Duke of Ed - Skills?

[TheLogLady]

DD is stuck. has no idea what she wants to do. any ideas? she's looking at the doe website which has a million suggestions but she's still stuck.

What have you/your dcs done?

DD did learn a musical instrument. No formal lessons though. DH helped her and then she was assessed by the school music teacher. She may have also used martial arts (think it can be a sport or a skill). She is currently learning to drive which I think is acceptable as a skill.

Sorry that first sentence makes no sense! DD learned to play a musical instrument.

at my dd's school they said "make things easy for yourself!" That means, don't necessarily choose soemthing new - it's fine to carry on with something you're doing already. My dd is having singing as her skill - she has lessons already and she just has to practice a bit more regularly! Her friend is using her guitar playing. Does your dd do anything she can use?

Same happening in our house!
Think she will do cooking, eg commit to spend an hour per week preparing a family meal,cake,dessert keep a journal with recipes and photos and get it signed off by the cookery teacher at school.
Assume this is for Bronze?

yes bronze. i don't know why she won't use her flute as a skill but she wants something different - she thinks maybe cooking - i could get some nice meals i suppose.

I did baking. Did nothing for months, then cooked a ton of things over one weekend and pretended I'd cooked one every week for three months.

dd is doing 'greenify' through school

She already sings (grade 5) and is learning piano. I'm glad about the cooking thing, she's had to drop it at school this year but wld like to take it for GCSE.
We are trying to find a slot with the local RDA, she already works at a local stables in return for lessons, so would be able to groom and muck out and tack up etc. That would cover the volunteer aspect.
What about the physical one? What have you done? She already plays for the school hockey team, has a riding lesson every week and helps out at the stables every Sat. Could these be counted?
Seems to me it could all be done within current activities, but I tried to explain to dd that wasn't the way to think.This should be about learning to push the boundaries,stretch yourself, learn something new.

She has a very busy life already, and I'm pretty wary about adding extra activities. I would love to hear from parents who have done this about how the DoE has benefitted your kids

Soda, can't you mix and match you daughter's activities. Introduce the cooking if possible, then set targets for her riding lesson (that extends a current activity) and either RDA or volunteering at the stables should be great for the volunteering section. Certainly at my daughter's school the school hockey team wouldn't count as it is part of the school day, but it depends on the school's D of E leader.

Agree totally with cat64 "it should put the teenager out." I think though that there is a variety of assessors out there. At Gold though the four day expedition and the residential certainly require effort. Personally I think DCs who have completed bronze, silver and gold show stickability. It obviously doesn't give you an open door to a job or university place but it helps build up a profile of a person.

Ok, we have filled in the form. Her skill will be cooking, easily done at home. The physical can be riding, just need to define some objectives with her instructor. The volunteering bit is harder.
She has e-mailed the local RDA contact with an offer of help ( will do anything from tack cleaning, mucking out, poo-picking,tacking up, leading etc) does anyone know how keen they are to have help?
I imagine the RDA are over subscribed with volunteers. She will also have the disadvantage of only being available at weekends.
If they can't help we will need to think again.
A friend of her's said she would just work at the stables for no reward (points towards free lessons) as her volunteer part. Can this be right? Surely the organisation must be a registered charity. Anyone know the guidelines?
Thanks, Sx

www.dofe.org/volunteering/
Have just had a quick look on the D of E website and can't see anything that says it has be a registered charity. I know DCs who have visited an old people's home each week and that counted but wasn't a charity.
My DC have done some volunteering through vinspired.com/ although it wasn't for their D of E award. So you might be able to find something on this website for your local area.
I would just ask the D of E leader at your daughter's school as she will ultimately say yes or no on the advice of the local Operating Authority. Good Luck!

Sorry, obviously got the charity thing wrong. If I'd given it more thought I would have realised that helping at a residential home etc would be fine.
Good news is she had a lovely e-mail back from the RDA who would be delighted to have her as a volunteer on Saturday mornings. I think this is the perfect volunteering position for her.
I'd like to think it will give her a small insight to what life is like for people with disabilities, and for her to realise just how lucky she is.

Hundreds of years ago I did rifle shooting as a skill and went to Army Cadets to do it. I wasn't a cadet and never had been but they allowed me to go to do the shooting. I went for 10 weeks. That was for Silver. Bronze I did lace making at an evening class.

Service I went to Coastguards for Silver.

Can't remember anything else!