DofE
What is the DofE?
- A life-changing experience.
- An opportunity to have fun with friends.
- A chance to discover new interests & talents.
- A tool to develop essential skills for life & work.
- A recognised mark of achievement, respected by employers.
- The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate life.
Doing DofE helps you leave your limits behind. It’s the perfect way to try new things, meet new people, discover new talents, learn new skills, give to your community, feel more confident, make a difference, recognise your potential, boost your well-being – & know that nothing can hold you back.
What you do is up to you – from surfing to salsa dancing, coding to candle-making – it’s your call.
14-24 year olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. There are four sections to complete at Bronze & Silver level & five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter & healthier, developing new skills, planning, training for & completing an expedition &, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.
The expedition lasts between one & three nights, depending on what you’re aiming for, & you get all the support you need to make sure you’re fully prepared.
Any young person can do their DofE. Achieving an Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s all about setting personal challenges & pushing personal boundaries. It’s about finding the confidence to be yourself, & knowing that when things get tough, you can find a way through. So what are you waiting for…?
Timescales
There are three levels of programme you can do which, when you’ve successfully completed them, lead to a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The main differences between them are the minimum length of time it takes to complete them, how challenging it is, & minimum age you can start.
Sectional activities need to average an hour a week, with the first & last activities being the full section duration apart. At Bronze level, it is typical for activities to be weekly. For longer sections at Silver and Gold (potentially at Bronze, depending on the activity), it can help for the activity to be longer (in terms of hours per session) but less often. This can be particularly good for the Volunteering section to allow participants to take on more interesting, challenging & responsible activities. For example, in a Gold programme lasting 12 or 18 months, a participant could do one longer session (e.g. 6 hours) of volunteering per month. Please note that activity cannot be condensed to less than one session per month.
For each section, you should set a challenging but achievable goal & be able to demonstrate development & regular progress towards this goal. All activities must be completed before your 25th birthday.
What will it cost?
Bronze & Silver: £38 Gold: £45.
This is to register onto the DofE system. There will be further costs for expeditions at PYCF.
The other sections (Skill, Physical, Volunteering, Residential) you complete in your own time & expense.
Where can I do DofE?
Enrol with us at PYCF – we meet the first and third Sunday of the month 5 – 7pm.
Why not come & say hello on a Sunday evening session or email barryashdown@pycf.org.uk
Find out more here or watch DofE videos here
