Young Reds brave gruelling hike

The task for the 10 young Reds was to cover 25 miles in the space of three days as well as harness a range of abilities including physical, skill and volunteering over a six-month period.

And last week, eight of the Liverpool youngsters - two have since left the club - were presented with their Duke of Edinburgh bronze level certificates at the club's Kirkby Academy.

Jack Alexander, Andy Firth, Niall Heaton, Seyi Ojo, Alex O'Hanlon, Lloyd Jones, Ryan Fulton, Danny Cleary, Dylan Moss and Callum Pilkington all completed the award.

The physical aspect of the task did not require much deviation from a normal day-to-day routine which includes attending the gym, taking part in team and solo football events.

The skill side of the Duke of Edinburgh award advocates the learning of an instrument, a language, honing cooking skills, decorating or anything as varied as web design, a course in IT or craftsmanship.

For the volunteering part of the course, Liverpool's youngsters took part in a coaching scheme for referees and worked closely with some of the younger players at the club's Academy.

And on top of all this was a Yorkshire three-peak challenge.

Covering around six miles a day, the Academy boys carried provisions like water, food, clothing and a tent inside their rucksack.

On the first day, they walked from point A to point B, set their tents up, cooked their own tea from limited provisions and after a somewhat uncomfortable night's sleep awoke to face the prospect of another seven-and-a-half-mile trek.

Stephen Patrick, Duke of Edinburgh manager, said: "The award is essentially a personal development programme.

"It's all about them learning from themselves and it brings out a lot of qualities in the youngsters, such as confidence, team skills and self-sufficiency."

Phil Roscoe, assistant Academy manager, explained: "We approached the Duke of Edinburgh because we felt that the qualification would be fantastic for our older pupils at Rainhill High.

"In May 2012, we asked 10 of the players in the U15s and U16s to take part in the work that would go towards the bronze award.

"They worked for this throughout the year, off the field assisting younger players and on the field in the physical work.

"All their efforts culminated in an expedition to Yorkshire, where they undertook the three-peaks challenge. Our lads navigated their way about and took on duties to pass the walking part of the qualification.

"It was a great opportunity for the players to bond and be together as a group. Also, it was important for them to do something that was totally out of their comfort zone and away from what they do on a day-to-day basis.

"They all did fantastically well. They all passed and I'm very proud of them.

"We'd like to thank everyone at Duke of Edinburgh for giving us the chance to gain the qualification. It's something we're very proud of.

"We'd also like to thank the members of staff like Liam Kershaw, Clive Cook and Caitlin Hawkins for their help during the challenge."

In May this year, the Academy will be doing it all over again and this time the boys who achieved bronze, will be looking to go one step further and clinch silver.

Also the walk will be undertaken by members of staff from Liverpool as a major fundraising event in memory of Stephen Packer, the U9 player who sadly passed away in November 2012.

The fundraising will be organised in conjunction with Alder Hey hospital.

More details about the event and how you can donate will be published on Liverpoolfc.com in the coming days and weeks.