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Duke of Edinburgh Award
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/trips/images/scotland2009-2.jpg");)
What is the award?
It is a national award scheme that recognises the achievements of young people. The award is split into 3 levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. At Welbeck you have the opportunity to enrol onto the Gold award or if you have already started your Gold award you can transfer to Welbeck. If you wish to continue with a Bronze or Silver award you may do so but no expeditions will be organised for these levels.
You achieve a Gold Award by completing a personal programme of activities in five sections. These sections are:
- Volunteering - helping someone, your community or the environment
- Physical - becoming fitter through sport, dance or fitness activities
- Skills - developing existing talents or trying something new
- Expedition - planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey
- Residential - staying and working away from home as part of a team
A gold award takes a minimum of 18 months to complete, or 12 months if you have completed the silver award.
How much does it cost?
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/military/images/trail09b.jpg");)
The aim is to keep the cost to an absolute minimum. College staff volunteer their free time to help with the award and many of the sections are conducted through existing college activities or through the CCF. Currently new entrants pay a 25 pound registration fee and existing participants pay 5 pounds. You may also need to pay travel, food and campsite costs for expeditions (although at least one expedition will be conducted by the CCF). The residential section can be expensive depending on what you choose to do, but many excellent value courses on offer by the CCF can count for this.
How long will it take?
A minimum of 18 months if you are a direct entrant, 12 months if you have completed the silver award. The volunteering is 12 months either the skill or the physical is 12 months and the other 6 months. If you do not have silver then either the volunteering or the longer of your skill/physical will need to be 18 months. (We recommend doing the volunteering for 18 months, the skill for 12 months and the physical for 6 months)
Volunteering
Volunteering gives you the chance to make a difference to people's lives and use your skills and experience to help your local community. It gives you the opportunity to become involved in a project or with an organisation that you really care about.
How long do I have to volunteer for?
- 12 months if you have done the silver award
- 18 months for direct entrants (or 12 months if you want to extend skill or physical to 18 months)
What kind of volunteering can I do?
You can choose to volunteer in many places but you must fit into one of these categories:
- Helping people
- Working with the environment or animals
- Helping a charity or community organisation
- Community action and raising awareness
- Coaching, teaching and leadership
Can I use the CCF for my volunteering section?
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/military/images/tentors1.jpg");)
Many students count the CCF as their volunteering section. If you do this the expectation is that you will be highly involved in organising CCF activities and that you will give more time to the CCF than is normal at Welbeck. If you choose to use the CCF for your volunteering section you should record your participation on the sheets at the back of this booklet. If you volunteer locally these hours will also count as part of the 'Cadet in the Community' section.
I don't want to use the CCF, what else could I do?
Participants have used a range of activities such as, scouts, cubs, beavers or helping at Beaumanor Hall. Whatever you choose to do you need to make sure it satisfies the award criteria, use the D of E website to check (www.dofe.org) and that you can participate for the length of time needed. You will need to complete the form at the back of this booklet, 'Other Volunteering Activities', and take it to Mr Coles for approval. Approval that an activity complies with D of E requirements does not mean that you can ignore normal college procedures. Once you have started your activity you should keep a diary to record your participation, this will need to be shown to the D of E coordinator when you complete the activity.
Physical
Doing physical activity is fun and it improves your health and physical fitness.
How long do I have to do a physical activity for?
- Regularly for 6 months (or 12 or 18 months)
What kind of physical activity can I do can I do?
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/sports/images/rugby1.jpg");)
- Team Sports
- Individual Sports
- Water Sports
- Racquet Sports
- Dance
- Fitness
- Extreme Sports
- Martial Arts
If you are not sure about an activity then use the D of E website to check it out.
Can I use games afternoons to count for this section?
Sorry none of the Wednesday and Saturday afternoon sports can fit into this category. You can, however, use some of the activities on offer on GA afternoons.
Expeditions
Going on an expedition gives you the chance to have an adventure, work as a team and act on your own initiative.
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/trips/images/montblanc4.jpg");)
How can I travel on the expedition?
- Foot
- Bicycle
- Boat
- Canoe/Kayak
- Horseback
Most Welbeck students choose to do their expedition on foot. You may choose to do your expedition by one of the other methods but you will need to arrange your own group, supervisor and assessor.
What expeditions do I need to do?
- 2 day 1 night practice (for direct entrants only, you do not need to do this if you have completed the whole silver award)
- 3 day 2 night practice
- 4 day 3 night assessment
Residential
Going on a residential gives you the chance to learn how to work with people from different backgrounds and build confidence living in new environments.
What kind of activity could I do?
- Service to others
- Environmental
- Conservation
- Training
- Activity
![Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)](javascript:PopupPic("/military/images/wellead3.jpg");)
How long should the residential course last?
The course should be 5 consecutive days of activity with 4 nights away.
Does Summer Camp or Welbeck Leader Count?
No. You must do a residential course with people you don't already know. However, CCF courses can count when these are central courses open to all CCF contingents. You can find out about these courses from the military staff.
