The Duke of Edinburgh Awards is a programme of activities that leads to a recognised award that proves you have a certain level of skill and have recognised personal qualities. It is for young people aged 14 to 24 years old. You can do the programme at three levels, Bronze, Silver or Gold.

To achieve an award, you must complete a personal programme of activities in your spare time, under four sections (five if you’re going for the Gold award):

• Skills Section – for example, learn a musical instrument or improve your photography skills
• Volunteering Section – for example, choosing to give time to help people, the community or society, the environment or animals
• Physical Section – for example, learn a new sport or style of dance
• Expedition – be a member of a team, plan and prepare your expedition, eg. sailing, hiking or horse riding.
• Residential (Gold Award) - spend five days and four nights away from home on a shared activity with people you’ve never met before.

The award will help you to:

• Challenge yourself
• Have new experiences
• Meet friends and learn how to work in a team
• Discover hidden talents
• Make a difference in the local community
• Get fit
• Gain confidence