DofE award - what do you know?

I just received the DofE letter from DS2.

It says Registration, Expedition and Record book - £43.50, and £16.50 for the first aid course.

It cost a fair amount at DD's school as they have a load of practice expeditions (which they love) but you are offerred to pay as you go, and not do them all.

EG, she went to Dartmoor for a silver practice along with the Gold candidates, and so got to try Wilderness camping for the first time! They were well prepared for Gold by the time they did it.
They insist on 1 practice for each award though. They also asked for a nominal amount per term towards school photocopying costs, maps etc (£20?). The school also has loads of equipment you can borrow if you can't afford/don't want to buy your own.

all my experience has been through scout and guide groups. The DoE programme links nicely with those of these groups. Such groups would only charge the basic cost of any activity and will usually ahve alot of the equipment which can be borrowed. I'd check out that route.

My dd cost next to nothing.The local scout group lent her all the equiptment because i know the leader-but they btw provide it all if you go through guides or scouts.
The cost of the actual expedition was 12.50.
All i bought was food.
Scouts and guides will often provide the lot x

totally depends who organises it. i did bronze through RAF cadets and it was pretty much free. we just walked about the local fields and camped out in their tents. did the other elements through cadet activities anyway.

then i did silver through school because they did 'proper' expeditions. so we went off to wales and scotland and canoed about. cost more cos further away, needed more staff, more kit etc.

didn't do gold as my school did an overseas expedition for that and i couldn't afford it.

Yes, she can change groups. As long as she has her record book she is allowed to transfer to another group or even another Operating Authority - everything she's done so far will count.

here

As Romy said, there will be a regional office for your area who you can contact. The DofE website has loads of useful information - should tell you all you need to know.

I have quite a lot of experience in school-based DofE and the costs you quote are far too high unless the youth club are having to pay for qualified staff to do all the training and lead and assess the expeditions AND are having to provide the kit for all the kids AND are travelling a long way from where you live for the expeditions (minibus costs really mount up).

My DH runs the Bronze award at his school and reckons he charges roughly £30 per expedition (one training and the qualifier). School provides tents, rucksacks and trangias; students need own boots, sleeping bags and waterproofs. All training is provided free of charge by staff at the school.

If students choose carefully, the skill, service and physical section shouldn't cost very much at all.

that said, she's got the record book and is quite capable of carrying on with the activities and keeping records herself whilst it is sorted out - no need to stop dead - it just means that maybe she will need to put a hold on the exped until a lower cost alternative comes up. she's got plenty of time

bang out of order. i can't believe they are getting away with it. i would contact the council and ask why low income families are being discriminated against in this appalling manner, and also contact the local D of E award office and ask where another group is running - i would also make sure they know how much the council are 'charging' for the privilege.
i used to run two groups - a school group and local 'open' group that any child could attend - long time ago and not sure how it works these days, but i am livid that people are making money out of this and even worse, preventing children from taking part. the actual costs incurred can be pretty small depending on the activities you choose to undertake - something for everyone, not just the affluent....

ivykaty - who is charging this much? is it through school or a community group? either way, it needs to be brought to the attention of the county administration team as it is rendering the award inaccessible. the only possible excuse is if it is a private school choosing to do more expensive activities and options, but even then the kids should have a choice...

I haven't a clue where such a cost came from. We live near to where the overnight is so drove the kids there. Had most of the equipment anyway and less is better for carrying. I paid £35 as I said earlier. DD just has to sort out her service then the bronze is covered.

She will go on to Silver next summer. Hoping again its £35 ish.

Once you have bought or borrowed the equipment the costs are only for the log book, transport and share of food. If you can borrow waterproofs/rucksac etc do so - especially for the Bronze award as the DC may well have outgrown these by the time he/she does the Gold. If you have a DD do tell her that she can't take her hair straighteners with her - the teachers often have to remove loads of such heavy and useless junk from their students before the start of the trip!

DS2 has done the Bronze, Silver and is now doing the Gold and has also done a World Challenge Expedition, so we have got reasonable use out of most of the stuff we have bought (and DS1 has borrowed it to go to festivals).

no, sorry, the £20 included the book, £46 was a single payemnt for both expeditions, and food was split between the group of 6.
No idea how your school is coming up with their costs tbh.
Silver is possibly more expensive because the exeditions are longer, but I wouldn't be expecting to pay more than around £70 for DD1 (haven't had any onfo about Silver this year so far).

The Bronze registration book/pack is £14, same for Silver and Gold is £19. DD1s school asked us for (I think) £20 as they have some admin/supplies costs, plus it was £46 for both expeditions (practice and real), and around £5 per group for food. The school has tents, rucksacks and trangias to borrow, so the only additional costs were for boots and waterproofs.

£35 is the cost of the log book.

You have to do a skill and a sport for 3months to a year (depending if bronze, silver or gold). This may well cost money - eg music lesson fees or whatever. You also have to do voluntary work, but this should be free(!) although I suppose you may incur transport costs to get there.

You have to do an expedition for an increasing number of nights (according to level). There will be kit needed for this and may be some costs to cover food and transport.

For gold there is a 5 night holiday trip which can be quite costly, but you choose what you do, so it can be done on a budget.