Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award is a widely recognised award for young people that we offer at the Squadron. It is designed to help recognise achievement and development, as well as give young people new experiences in life. The award can be put onto a CV and employers recognise it as a sign that the participant has undertaken a program that has not only made them recognise their own potential but also the potential of others around them and the community.

There are three different awards, Bronze Silver and Gold. The Bronzeis the entry level which can be started around the age of fourteen. The cadet can progress around the age of fifteen to the silver award and around the age of sixteen to the gold. As the cadet progresses up the levels, more time and dedication is required to achieve the award.

Each level of the award is comprised of four sections: Volunteering, Skill, Physical and Expedition, with an additional section, the Residential, at Gold.

The squadron helps to administer the award, but the onus is on participant to organise and attend the various activities that they need to complete the sections, however some areas are included as part of the cadets standard squadron activities and these can count towards the award.

If you are interested in what we do, aged 13 to 18, and wish to take a look, then contact the squadron on 020 8818 2350 or email adj.94@aircadets.org to find out when we are recruiting next.

Volunteering - This section is about doing a service to individuals and the community. You cannot get paid for it but it enables the participant to learn about the community they live in, to take responsibility for their community, enjoy new experiences and to work either as a team or an individual. It has to be an hour every week for the time period of the award and the participant can undertake activities such as: Volunteering in a charity shop, helping to look after their local country park, run an after school club for younger children to name a few. Skill - The skills section is about either learning a new skill, or advancing a skill the participant has already towards achievement. It is designed to help them realise potential, confidence and self esteem and to set and meet a challenge. There are lots of skills. Skills in creative arts, performing arts, science and technology, care of animals, music, life skills, learning and collecting, media and communication, the natural world and games and sports. The candidate can choose to undertake a skill in one of these areas and develop their vocational abilities. Physical - This section is not about being a professional athlete or sportsman. It is however about doing something active and trying to show some progression. It can be something like learning a sport and playing it one hour a week at school in your lunch break, or going swimming at the weekend for an hour. It is not about doing the most amount of lengths in swimming or scoring the most amount of goals. It is about showing an improvement in fitness. Expedition - Involves going away to the countryside and undertaking an expedition of two days and one night at bronze level where you do walking or cycling or canoeing. You have to do a full length practice before the assessed expedition where you will do the expedition unsupported. All training for this is organised by the squadron. Residential  (Gold Only) – This section is designed to take the participant and to place them in an unfamiliar environment with an unfamiliar peer group and to undertake some for the good of the community. This is to help develop social and team working skills and to give the participant involvement in a perspective changing project.

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