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Original poster

Duke of Edinburgh fuck up - Help!

66 replies

Slightlyjaded · 13/09/2019 09:28

Hello. DD is doing her DOE bronze and I thought we had to submit her 3 choices together with the (volunteering/skill/activity) next week but it's today. We have sorted her skill and can hopefully pull activity out of the bag but we've fucked up on the volunteering. Ages ago I spoke to a teacher at her primary who said she would be happy to find something for her to do, but this has fallen apart as we can't coordinate anything outside of school ours (when DD is obviously at school herself).

Local charity shops are already over-run with DOE kids.

A local pet groomer/dog walker has said she is happy for DD to spend Sat mornings with the dogs/sweeping fur from grooming/walking/answering the phone but they are not a charity. Would this count?

I have to submit for today and can't find a number for DOE - just a contact form. Panicking!

Thanks.

OP posts:
maddy68 · 13/09/2019 09:30

Just submit the primary school one and then later you can say it's fallen through and find an alternative

separatebeds · 13/09/2019 09:31

Volunteering bit doesn't have to be a charity. My son volunteers to help at a school sports club (no charity).

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 13/09/2019 09:32

If she likes children what about contacting local Beavers or Rainbows? Or Brownies/cubs.

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General education
TeenPlusTwenties · 13/09/2019 09:32

I agree with maddy

PandaG · 13/09/2019 09:33

Local park run? We have lots of d of e volunteers.

Elderly neighbour who would like a visit? I went and cleaned my neighbours ornaments and chatted to her for my volunteering - might need to do this in a pair for safeguarding purposes
Local dog rescue or neighbour who can't walk as far now - walk dogs?

Brownies/cubs etc. young

help with an after school club for younger year at own school?

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 13/09/2019 09:34

‘We’ and ‘I’. I thought the whole point of it is that it has to be done independently.

Seeline · 13/09/2019 09:34

Yes I agree - you can always change it later!

I think it would need to be volunteering with some sort of charity, rather than a business.

My DDs friends have done helping at weekly brownie/Rainbow/Cub/Beaver meetings, helping at ParkRuns, litter picking, conservation volunteering (pruning/clearing etc with organised groups), helping with coaching younger kids at sports activities, drama groups, and dance schools etc

PandaG · 13/09/2019 09:36

Activity - do couch to 5 k and record on Strava as evidence - you only need a smartphone and trainers.

Or record bike rides on Strava?

Original poster
Slightlyjaded · 13/09/2019 09:37

hormonesorDHbeingadick Fri 13-Sep-19 09:34:21
‘We’ and ‘I’. I thought the whole point of it is that it has to be done independently.

Yes. You are right, but she has organised the rest and I told her not to worry about volunteering as I had found something....

OP posts:
LittleLongDog · 13/09/2019 09:39

Are you sure your Dd actually wants to do this? She’s not confirmed her activity and it sounds like you’re doing all the leg work for her volunteering.

It’s lovely of you to support her but she’s supposed to be doing this under her own steam.

Crochetcrochetcrochet · 13/09/2019 09:40

Contact local brownie or Rainbow unit? If you pop the query on the online form this morning you can honestly say you're waiting on contact back from Girlguiding. And as the system has to be used by 18+ (I think) it's fine that you've done it, not your daughter.

TheSmallAssassin · 13/09/2019 09:44

You don't have to submit all of the details at once for D of E, it must be your organiser who wants it that way. My son sorted his physical thing way after he'd done the others. Has your daughter got her account details for the online record stuff, eDofE? She can put her choices on there.

For charities, how about cat rescue, food banks, wildlife trusts, riding fir the disabled? Maybe charity shops will be more available in three months when the first lot of D of E have done their stint? I don't think you can work for free for someone's business, I don't think it's allowed, but it's also not in the spirit.

Littlebelina · 13/09/2019 09:46

Panda got there before me but as she says park run are always looking for volunteers

Original poster
Slightlyjaded · 13/09/2019 09:52

DD definitely wants to do this and wanted to do something with animals initially, but in truth, we have had a horrific summer - genuinely a series of horrible and unforseen events - and it all got pushed to the back burner. In the back of my mind though, I thought I had a contact for her re: volunteering so I told her not to worry about it when she asked.

She has been sent her login to the DOE website and her school have said that the deadline to submit your three elements is today.

OP posts:
eavers · 13/09/2019 09:53

My ds volunteered at our local library

SimpleAndPlanned · 13/09/2019 09:53

Where are you? Local scout groups will have regular DofE volunteers. Do you have any local contacts? If not it's not hard to find out.

toomuchfaster · 13/09/2019 09:55

We have DofE volunteers at DD's swimming lessons, done by a private company.

Original poster
Slightlyjaded · 13/09/2019 09:56

Thanks all. It wasn't that I couldn't think of anything else particularly, more that we fucked up on the deadline and what I thought was an opportunity for her so a double whammy. My post was really to ask whether volunteering to help at a local doggy day care would count if it wasn't a charity, and it seems it doesn't count. If anyone knows differently, please do tell me as this would solve everything. Otherwise she will have to try and solve this today after school and I don't think there is time.

OP posts:
LiveInAHidingPlace · 13/09/2019 10:01

When I was a teenager doing this kind of stuff, I used to really hate when parents had this much input into their child's activities.

DofE is meant to be about gaining independence, not relying on mummy to fill in forms and sorting out volunteer work.

you're not doing her any favours longterm you know.

whojamaflip · 13/09/2019 10:05

My Ds has just gone through his DofE and he volunteered to help out with the juniors at his martial arts school. Friends of his did things ranging from dog walking for a local rescue, running a Saturday morning story time at the local library, being a library or lunchtime monitor at school and going into a local care home and spending time with with the residents just chatting.

Scouts or guides are also a possibility.

DPJ1973 · 13/09/2019 10:07

When I did it a million years ago I volunteered at the local vets (so not a charity). It was great!

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 13/09/2019 10:07

@Slightlyjaded Put the primary school, then say that it fell through. She just needs to hit the deadline today. She can do that and then spend the next few days finding something else, they will let her swap it out.

TowerRingInferno · 13/09/2019 10:10

Put the dog groomer down and change later if she comes up with something else?

My dc is an extra pair of hands at a primary school after school hockey club

Original poster
Slightlyjaded · 13/09/2019 10:10

LiveInAHidingPlace Fri 13-Sep-19 10:01:16
When I was a teenager doing this kind of stuff, I used to really hate when parents had this much input into their child's activities.

DofE is meant to be about gaining independence, not relying on mummy to fill in forms and sorting out volunteer work.

you're not doing her any favours longterm you know.

Yes. Thank you.

DD is independent and I have better things to do than fill in forms on her behalf. There has been a fuck up and I am trying to help her fix it.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 13/09/2019 10:11

Stick the school on the form to get it in and then change it. Ignore people criticising you helping her, you can decide if she needs more independence later but you need to get that form in now by the sounds of it
I know Of one child who is helping with the afterschool club at her former Primary if that’s an option?