Young people can complete their Duke of Edinburgh award through their school or through Scouting, with each organization enabling an Expedition, and providing support and coaching for other areas.
Steps to achieving your DofE with Scouting.
- Register using our online form.
- Scout district = Odiham
- Unit name = Astra
- Once registered, make your registration payment.
- The current costs are Bronze (£25), Silver (£25) or Gold (£32).
- You can pay via PayPal or credit or debit card.
- Visit Participant Resources page to help you get started, or view the Info Session slides.
- After about a week, you’ll receive your login details to your eDofE account. Use this to start filling in your planner and recording your progress.
- For each of the three personal sections, state what you are going to do to achieve each goal, and get it accepted.
- Provide evidence of progress.
- Each section must be completed and independently assessed.
- Scouting will sign off the Expedition element.
The Levels
Bronze
- Age: 14+ (or in year 9), complete by 25th birthday.
- Duration: At least 6 months
- Volunteering, Skill & Physical each for 3 months, one section for 6 months.
- Expedition – 2 days, 1 night in normal country.
Silver
- Age: 15+ (or in year 10), complete by 25th birthday.
- Duration: At least 12 months (6 if completed Bronze Award)
- Volunteering – 6 months, Skill & Physical – one for 3 months and the other for 6 months
- If Bronze not completed, an additional 6 months must be added to a 6 month section
- Expedition – 3 days, 2 nights in open country.
Gold
- Age: 16+ (no activities can count before 16th birthday), complete by 25th birthday.
- Duration: At least 18 months (12 if completed Bronze Award)
- Volunteering – 12 moths, Skill & Physical one for 6 months and the other for 12 months
- If Silver not completed, an additional 6 months must be added to a 12 month section
- Expedition – 4 days, 3 nights in wild country.
- Residential Project – 5 days, 4 nights (see below)
The Sections
For each level of award, you need to an activity within each of four sections: volunteering, skill, physical & an expedition. At Gold level you also need to complete a residential project.
- How do I choose my activity? There is a suggested list of activities you can choose from or even choose you own (check it with us first). You then log your choice of activity on EDofE.
- How long do I need to do the activity for? You need to do each activity for an average of an hour per week for the time required. You could do two hours every other week, if it is less often you could do some preparation or other research in between.
- How is each activity assessed? You need to find an experienced adult (18+) to assess your activity, except for the expedition section where they need to be a D of E accredited assessor.
Volunteering
Aim: To make a positive contribution to your community, by helping an individual or an organisation.
- You can volunteer as an individual or a team.
- Up to one quarter of the time can be training towards your chosen service.
- There are lots of opportunities within Scouting, for leadership roles you need to complete some training.
- There are lots of choices including helping people or animals, leadership, raising awareness, environmental projects or helping a charity.> You cannot be paid for the activity you do!
Skill
Aim: To develop practical and social skills and personal interests.
- Physical activities, while they have elements of skill, cannot be used for this section. It can be useful to think of physical activities as those that make you sweat and a skill as one that does not.
- There are over 300 different activity ideas you can choose from including: playing an instrument, learning a language, event planning, gliding, marksmanship (shooting) or producing a newsletter or website.
- The activities need to be done in your own free time and not part of directed time at school.
Physical
Aim: To participate and show improvement in a sport, dance or fitness activity.
- Physical activities are generally ones that make you sweat. Some sports e.g. marksmanship, snooker/pool and gliding are actually skill activities, make sure you check the list.
- There are lots of choices including team sports, individual sports and just keeping fit!
- Scouting Activities include: archery, canoeing, climbing, rowing, sailing & walking, which most be run in accordance with POR.
- The activities need to be done in your own free time and not part of directed time at school.
Expedition
Aim: To plan, train for and complete an expedition with a purpose.
- Every expedition needs to be unaccompanied, self-reliant and with an agreed aim or purpose.
- The expedition must be by your own physical effort using one of the following modes of travel: Land (walking, cycling, horse riding or wheelchair) or Water (canoeing, rowing or sailing)
- All expeditions must meet the Expedition requirements, which are assessed by an accredited D of E assessor.
- You need to prepare, train for, complete at least one practice, complete the qualifying expedition and give your presentation back.
- The expedition will usually take place with your Scout Group, but there are several opportunities on the D of E website. Our preferred activity provided for Gold Expeditions is Expedition Wales.
| Level | Duration | Planned Activity | Recommended environment – please note this is only a guide and it should be a challenge to the individual |
| Bronze | 2 days, 1 night | 6 hours, min 3 hours jouneying | Rural country, canals, rivers or inland waterways/lakes. Can be familiar to participants |
| Silver | 3 days, 2 nights | 7 hours, min 3.5 hours jouneying | Rural, open or forest countryside, but should include some open areas. Canals, rivers, inland waterways/lakes or sheltered costal waters. Must be unfamiliar to particpants. |
| Gold | 4 days, 3 nights | 8 hours, min 4 hours jouneying | Wild Country, remote from habitation which is unfamiliar to participants (emphasis is going through rather than over, solitude not altitude!). Rivers, inland waterways and lakes in rural areas; sheltered coastal waters or estuaries. Yachts may use the open sea. |