expedition
leader for Neath Port Talbot Open Gold Centre
Finalist: Voluntary and Not for Profit
Rob is the expedition leader
for the Duke of Edinburgh at Neath Port Talbot
Open Gold Centre, a centre which provides training
and support for young people from Neath Port
Talbot who wish to undertake the Gold Duke of
Edinburgh. The Neath Port Talbot Gold Centre
is recognised as a flagship in Wales but it
has been Robert’s time at the centre which
has transformed its influence.
When Rob joined in 2002, the
Gold Level Expedition had four participants;
last year it took 50 participants and 25 staff
away to Dartmoor. The Gold Level expedition
is a life-changing experience, an incredibly
hard challenge for which participants are forced
to find a great deal of inner-strength and come
together as a team. Rob Clapham has devised
and delivered fantastic training programmes
which give participants necessary skills and
confidence for their challenge.
Rob joined the centre as an
expert in the outdoors having been a member
of the Mountain Rescue Team for several years.
He threw himself into the challenge of creating
an organisation that offered a training programme
and an atmosphere which would ensure that young
people would want to become involved. Rob has
a great belief in the abilities of others and
is an inspiration for his colleagues to work
with, as well as inspiring young adults with
his passion for adventure and encouraging them
to take responsibility and work in a team.
There are now ten times more
young people involved than before Rob joined
the organisation and 200 young people have written
feedback forms demonstrating what a life-changing
experience they have had because of Rob’s
work. There are currently more than 30 young
people gaining leadership experience and qualifications
under Rob’s direction.
Rob is altruistic to the core
– he believes 100% in young people; sees
the best in everyone and has inspired over 200
young learners to reach levels of personal achievement
they had never before deemed possible. He is
dedicated, fun and inspirational.
Tell us something your
colleagues don’t know about you?
I still want to be a cowboy when I grow up!
Who inspires you?
The young people that we work with
What is your top leadership tip?
Allow other people to gro
