Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

The Award itself has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. To obtain an award, participants must demonstrate achievement at the appropriate level in various activities in four sections:

• Service: helping the community (for example, working with a Charity).
• Skills: a hobby, skill or interest (for example, showing progress with a musical instrument).
• Physical recreation: sports, dance or fitness.
• Expeditions: can be by bicycle, horseback, or water, but most commonly on foot.

The expedition can be taken almost anywhere in the countryside. For example, in the UK, popular places for expeditions are the national parks, particularly the Lake District, Dartmoor, the Peak District, Pembrokeshire, North York Moors and Snowdonia. Some groups undertake their expedition in places outside the UK, such as the South of France, Canada or Kenya, and a number of companies organise such trips.

The expedition must be planned and prepared for in advance, and at least one practice journey of equivalent difficulty must be undertaken. The expedition party is expected to be self-sufficient and have an aim, such as a nature project.

Participants aiming for the Gold Award must also take part in one additional fifth section, a residential project. The residential project must be 5 days and 4 nights away from home with unfamiliar people to achieve some form of purposeful enterprise.

Time frames

The Bronze Award takes a minimum of six months to complete, with the participant having to complete three months work in two of the three main sections (service, skills, and physical recreation) and six months in the third. The expedition must be an overnight trip spanning two days.

At Silver Award level, participants must complete six months of in the service section. Of the skills and physical recreation sections, one must be undertaken for six months and the other for three months. Participants who have not completed the Bronze Award must add an extra three months in either the service section or in the longer of the skill and physical recreation sections (so one activity takes nine months, another takes six months, and the third takes three months). The expedition must last for three consecutive days, including the two nights between them.

At Gold Award level, participants must complete twelve months in the service section. Of the skills and physical recreation sections, one must be undertaken for twelve months and the other for six months. Participants who have not completed the Silver Award must add an extra six months in either the service section or in the longer of the skill and physical recreation sections (so one activity takes eighteen months, another takes twelve months, and the third takes six months). The expedition must last for four days and three nights. In addition, to the usual four activities, participants at Gold Award level must undertake a residential activity for five days away from home.

Activities can be undertaken concurrently, so each award can be obtained in the period required for the longest task. Participants are expected to do at least an hour a week in the sections, and need to arrange for an assessor for each section to sign a record book to confirm they meet the requirements for that section.

Principles

The Award, according to its key principles, is non-competitive, available to all, voluntary, flexible, balanced, progressive, achievement-focused, a marathon not a sprint, personal development, and enjoyable.