Duke of Edinburgh scheme

[Welshmum2010]

Is anyone else’s child doing this ? I had always thought this was a sort of charity thing and was to encourage kids who wouldn’t have much oppertunity to be outside or do sports and activities. Turns out the cost makes it the opposite. It’s cost £100s for camping fees, registration and equipment. Also the sports element needs to be something that can be measured so there’s a cost for sports clubs. In my daughters school all the kids (as far as I can tell) are the ones who are already sporty or do other activities out of school. It’s a real shame as I thought it would be helping those who can’t afford these experiences usually.

I did it through my swimming club about a million years ago, which meant the sport was easy, and I did lifesaving and then teaching swimming as my services, which had the added bonus I could earn money with the qualifications I gained, and I was teaching some lower classes at swimming club. I still swim. And because of lifesaving, I still volunteer as a first aider at work, decades on - I just requalified last week.

My silver skill was driving, so I did something I would have done anyway, but it was definitely out of my comfort zone. Obviously that's not an option if they're still under 17, but I don't think using something you are already doing or will do is bad - you have to show improvement. There are lots of options, not just things from school.

My gold residential was related to the career i thought I was going to go into, as was the expedition project (but ultimately i haven't done that career, because of needing to pay bills...) I did my gold sport at uni (trampolining) and my gold skill when I was working - I learnt a language at evening classes. I had done all the things relying on being in a group, particularly the expedition. It was the last bit left to do, and it seemed silly to let it all go just for that last bit before I hit the upper age limit.

It can be very bonding - I'm still friends with two girls from my expedition group, and we're in our 50s now. I think the expedition can show all sorts - planning, resilience, quick thinking, dealing with adversity, team work, physical stamina and so on. I went on to do camps and hikes elsewhere in the world, which I might not have had the confidence to do had I not done DofE. None of that was strictly necessary, but it definitely contributed to who I am today. Things like scouts, guides and cadets offer similar things - the chance to try a whole range of different activities, organising yourself and your time, gaining confidence and resilience. Organisations like scouts and guides are dependent on volunteers to run it, and they also struggle because it's a lot of time for no financial reward. I am lucky I had people prepared to spend their time on me, and in turn, I do things like volunteer at a local school - partly because people did it for me.

My kids don’t pay anything. Teachers lead. You need a rucksack and sleeping bag but the school has school tents. My sons is up in our kitchen and we are re waterproofing it as it leaked on his practice run.

We've been fortunate that school organize it and have built it into their timetable. The expedition planning etc has been done during school time and school have camping equipment so we've borrowed that.

The cost has been reasonable to cover coaches to/from the base for expedition and we've had to buy boots/clothing, some of which we've been able to borrow from family.

DD is now coming to end of her silver and it's been great for her confidence. She used her existing dance class as exercise and started volunteering with the younger class in bronze and continued it through silver. Many friends did the same through their sport, dance or scouts/guides and our local parkrun has a lot of DoE volunteers each week.

I was at that event with my DGS(19) it was a lovely experience and wasn't the weather very good to us also! 🌞

@Westfacing

Yes it was a lovely day.

Charles has a nice back garden!!

He could still volunteer for parkrun by being a timing pacer, or do set up and first timers' briefing, barcode scanning and packdown after running, write the weekly report, sort the tokens or wash bibs or do their social media etc. Loads of opportunities to volunteer and still run! Or could he volunteer for a junior event and run the adult one?

It's totally free at my daughter's school. Half of year 9 are doing it. The school paid the registration fee, run the expedition and own all the equipment (tents, rucksacks etc). She did the fitness element via clubs at school and got a pe teacher to sign it off so there was no cost involved there either. I think the only cost is the food for the expedition.

It does seem to be very school/teacher dependent. They've gone in for it in a major way and don't want anyone to be excluded on the basis of cost.

It's good and they've got a real mix of kids participating

So who’s paying for it then?

If there is a parents association then it's not unusual to make donations for DofE equipment. Paying registration fees would be a bit more unusual but a clued up school could possibly get sponsorship from local businesses.

