SEVEN Somerset youngsters received the gold seal of approval from the Duke of Edinburgh in the week of January 17, 1992.

Nancy Guyan and Fiona Parkin, from Richard Huish, Andrew Corbett, from Queen's College, Louise Warren from Sexey's School, Sasha Somerset from Yeovil College, Russell Norman and Kirsten Cottier, from Somerset ACF and HQ Air Cadets, collected their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award certificates from Her Majesty's Lieutenant for Somerset Colonel Walter Luttrell at Queen's College.

In the summer, the recipients had been guests at a Buckingham Palace royal garden party to make the scheme's 35th birthday.

The scheme's regional officer Dudley Hewitt congratulated the youngsters on the time they had spent helping the community and hoped that some would return as adult helpers.

"Nationally, the scheme has enjoyed an increase from 73,000 to 85,00 in the number of entrants, of whom 8,000 came from the South West," he said.