Surrey walkers were prominent among the 500 employees of UK Power Networks who raised a remarkable £88,100 for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) charity by taking part in the 20-mile Royal Ramble through central London last month.

Walkers started their ramble in Potters Fields Park, in the shadow of Tower Bridge, and passed royal landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Regents Park and the Tower of London before returning to their starting point. As part of the Royal Ramble, all participants raised at least £100 each prior to the event.

The total raised could support 1,170 young people to begin their DofE journeys and unlock their potential.

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “We are so grateful to everyone at UK Power Networks for taking on this challenge to support the DofE charity. The money raised will help us reach more young people, especially those facing marginalisation, giving them the life-changing opportunity to build confidence, resilience, and skills for life through their DofE. Thank you for stepping up for young people.”

Basil Scarsella, CEO of UK Power Networks, added: "We are incredibly proud of our employees in the 2025 Royal Ramble. Their dedication and commitment to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is inspiring.

“This event not only highlights the generosity of our employees but also underscores the importance of giving back to our community."

There are 572,802 young people actively working towards bronze, silver and gold DofE awards. Last year, young people gave more than 5.2 million hours of volunteering time through their DofE, with a value of over £33 million in worked hours.

UK Power Networks owns and runs the cables and substations which deliver electricity from the national grid to 8.5 million homes and businesses across London and the south east. It is the country’s biggest electricity distributor.