Volunteers

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Needs YOU!

50 years of young people’s achievements are being celebrated during The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Golden Jubilee in 2006.

The Award was started by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956 and, since then, over 3.5 million young people have entered the UK Award Programme, with more than 1.5 million achieving a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

Young people participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award under the Hampshire licence is increasing. To cater for this increase and enable more young people to participate, we particularly need help to train young people for, and assess, expeditions.

If you have only a limited amount of time to give,

we need adults to assess expeditions in Hampshire (mainly in the New Forest).  Maybe you already spend some weekends out in the Hampshire countryside? Perhaps you could put one or two of those weekends aside to assess a group of between 4 and 7 young people? Full training will be given.

If you are able to give a little more time,

we need expedition trainers to provide courses throughout Hampshire.  Training will be provided, although if you have experience in light-weight camping, map and compass work or backpacking it would be an advantage.  Maybe you are a Gold Award holder, or have relevant outdoor qualifications?  We need to hear from you.

If being in the outdoors is “not your thing”,

we welcome volunteers prepared to help out (or start new) Award Units.  Most units meet weekly during term-time.

For more information, contact the County Award Office below

If you live in Hampshire (including Portsmouth & Southampton)

e-mail: theaward@hants.gov.uk   or ‘phone 023 8068 4935

If you live in West Sussex

e-mail: dyouth@westsussex.gov.uk   or ‘phone 01243 782080

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What do young people say?

Expedition comments from young people (from their Record Books):

We really came together on that first day.  Suddenly we were on our own, trying to make up our minds where we were in relation to everything – power lines, tracks, ponds, rivers – anything would do!

At this point we all got completely mad!  Where had we gone wrong?!!

It was wonderful to all join together in our purpose and achieve our goal of the Silver Award.  It was a proud day when we finished our walk.  It almost felt as though we were doing it for our country, but it was much grander than that. We were doing it for ourselves.

Up until lunch time we had navigated correctly ….. !

We gained a lot of valuable experience, and learned many skills, but most of all – we enjoyed it.  When we finished we were on such a high I could have done anything.

The expedition was challenging but worthwhile.   One of the hardest parts of the trip was trying to reach the top of some rather steep hills, but this was rewarded with some breathtaking views.  I really enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend it to anyone.

This venture, for me, has been wholly challenging and exciting. For a group of people who had no previous knowledge of the area or of each other, to get together and take part in an expedition in a foreign country, was incredible. I was very apprehensive about the trip, but it was fantastic fun, and I would definitely take part in it again.

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