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Original poster

DofE Gold residential - where did your kids go?

47 replies

ColouringPencils · 14/01/2023 08:50

My DD is trying to decide whether to sign up for Gold DofE, having done Bronze and Silver. She's worried about the residential element. Most of her friends are stopping at Silver. One is continuing to Gold, but is talking about going on church camp. That's not relevant to DD, so she is likely to be alone.

Where did your kids go, did any go on their own and did they have fun?

OP posts:
Notagardener · 14/01/2023 16:06

Dc1 signed up for NCS which had a residential but not sure they still do . Dc2 volunteered at a kids camp.

Notagardener · 14/01/2023 16:07

Dc1 signed up with a friend. Dc2 was on her own but made good friends

Parisj · 14/01/2023 16:22

Dd went to volunteer to support disabled adults on holiday at Revitalise. She's been back since so it must have been good. revitalise.org.uk/support-us/volunteer/

red4321 · 14/01/2023 16:26

Cricket camp, on his own, really enjoyed it.

OneDivineHammer · 14/01/2023 16:34

A place in the Peak District. Bat walks, forestry type stuff, general wildlife and nature. She had a blast.
Afaik, they HAVE to do the gold residential on their own, as it’s partly to test their ability to self-motivate, get on and rub along with strangers, etc?

xraydelta · 14/01/2023 16:39

OneDivineHammer · 14/01/2023 16:34

A place in the Peak District. Bat walks, forestry type stuff, general wildlife and nature. She had a blast.
Afaik, they HAVE to do the gold residential on their own, as it’s partly to test their ability to self-motivate, get on and rub along with strangers, etc?

They can do it with one friend, no more.

DD has done everything but the residential.... 🙄

xraydelta · 14/01/2023 16:52

Thank you @Parisj I have passed the link onto DD as that looks just perfect for her!

loobylou44 · 14/01/2023 17:55

My daughter went to the Peak District to do conservation work last summer and had a blast. We booked with Adventure Expeditions.

adventure-expeditions.net/gold-dofe-residentials

Original poster
ColouringPencils · 15/01/2023 10:36

Thanks, this is very reassuring. I looked up Revitalise and Adventure Expeditions and they both sound great! I looked at NCS too, but I can't find anything about residential. Did you find out about places through school or by doing your own research? Did they go in the summer after year 11?

OP posts:
Notagardener · 15/01/2023 11:08

Yes, I think when Dc2 was doing gold, NCS wasn't doing it anymore. Was around COVID times

DillDanding · 15/01/2023 11:09

My eldest did Snowdonia. Loved it. Younger one’s expedition was scuppered by pandemic.

DillDanding · 15/01/2023 11:10

…youngest also did NCS which had a residential week, but I can’t remember where.

SauteBaconHollow · 15/01/2023 11:15

My DD went rock climbing in the Peak District through Adventure Expeditions @ColouringPencils. A few of her friends did Gold also and wanted to do other things, but my DD wanted the "full Gold experience" and went solo, embraced the trip in the full spirit of DofE. She had a blast and really gelled with her group.

@loobylou44 has posted a link to adventure expeditions up-thread and this is the company my DD used also. I found them to be very well organised and would recommend them.

Bellie99 · 16/01/2023 20:57

A creative writing course in Yorkshire.

Turmerictolly · 18/01/2023 21:52

Ds is doing his with school in Snowdonia.

xraydelta · 18/01/2023 22:19

Turmerictolly · 18/01/2023 21:52

Ds is doing his with school in Snowdonia.

That'll be the expedition I imagine. The residential is separate and can't be organised through school as they ideally shouldn't know anyone there (although one other person is fine in the group according to the official DofE website).

Lordofmyflies · 24/01/2023 13:52

Mine went to the French alps to do a chalet cooking course with a company recommended by dofe. He flew to Geneva and with 6 others from all over the UK and had a week in the sun, cooking, swimming and loved every minute.

TangoBrava · 24/01/2023 18:58

Lordofmyflies · 24/01/2023 13:52

Mine went to the French alps to do a chalet cooking course with a company recommended by dofe. He flew to Geneva and with 6 others from all over the UK and had a week in the sun, cooking, swimming and loved every minute.

Could I possibly have that link? It sounds amazing.

Original poster
ColouringPencils · 27/01/2023 07:15

Lordofmyflies · 24/01/2023 13:52

Mine went to the French alps to do a chalet cooking course with a company recommended by dofe. He flew to Geneva and with 6 others from all over the UK and had a week in the sun, cooking, swimming and loved every minute.

Ooh I fancy this myself! 😀

OP posts:
Rayna37 · 27/01/2023 07:25

I went on a canal camp with the waterways recovery group (late 90s but think they still exist) it was brilliant! I remember there were a fair few pairs of kids from schools (quite a few boarding schools I think) but I went on my own. We also had kids come for a week for this at the large scout campsite I worked on; helped with the cleaning and activity instruction.

NYE2023 · 27/01/2023 08:19

Mine went on Field Studies council residentials . They did conservation at one of the nature reserves on the coast. They did enjoy it a lot - found it interesting, sociable ( beach trips / camp fires etc ) so it worked out really well. It was fairly priced As well and included all food .

Lordofmyflies · 12/02/2023 20:30

www.seasonitcookery.co.uk/

dofe gold cookery school in chalet pomet.

Cocopuff · 24/04/2023 12:35

DS1 just did his in northumberland (we live in London) over Easter doing environmental work via the Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project. He knew no one else but they all got on well and really enjoyed it. They were fairly priced too

PerpetualOptimist · 24/04/2023 19:13

Here is a link explaining the three different types of NCS one-week residentials:
wearencs.com/head-away-from-home

JayAlfredPrufrock · 24/04/2023 19:17

I think DD used Guide camp as her residential. But she’d been doing Rainbows as her volunteering since Bronze. Definitely knew everyone.