The Duke of Edinburgh
award scheme is something you’ve heard a lot about but have never really looked
into it or got involved in. The DofE award scheme is a scheme set up by the Duke
of Edinburgh, Prince Philip on the 1st September 1956 and since then has spread
across 144 nations and is growing. The award scheme is made up of three
different stages Bronze, Silver and Gold and these stages are marked upon four
different sections physical, skill, volunteering and expedition.
Volunteering-
This is a
major way that the DofE award scheme has helped the local area in where it is
situated in, the volunteering ranges for the participants the assisting with
after school clubs to collecting money and selling poppy’s for the royal British
legion the amount of volunteering required goes up at every level.
Skill-
A DofE
participant can select any skill that he or she feels that they are good at and
can do to a good ability i.e. photography and
can then upload evidence of them engaging in the skill and then will need to
enter an assessors report form someone who assists them with that hobby or skill
i.e. [MF1] a teacher[MF2]
Physical-
For the
physical assessment phase the participant must select a physical activity that
they would like to take part in and upload to their DofE evidence the physical
can range from weightlifting, judo or cross country. This aspect aims to get
people away from their computer screen and instead outside doing something to
benefit themselves.
Expedition-
The DofE
expedition is the most iconic section of the DofE award scheme, the expedition
phase is the bread and butter [MF3] [MF4] of
the organisation and aims to get the participants back to nature and teaches
them how to navigate using a map, cook for themselves and be self-reliant. For
the expedition phase the groups will need to navigate over challenging terrain
for a number of days every expedition level that you go up the harder and more challenging
the expedition’s become, these expeditions can vary from Sherwood pines to
Snowdonia National park and put the participants and volunteers to the test.
The
participants must collect evidence of their completion of these sections and
then upload it to E-DofE where a DofE assessor will look through the evidence
and will sign it off once complete once all the sections are complete you will
be awarded your DofE qualification.
Bronze
You can begin
your DofE adventure from the age of 14 by starting out on your bronze level
qualification, you are able to do this alongside your friends or create new
ones along the way. For the bronze award the participants must do a number of
things as well a complete the skill, physical and volunteering sections for 3
months they must select one of the sections to do across 6 months. They will
also be required to plan and complete a 2 day 1 night expedition where they
must navigate through areas like Sherwood pines they will also need to pitch a
tent and cook their own food.
Silver
Getting serious
now!!! The next stage after your bronze qualification is your silver to do this
you must be 15 years or above. This time you must spend a minimum of 6 months
on volunteering and a minimum of 6 months on either physical or skill and 3
months on the other section. You will then need to undergo a 3 day 2 night
expedition, these expeditions are usually done in The peak district. If you
jump straight into your silver DofE without doing the bronze award it will take
12 months to complete as you will be required to spend an extra 6 months volunteering
or doing whichever of the Physical or Skills sections you have spent more time
on.
Gold
From the age
of 16 you can enrolee on your gold DofE. This time you will need to spend 12
months on your volunteering section and then spend 12 months on either your
physical or skill section and 6 month on the other section. The difference with
the gold qualification is that you must also go on a residential which involves
staying away from home for five days and four nights doing a shared activity
with people you don't know, this is very fun and is an opportunity to meet new
people. And the pinacol of the gold programme is the expedition this must be conducted
in wild country and consists of 4 days and 3 nights and an acclimatisation day ,which
gives the participants the opportunity to get used to the terrain. After the
completion of the gold award you will be invited to Buckingham palace and you
will be presented with your certificate by Prince Philip or a Celebrity i.e.
Alex Brooker, Benedict Cumberbatch.
Dr Jamie Vanopen
Jaimie Vanopen
is a DofE assessor within the army cadet force and assesses DofE groups when
out doing their expeditions and when filling in their volunteering, skill and
physical sections on E-DofE. He did his DofE 10-15 years ago as an army cadet
himself and once leaving the army cadets he went on his mountain leaders course
and qualified as a certified mountain leader and DofE assessor he now runs DofE
at regional level. He now spends his time coordinating E-DofE and guiding students
on their DofE Path way, in the summer months he spends his time taking groups
of students on their bronze silver and gold expeditions. Through being a senior
cadet instructors Jamie says he has developed his leadership, interpersonal and
communication skills, which helps him with his day to day life as a junior doctor
and gives him a real sense of accomplishment through seeing groups achieving
their DofE qualifications. His fondest memories are of training gold groups and
closely developing their teamwork and navigation skills, the gold groups are
one step down from mountain leader and gives him a real opportunity to get back
to nature.
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