Adventure Awards
Each year, pupils in the Fifth and Sixth forms are encouraged to apply for bursaries which will help them undertake an expedition and challenge themselves to try something new. Whether physically or intellectually challenging (and in most cases, both), these awards were created by many benefactors and the journeys they inspire help to keep a sense of adventure alive.
Now that the awards attract the attention of scores of pupils, applicants must present their proposals to a judging panel, and demonstrate that their itineraries, costings and plans are original, safe and practical, as well as having that essential ingredient of adventure and challenge. Winners of awards will then give a presentation to the Fifth and Sixth Forms on their return, encouraging and stimulating the next round of hopeful travellers.
The awards are set up in memory of Old Oundelians from funds kindly donated by friends or family. The oldest and most prestigious of these is the Dudgeon Award, presented at Speech Day, and funded in memory of Patrick Dudgeon (St. A 1934-38). He was captured by the Germans in the Second World War, and described by the German who interviewed him as ‘the bravest man he had ever met’. The award is given specifically for activities of a physically demanding and adventurous nature.
A full description of all the Awards can be found here.
A glance at the range of activities which were selected for awards in 2006 gives some indication of the range and imagination of the applicants. From following the route of Pheidippides as he ran from Marathon, to walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal path, the 54 Oundlelians whose ventures won an award will return to Oundle with their horizons broadened in the best possible way.