The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award aims to provide an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development for young people, which is of the highest quality and widest reach. The Aim of the Award

Vision To be universally recognised and widely adopted as the best programme for the personal development of young people

Non-competitive Available to all Voluntary Flexible Balanced Progressive Achievement Focused Marathon not a Sprint Personal Development Enjoyable! 10 Key Principles

What’s in it for Young People

What’s in it for young people? Self Belief Self Confidence A sense of identity Independence of thought and action A sense of responsibility An awareness of their potential New talents and abilities

What’s in it for young people? An understanding of strengths and weaknesses The ability to plan and use time effectively The ability to learn from and give to others in the community New relationships Skills, including problem solving, presentation and communication The ability to lead and work as part of a team

The Award At a Glance

The Award and its Operational Structures Participants Award Groups Operating Authorities 10 Regional Award Offices The Patron and Trustees UK Award Head Office Local award committees National and Regional Advisory Committees General Council Link International Award Access and Assisting Organisations

Operating Authorities (OA) OA’s obtain a licence to run the Award. Units and groups deliver the Award. An Award Officer runs the OA usually supported by an administrator (s), fundraiser (s), development worker (s). OA’s include LEA’s, Voluntary and Uniformed organisations. OA’s have Roles and Responsibilities: Child Protection Policies Health and Safety Requirements Risk Assessment Approval of Trainers, Supervisors, Assessors Issuing Record Books Approval of Completed Awards Checking on quality Safeguard Aims and standards of the Award

Roles and Responsibilities

Benefits to Organisations

Award Resource Materials

Handbook Navigation

Three Levels of Award BronzeSilverGold Entry at 14 with some discretion allowed Earliest age for completion 14yrs 6 months Age of entry 15 years, some discretion for Bronze Award holders Earliest age for completion 15yrs 6 months (16yrs for a direct entrant) Earliest age to start 16 years and no discretion Earliest age for completion 17yrs (17yrs 6 months for a direct entrant) All Awards must be completed by the Participants 25 th birthday

Bronze Award ServiceSkillsPhysical Recreation 3 Months An additional 3 months must be undertaken in any of these Sections Expedition 2 Days / 1 Night 6 Hours of planned activity

Silver Award ServiceSkillsPhysical Recreation 6 MonthsOne Section for 3 months and the other for 6 Months Direct Entrants – an additional 6 months in either the Service or the longer (skills or Physical Recreation) Section Expedition 3 Days / 2 Night 7 Hours of planned activity

Gold Award ServiceSkillsPhysical Recreation 12 MonthsOne Section for 12 months and the other for 6 Months Direct Entrants – an additional 6 months in either the Service or the longer (Skills or Physical Recreation) Section Expedition - 4 Days / 3Night 8 Hours of planned activity

How it Works To gain an Award young people have to do four activities, five at Gold Service Skills Physical Recreation Expedition Residential Project

Activity Choices Activities have been designated to Sections and can only be counted towards that Section of the Award. Activities not obvious or listed, check the Programmes File, Website, Operating Authority or Regional Office. New Activities not listed that a participant wants to do the Award will look at accrediting it. Check it out!

General Conditions 1 The choice of activities is that of the participant’s Activities should offer a realistic challenge with attainable targets Each activity at each level may be changed once Sectional Certificates are available at each level Activities undertaken in the 3 months prior to entry or with an Access organisation can count. The purchase on an entrance pack signifies the commencement of an Award

General Conditions 2 The Award must be undertaken in personal or ‘non-directed time’ Activities may be vocational but must not be a requirement of education or work – cannot get paid! Qualifications gained during directed or work time may count but….. the minimum time involvement must be completed in personal time

Movin’ On! Participants may start on a Section of the next Award prior to completing their existing Award provided…. The have a record book pack for the next Award They have completed that Section in the previous Award They are above the minimum age of entry for the next Award They are not working on all three Awards at the same time!

One to Remember! Where necessary, participants may choose to change the activity undertaken once in each Section at any time during participation Both should be recorded in the Record Book The two periods of participation should add up to at least the minimum time requirement for the particular section

Assessment Effort Perseverance Progress

25 The Award Programme Questions ?