The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is the world’s leading youth achievement award. It inspires over 300,000 young people a year to develop skills for life and work, fulfil their potential and have a brighter future, whatever their circumstances.
Overview
We are an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at all three levels of the Expedition Section, Bronze, Silver and Gold, both on foot and on the water. We are also a provider for the Gold Residential Section of the Award. We pride ourselves in delivering exceptional skills training and expedition management to ensure the successful completion of each Award, no matter what level. We work closely with all our clients, whether that be a large school Bronze cohort of up to 200 participants or a small Gold team of 4 individuals, to provide a programme that is tailored to your personal requirements. All we need from you is an idea of numbers, a preferred expedition venue and which mode of travel you would like to use to complete the expedition; on foot or on the water – We will do the rest!
What is included?
- A full-time Expedition Course Director who will be available to assist with anything before, during and post expedition.
- Comprehensive pre-expedition admin pack for participants and schools / parents / guardians, including consent forms, kit lists etc.
- Assistance with expedition paperwork.
- High-quality training, delivered at your venue, our Ashdown Forest site or even in the expedition area.
- Experienced instructors holding National Governing Body qualifications relevant to the environment in which they are working. All of our instructors hold a current and relevant first aid qualification and an Enhanced DBS certificate.
- Training materials and helpful handouts for participants.
- All supervision and developmental training throughout the programme (during the day and overnight where agreed). Our goal is to help young people develop their personal and practical skills as much as possible during their time with us, both as individuals and as part of their team.
- Campsite or bunkhouse fees for participants.
- Smiles and encouragement throughout!
Equipment Included
We also provide the following equipment if required:
- Tents & Group Shelters
- Stoves & Fuel
- Group First Aid Kits
- Hi-Vis Vests (for any potential road walking)
- Maps & Compasses
- Boats, Paddles and Buoyancy Aids for Water-Based Expeditions
- Insurance (see below for full details)
Walking Expeditions
Our walking expedition packages take on the same format, whatever the level of award. Each training day/practice expedition will start with the following key elements that form the basis of a safe and successful qualifying expedition experience. Our highly experienced instructors will cover the following key subject areas:
- The Expedition Rucksack, Equipment and Footwear
- Campcraft and Use of Stoves
- Emergency Procedures and Incident Management
- First Aid Procedures
- Road Crossings and Walking on Roads
- Navigation and Route Planning
- Environmental Awareness and The Countryside Code
The practice expedition will start with direct supervision. This will allow us to assist with any areas that may need additional support. Once we are satisfied with the team’s ability to remain self-sufficient, our instructors will step back and meet the team at various points along the practice route and provide comprehensive feedback at the end with some pre-qualifying expedition hints and tips!
For the qualifying expedition, the team will meet their assessor at the start who will go through the expedition requirements to make sure they have met the conditions of this section of the award. They will also conduct a kit check of both personal and group equipment to satisfy themselves that the team is adequately prepared for their expedition.
At Silver and Gold, the team will have an additional supervisor who will be responsible for the welfare of the team throughout the expedition. At Bronze, the assessor can also act as the supervisor.
Canoeing Expeditions
Our water-based canoeing expedition packages take on the same format, whichever level of award. Each training day/practice expedition will start with the following key elements that form the basis of a safe and successful qualifying expedition experience. Our highly experienced instructors will cover the following key subject areas:
- The Expedition Drybag, Equipment and PPE
- Campcraft and Use of Stoves
- Emergency Procedures and Incident Management
- ‘On the Water’ Safety and Rescue Training
- First Aid Procedures
- Water Access and Manual Handling of Boats & Equipment
- Navigation, Route Planning and Portages
- Environmental Awareness and The Countryside Code
The practice expedition will start with direct supervision. This will allow us to assist with any areas that may need additional support. Once we are satisfied with the team’s ability to remain self-sufficient, our instructors will step back and meet the team at various points along the practice route and provide comprehensive feedback at the end with some pre-qualifying expedition hints and tips!
For the qualifying expedition, the team will meet their assessor at the start who will go through the expedition requirements to make sure they have met the conditions of this section of the award. They will also conduct a kit check of both personal and group equipment to satisfy themselves that the team is adequately prepared for their expedition.
At Silver and Gold levels, the team will have an additional safety supervisor who will be responsible for the welfare of the team throughout the expedition. At Bronze, the assessor may also assume the supervisor role if they hold the appropriate water-based technical qualifications.
Gold Residential Activity Week Package
We are an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) for the Gold Residential Section of the Award Scheme.
For the Residential section, you need to undertake a shared activity or specific course where the majority of people are unknown to you, in a residential setting away from home and in an unfamiliar environment.
Evenings are often as much a part of the experience as daytime activities. The residential section consists of a 5-day, 4-night programme.
This section offers a high degree of flexibility but it must be done with an organised group, registered charity or Approved Activity Provider (AAP) such as ourselves.
Our residential packages are run from Weavers Lodge which can accommodate up to 36 participants in dormitory-style rooms (see our ‘Accommodation’ page for further details.
Our water sports activities are run from nearby Weirwood Reservoir where we have private access to launching facilities.
The site itself features a vast array of high roped activities plus zip wires, indoor and outdoor climbing, archery, abseiling, low ropes and team building activities, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding.
What does the Gold Residential Activity Week package cost?
We have managed to keep this week at an extremely affordable price on the basis that we have accommodation on site.
We are offering the Gold Residential Activity Week for £345 + VAT per participant!
This price includes all activities, facilities and instructional staff. It also includes a full residential report and the sign-off required to complete this section of the Award.
2024 DofE Events
Open B2B Walking Expeditions and Gold Residentials 2024 (Based from Blackland Farm)
29 – 31 July 2024: Open Silver Practice
29 – 31 July 2024: Open Gold Practice
29 July – 03 August 2024: Open Silver B2B Practice and Qualifier
29 July – 04 August 2024: Open Gold B2B Practice and Qualifier
01 – 03 August 2024: Open Silver Qualifier
01 – 04 August 2024: Open Gold Qualifier
05 – 09 August 2024: Open Gold Residential
19 – 23 August 2024: Open Gold Residential
26 – 28 August 2024: Open Silver Practice
26 – 28 August 2024: Open Gold Practice
26 – 31 August 2024: Open Silver B2B Practice and Qualifier
26 August – 01 September 2024: Open Gold B2B Practice and Qualifier
Prices and Booking
We have kept our pricing structure simple!
Walking Expeditions (Bronze, Silver and Gold Packages)
£59.00 + VAT per participant per day
(See above for what is included for the price)
Canoe Expeditions (Silver and Gold Packages)
– Please contact us for a bespoke quoteGold Residential Packages
£325.00 + VAT per participant per week (all inclusive)