Wherever you’re at, whatever else you’ve done up until now, if you’re between 14-24, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is for you. This is for the gamers, skaters, bikers and bakers. The dress-makers, film-makers and change-makers. The just-out-of-bedders, wheelchair-racers, dancers, DJs and none-of-the-abovers.
Whoever you are, this is you and your friends sharing amazing experiences, having fun and just maybe changing your futures along the way. The DofE helps to turn the things you love, and the things you’ve always wanted to try, into powerful lifelong skills that can help you get a job, change your community and take on anything life throws your way. And yes, there’s going to be a bit of camping involved.
Whatever you’re into, get into DofE.
By taking part, you’ll build on a huge range of practical and character skills – like resilience, problem-solving, team-working and drive – and come out the other side with a stronger sense of self (something really brilliant to put on your CV), or talk about in their uni and job applications).
There are four sections to complete at the Bronze and Silver levels and five at Gold.
They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.
BRONZE
What you’ll need to do:
- Be aged 14+
- Complete a volunteering section for 3 months
- Complete a skills section for 3 months
- Complete a physical section for 3 months
- Complete a 1 night/2 day expedition
You also have to spend an extra three months on one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections.
SILVER
What you’ll need to do:
- Be aged 15+
- Complete a volunteering section for 6 months
- Complete a skills section for 6 months
- Complete a physical section for 6 months
- Complete a 2 night/3 day expedition
If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in one of the sections
GOLD
What you’ll need to do:
- Be aged 16+
- Complete a volunteering section for 12 months
- Complete a skills section for 6/12 months*
- Complete a physical section for 6/12 months*
- Complete a 3 night/4 day expedition
- Complete a Residential shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.
If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
*Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months, so one of these sections could be 18-months long.
DofE App
If you’re doing your DofE the official smartphone app is for you. You can use the DofE app to plan activities, get approval from Leaders, record evidence, submit programmes for completion and more.
Plus, you can use it to sync important dates to your phone calendar and add your personalised DofE Card to your digital wallet, so you can make the most of your exclusive discounts.
Simply go to your mobile app store, search ‘DofE’, download for free, and use your eDofE details to log in — and you’re ready to go.
eDofE
eDofE is a digital system where you’ll record your DofE programme and activities online, and get each section approved by your DofE Leader.
Once you enrol, you’ll be sent an email (from South Yorkshire Scouts) with your sign-in details. Then you’re ready to activate your account and start choosing your activities and setting objectives.
On eDofE you can easily select what you want to do for each section, and your DofE Leader must approve your choices and Assessor. You can check your progress throughout your programme and submit evidence in a variety of formats.
You can message your DofE Leader and other participants in your group from within eDofE. You can also download your DofE Voucher from eDofE, giving you savings of at least 10% at our recommended retailers.
Expeditions – get ready for an unforgettable journey!
The DofE Expedition is your chance to explore the outdoors and challenge yourself to achieve something amazing.
Whether you’re navigating new paths, camping under the stars, or overcoming unexpected challenges, this experience will build you.
Check out our Bronze team’s video…
2025 Dates
Training Days
22nd and 23rd March 2025
Both days are 9am – 5pm at the Unit.
Bronze
Practice: Two days between 4th – 7th April 2025
Qualifying: Two days between 27th – 29th August 2025
Silver
Practice: Three days between 4th – 7th April 2025
Qualifying: 27th – 29th August 2025
Gold
Practice: 4th – 7th April 2025
Qualifying: TBC – requires external assessor
How long is it?
Bronze expeditions span 2 full days and 1 night, with participants walking an average of 6 hours each day.
Silver increases the challenge to 3 full days and 2 nights, with daily walking times of around 7 hours.
Gold is the ultimate test, lasting 4 days and 3 nights, with approximately 8 hours of walking per day.
Where will I go?
We go on some awesome adventures! Your first expedition will be in the Peak District to keep things familiar.
After that, we’ll explore places like the White Peak, the North Yorkshire Moors, and even the Lake District as you take on bigger challenges.
Who am I with?
Each group should have between 3 and 7 people. You’ll usually get to choose your group, so you can team up with your friends.
If your group is smaller, we might combine it with others to make the expedition happen.
Either way, it’s going to be an amazing experience, and you’ll have the chance to make some new friends along the way!
What kit you’ll need
Having the right kit is essential for an awesome expedition! Check out the guide and kit list below to see what you’ll need.
It’s with investing in some good kit now. This will see you through all your levels, Unit camps and even into adult life.
Don’t worry about the recommended products—gear from Go Outdoors or Decathlon will do just fine.
We also have a limited amount of kit available to lend, prioritising those who need it most to take part. If you’d like to borrow something, just drop Sid an email!
Don’t forget too, you’ll get 10% off at Go Outdoors.
What do I eat?
Getting the right food will help you enjoy your adventure. It’s a chance to be creative, and to understand more about rationing and outdoor survival.
Your DofE expedition food should be calorie dense, compact, and easy to carry.
To optimise your expedition experience you need to plan, prepare and cook a meal as a group. Bonus tip: outdoor food packs are great for breakfast or when journeying.
We’ll go through this during our training sessions, but check out:
Do I need training?
Yep – the DofE Training Framework is all about getting you ready for your expedition!
Over two days at the Unit, we’ll cover everything you need to know to feel confident and prepared for the challenge ahead. Y
You’ll learn key skills like map reading, navigation, first aid, campcraft, and how to work as a team.
It’s not just about ticking off boxes—it’s designed to give you the tools to handle anything the outdoors throws at you.
Plus, you’ll build your confidence, independence, and teamwork skills.
22nd and 23rd February 2025
Both days are 9am – 5pm at the Unit.
Sounds awesome, what do I need to do?
First of all, we need to get you signed up to the award. Simply purchase the correct level on our store, and we’ll do all the paperwork for you. The deadline for this is Friday 21st February. This is so we can plan groups and expeditions.
We’ll then undergo two days training based down at the Unit, before you plan your route (once we’ve taught you how) on the second day with our maps and route cards.
As the expedition draws nearer, we’ll do one final meeting to go through your kit and give you a chance to talk all things food.
Then the real fun begins – the expedition itself! A number of Unit Leaders will assess and supervise you remotely, and we’ll meet up with you a couple of times throughout the day too, but apart from that, you’ll be given the chance to be independent in the wild!
Parent Info
- Explorers will be remotely supervised across the entire period of the expedition.
- Groups will be GPS tracked across their time
- There will be additional cost for each expedition, but this is likely to only be around £30. We ask the Explorer brings their own food (or in groups) and pays for their camping fees to promote independence. We’ll cover this in more detail nearer the time.
- Any questions? Give Sid an email.
