In January 2013 I was proud to be invited to St James's Palace to be presented with my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. One of the sections for this level of the award is residential. This can be almost anything as long as it is 5 days long and away from home. Most people choose to either go on an activity course or volunteer for a charity. I chose to volunteer for CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids).

CHICKS are a charity offering residential respite breaks for some of the UKs most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. The children spend 5 days at one of the charity's retreats in either Devon or Cornwall and they get the chance to experience new things but, most importantly, they have the space to be themselves, something which their personal circumstances prevents them from being able to do. CHICKS receive no government funding and rely entirely on the generosity of individuals and organisations to be able to continue their invaluable work. In 2012 CHICKS celebrated two major milestones, their 20th anniversary and also welcoming their 10,000th child on a break. More information about CHICKS and how to get involved can be found on their website, www.chicks.org.uk.

I was apprehensive before going on my first CHICKS break (known as camps) in 2009 but since then I haven't looked back! Watching the children develop and grow in confidence, even over such a short space of time, was incredible. Since 2009 I have been fortunate to volunteer on another five breaks, including the charity's first ever Christmas camp in 2011. Although each camp is unique with a different group of children, CHICKS supervisors and volunteers, Christmas was extra special for all involved.

The experience of Christmas with a group of exceptional children and adults is something which will stay with me forever. It also gave me the motivation to increase my involvement with the charity. In 2012 I became a local ambassador for CHICKS. I have chosen to mark this occasion by climbing Kilimanjaro in August 2013. I hope that this venture will not only raise vital funds for CHICKS but also raise the profile of the charity locally. I hope that fellow-students and staff at Anglia Ruskin will help me to achieve this goal by sponsoring my expedition.