Duke of Edinburgh

Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards

The internationally-recognised Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme, founded in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, operates in 144 nations and has three levels:

• Bronze – for those aged 14 and over
• Silver – for those aged 15 and over
• Gold – those aged 16 and over

A life-changing experience as well as a fun time with friends, it is an opportunity to discover new interests and talents, as well as a tool to develop essential skills for life and work.  A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.

At each level they have to satisfy the requirements of four sections:

• Volunteering – undertaking service to individuals or the community
• Physical – improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities
• Skills – developing practical and social skills and personal interests
• Expedition – planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.

There are three Award levels:

BRONZE – for those aged 14+ years with timescales:

• Volunteering section; Physical section & Skills section: 3 months
• Expedition section: 2 days/1 night
• You also have to do 3 more months in one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections.

SILVER – for those aged 15+ years, timescales:

• Volunteering section: 6 months
• Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months
• Expedition section: 3 days/2 nights
• If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.

GOLD – for those aged 16+ years, timescales:

• Volunteering section: 12 months
• Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months
• Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights
• Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights

Find out what Gillian got up to as part of her DofE Adventure!

I have just finished my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh and I can’t recommend it enough. For me, the best thing about my DofE was my expedition. Despite some mistakes during our practice expedition, our final one was an amazing experience that I won’t forget. It gave me a chance to put everything I had learnt during my training into practice and was a great way to get to know my friends better. Working in our team allowed me to improve my teamwork and planning skills while earning a great award which I know will benefit me all through life. I would recommend the Duke of Edinburgh to anyone looking for a way to meet new people and to develop themselves as a person because it is a great way of gaining skills in many different areas. The DofE is a very rewarding thing to do and helped me to gain more confidence in myself and I am really looking forward to starting my Silver soon!