Toby’s Triumphant Restoration Journey

The vibrant community associated with the classic and historic motoring sector is one filled with stories and adventures of members new and old.

Words by Gracie Haddon

Toby’s Triumphant Restoration Journey

We’re using our platform to showcase those, with Toby’s journey of combining his love of restoration with his Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) a lovely example.

To complete the Skills Section of his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Toby embarked on a mission to restore a gorgeous Triumph Herald 1200 and has successfully done so, and to an incredibly high standard, as shown throughout the photos. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a youth development programme that through a range of challenges builds skills and confidence amongst young people. From volunteering to expeditions, the award is a valuable achievement, recognised by employers and educational institutions.

One of the challenges that young people face with DofE is getting someone to write their assessors report. It can’t be done by a family member, but Toby was fortunate that he was doing his DofE through Explorer Scouts and his Unit Leader, Jim Barnett, happens to be a Triumph fanatic.

Jim explains, “People are often deterred from being assessors because they think they need to have formal qualifications or that it’s going to involve a lot of paperwork, but that’s simply not true.”

Becoming an assessor is simple; you’ll be asked for your relevant experience as an assessor, so outlining your industry history within the sector in a few short sentences is suitable.

You’ll need to be able to report back on the journey of the assessed, highlighting aims set out, how well they’ve been achieved, and challenges around the activity. It’s also important to state what skills they’ve learned, and finally, a short statement of how they will develop their skills further.

If you’re approached to become an assessor, it’s a privilege. When they’ve achieved such high standards, like Toby has, you are helping make a difference within the sector, supporting the next generation of careers within the classic and historic motoring world.

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