The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a registered charity, is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of activities for anyone aged 14-25. It offers an individual challenge and encourages young people to undertake exciting, constructive, challenging and enjoyable activities in their free time. Just over 7% of those in the UK aged 14-17 participate in the Award, through Award Groups in youth clubs, voluntary organisations, Open Award Centres, schools, colleges, young offender institutes and businesses.

The Award is a four Section Programme with three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Sections involve: Service (helping the community); Skills (a hobby, skill or interest); Physical Recreation (sports, dance, fitness); Expeditions (on foot, cycle, horseback, or water); Residential Project - Gold only.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Sale Grammar School

Each year, Award Participants provide over one million hours of service to the community whilst, in the expeditions Section, they collectively covered over one million miles.

At any one time, around 225,000 participants are trying for an Award in the UK alone, with around 110,000 taking up its challenge each year. Approximately 70,000 volunteers share their skills, enthusiasm and time to help guide the participants through their Awards, learning new skills and making friends themselves along the way.

The Award has been successfully running at Sale Grammar School for four years and in that time over 150 students have participated. It has proven to be a very popular part of the life of the school and one which many of our students value for the opportunities and experiences it provides them with. Each year the expeditions prove to be great fun and an opportunity for students and staff to share in new and exciting situations.

Currently the school offers the Award at Bronze level. This involves students in organising their Service, Skills and Physical Recreation activities, with the school's Award organisers supervising their involvement through the Log Book. Students can get involved in a wide range of activities and new ideas are always on the horizon. In the past, our students have been involved in voluntary work in the community, work with the Scouts and Guides Associations, the Air Training Corps, child care, environmental work and animal care. Skills have included playing a musical instrument, drama, sign language, dance, cookery and IT. For the Physical Recreation component a range of sporting, exercise and performing arts activities have been undertaken.

Of course, for many participants the most exciting part of the Award is the Expedition. Two expeditions are undertaken, with a practice route and an assessed route in different parts of the Peak District. Each expedition is conducted over a weekend. Students are required to display skills of navigation, physical fitness, team work and camp craft. All participants must pitch their own tent and cook a simple meal for their dinner and breakfast at the camp site, while each days hike involves the use of map and compass to navigate a 15 kilometre walk.

Training sessions are run on camp craft and navigation skills to ensure that all students are able to meet the challenges of the Award.

How to Get Involved

The Award is open to people over the age of 14. This means that it is offered to students in Year 10. During the year you will hear an assembly about the award and be offered the opportunity to take a letter outlining the requirements. Those who are interested will then be invited to a meeting where they will be given all the necessary information.

The Award does involve a small cost to cover the expense of the expedition.