The expedition is being run by the school in school time. It was one of the activities week options. The school own all the equipment so I'm guessing after the initial outlay they've always got it to use. I think they've gone down just route to prevent kids being excluded.

It seems to be the expedition which costs a lot if they get external companies in.

There's a couple of teachers who have a lot of experience with D of E so they are organising it all

He could (he does some of these sometimes anyway) but thought it had to be an hour a week? Might ask them. He’s thinking of volunteering at junior parkrun but it’s further away and would mean he never gets a lie in!

I’m pretty sure they do. There’s a lot on the website about this sort of thing. Our school said to contact them if cost was an issue.

Can’t believe it’s free. Those teachers are saints.

DD started it but for a variety of reasons it didn't work out.

She is a Scout Explorer and her leader ensures they do the same activities as they are exactly the same requirements as for the Platinum Scout Award. They also have the volunteering and skills portion but her leader was a lot more relaxed than the school organiser.
She has some in her group who went all the way and went to the same reception at the Palace as the DoE Gold holders.

I personally found that the volunteering brought DD the most and she does it now for 4 years.

If you DD is a cadet, can't they help with loaning camping equipment? Or search on a FB group, lots can be found cheaply.

DD is currently doing Gold.

expedition cost (plus a practice) - £825
Residential cost - £325
Skill - driving lessons, would be doing anyway but ££!
Sport - she’s running so this is pretty much free

Silver and Bronze probably cost about £750 in total.

She is a Scout Explorer and her leader ensures they do the same activities as they are exactly the same requirements as for the Platinum Scout Award. They also have the volunteering and skills portion but her leader was a lot more relaxed than the school organiser.

She has some in her group who went all the way and went to the same reception at the Palace as the DoE Gold holders.

Queen's / King's Scout Award Holders are invited to a parade at Windsor Castle, not Buckingham Palace.
If they were invited to Buckingham Palace, then they achieved their DofE Gold.

Obviously there is a strong crossover as, if you achieve the DofE Gold, there are only a few extra things you have to do for your King's Scout Award, so many who are in Scouting, and do one, will complete the requirements for doing both.

This ^

I think I paid £50 towards my Gold DofE - I think it was for camping fees. I don't know why anyone does it through a school.

Again you are taking advantage of volunteers. The adults who facilitate the scouts doing it are unpaid. If “everyone” did it that way no way would there be enough volunteers. In dds year the majority did d of e (though not Dd who refused). Other Dd tried to do it but covid hit and was too hard to sort.

Queen's / King's Scout Award Holders are invited to a parade at Windsor Castle, not Buckingham Palace.If they were invited to Buckingham Palace, then they achieved their DofE Gold.

I think it depends. My gold DofE was at St James' Palace.

Im pretty sure DofE was always for the more privileged. I do not know anyone who also wasn't taken to the theatre regularly for example who has gold. It was to develop skills needed to succeed as an adult and to give back through volunteering. It is also for the motivated.

I was gutted NCS disbanded. I was fully intending on signing up my children next year.

expedition cost (plus a practice) - £825

Why is it this much?

There are obviously costs - individually walking boots, rucksack, sleeping bag, rain coat etc, and between them, tent, first aid kit, cooking equipment, food. There may be other costs such as transport to the expedition location, especially as gold is meant to be in wild country, which may not be on their doorstep - but then if they're doing their expedition in wild country, why aren't they camping wild, which should be free? There's probably some insurance costs and expenses for assessors, but I'm amazed it costs as much as £825 - someone must be making a nice profit.

Gold DofE does autumn and winter ceremonies at St James's, and spring and summer ceremonies at Buckingham Palace. (Because nobody wants to be out on a lawn in November!)

There's probably some insurance costs and expenses for assessors, but I'm amazed it costs as much as £825 - someone must be making a nice profit.

Expenses? Do you think the assessors are working for free?

Plus there wll be admin costs. Someone has to book the coach, take out the insurance, organise the assessors, keep a record of the participants....