An intrepid group of students with additional needs have struck gold after tackling one of the toughest challenges for young people. Seven students from Beaumont College, for young people in Cumbria and Lancaster aged 18-25 with a broad range of physical and/or learning impairments, have been completing the gruelling Duke of Edinburgh Award, including a four-day expedition in a deluge of torrential rain and mudslides while their instructors were close by but out of sight. Five of the seven achieved gold, a coveted standard that only a small number of young people across the country manage to achieve, while two others are expected to complete the award soon.