The D of E Award
In Brigantia we offer all of the Explorers the opportunity to complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award with us. We believe it is a great scheme that gives the explorers a real challenge. It also links with the top Scout awards.
The award is for the Explorer, not the Leader
D of E is an award for the individual, not their leaders, assessors or trainers. It is therefore the young person’s responsibility to ensure they complete the award. We had 25 Young people taking part in the expedition training last year, and over 35 working towards their awards.
Enrolment
If you would like to sign up to the award, the first step is to complete the form available from one of your meeting leaders.
The enrolment form can also be downloaded Here.
The form has to be returned, signed by both young person and parent/carer, as well as a payment which is detailed on the top of the form. Payment can be by cheque or online by clicking on the relevant button below. A small amount has been added to cover the Paypal fee.
Payments
Important note: Payment alone will not enrol you. You must send the form back.
Expedition Training
One of the more challenging parts of the award is the Expedition section as you are required to complete a journey in the wild whilst carrying all your kit and being relatively self-sufficient. GLMW, the County we are in, runs an annual training and assessment Expedition programme for DofE and Brigantia have supported this very successfully over the last six years with approximately 100 members completing the training through Bronze, Silver and Gold.
2017 Dates have been confirmed as:
- 4-5th February 2016 – training weekend @ Stoke Poges
- 11th March – First Aid Training – Silver and Gold Only
- 31st March – 3rd April – practice hike. North Downs for Bronze and Brecon Beacons for Silver and Gold
- 6th July – 10th – Assessment. Chilterns for Bronze and North Wales for Silver and Gold. Time off school will be required for Silver and Gold. Bronze is just the Saturday – Sunday.
There is also a Parents Advice Meeting on 9th February 2017 – This is important.
Places will be limited and therefore we are collecting deposits now. Forms are available for download here. It can be completed on screen but must be printed and signed.
There are three weekends that make up the programme plus first aid training and several route planning evenings. It is a significant commitment and only worth embarking on if you are prepared to put the effort in.
The costs in 2017 for all three weekends are: Bronze – £105, Silver – £145 and Gold – £175.
To reserve your place you need to pay a deposit and return the form and this can be paid either by cheque to GLMW Scouts or via Paypal through the links below:
Expedition Training Payments – Reminder
Paypal amounts are slightly higher to cover their fees
You are required to take part in all three weekends, and give a presentation, to complete the Expedition section. The kit list is also available (EXPEDITION KIT LIST) – the majority of these items are required for the first weekend but they are all required for the second and third weekends. Please ask the leaders if you have any questions about kit. We are all experienced with buying good kit – and can recommend stores & brands that will last. There’s also discounts at almost all the major outdoor retailers available to members of the Scout Association.
Any questions? Please ask Ben or Simon who are the best points of contact. Ben runs the programme for the County and Simon is a member of the Expedition Training team so we are very familiar with how the County programme works. Robert is also a good source of information as he has completed all three levels of the DofE through the County scheme and has been working with the team since 2015.
Who to talk to?
The contacts to talk to in Ealing and Hanwell are:
- Ben, Ealing and Hanwell District D of E Advisor & County D of E Trainer
- Simon, County D of E Trainer
Useful Links and information:
- Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website
- eDofE – The users website
- D of E Official Recommended kit list
More About The Programme
Feb – Training weekend
This is a chance to learn the skills that you will need when you are out in the hills walking self-sufficient. It’s a long, intense weekend – but you should leave it prepared for your expedition.
It’s often cold, wet and windy but an essential part of the process. This is where you hone your expedition skills and develop as a team.
