The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Charity was founded in 1956 by its Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and is now widely acknowledged as the world’s leading achievement award for young people.
Available to any young person aged between 14 and 24, the Award encourages the development of key life and employability skills, such as confidence, commitment and team working, through participation at three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
There are four sections of the programme at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold:
- Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
- Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activity
- Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
- Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.
- At Gold Level, participants must do an additional fifth Residential section, which involves staying and working away from home doing shared activity.
Each level of the Award takes a minimum required amount of time to achieve, for young people undertaking Bronze it is 6 months; Silver 12 months and Gold 18 months.