Duke Of Edinburgh Award
If you are thinking of doing your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – why not do it with Girlguiding Cheshire Border?
You can sign up and start working on the award as soon as you start year 9 for the Bronze Award.
We provide a comprehensive Expedition training programme, opportunities to volunteer in Guiding and local coordinators who can support you throughout.
What is the DofE Award?
Guides, Rangers (school year 9 or above) and volunteers up to the age of 24 can take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (D of E). The expedition is only one part of the Award (there are three other sections: physical recreation, learning a skill and volunteering).
For more information about the Award visit the DofE website.
- Bronze Award: (year 9 and above) 2-day expedition min 6 hrs per day; 1-night camping.
- Silver Award: (year 10 and above) 3-day expedition min 7 hrs per days; 2 nights camping
- Gold Award: (age 16+) 4-day expedition min 8 hrs per day; 3 nights camping.
Expeditions are in groups of 4-7 members and have at least one dedicated supervisor responsible for their safety.
So, what do you do now?
If you would like to participate in the D of E Award, you should:
- Register for DofE at the appropriate level by registering below, either before the first expedition training evening or as soon as possible once the training has commenced.
- Attend the introduction to DofE event with at least one of your parents (parents are not needed after this one)
- Attend all expedition training evenings; this will ensure that you have covered all the skills required to give you the best experience on your own expedition.
- Take part in training walks These will help you to learn navigation in a “real” setting.
- Attend the first aid course to complete your training.
As you can see, you need to be committed to prepare yourself for your expedition. You also need to be committed to your group, as the expedition is also all about working as a team. However, there are few more rewarding experiences than completing a challenging journey with your group. If you are well prepared, you will find it easier and enjoy it more!
Cheshire Hike: Most of our training is suitable for girls aged 10½ upwards who are intending to take part in the Cheshire Hike whether they are also doing DofE or not. Please contact Rachel if you are interested in doing this.
More info on the Cheshire Hike can be found here.