I’m just packing for a 4 day gold exped where the group will walk from Corrour station to Fort William via some munroes*. This is a route they planned themselves. Some of the kids in the group had never slept in a tent when they started Bronze. DofE is great.

*don’t be too jealous. I don’t really like camping or hill walking that much.

Eldest is doing his silver in the summer. Realistically he learnt little from it that he hadn’t already done via school, Scouts and Youth Parliament, but his volunteering led to a part-time job.

Some of his group did get a lot out of it though, especially those who hadn’t been involved in those kinds of social activities, brought them out of themselves, tested their fitness, developed team skills. Made some of them realise that exam results would not be the only things that colleges and employers might want them to be able to show.

It is very relevant, but doesn’t really answer the point about inclusiveness. Those who may benefit from it most are possibly the least likely to go for it, but at least my lads school gave all of them the chance.

“How come they do their expedition at QE? It’s not wilderness!” – his group did their’s in the New Forest

🤣🤣🤣

Realistically he learnt little from it that he hadn’t already done via school, Scouts and Youth Parliament,

Don’t be too sure about that – the kids who already bring a lot to the table often find they’re having to learn how to be in a team with others who are more out of their comfort zone. Managing your confidence is a useful skill!

About a year ago, I asked a small group of boys in the school where I work how the bronze expedition had gone – ‘It was wicked man, they got fields, horses and all sorts of countryside stuff up there!’ Definitely worth it for those guys, but we won’t be able to continue subsidising it. Does anyone know of charities that would support disadvantaged students access DofE?

I have to admit I started it just to go along with mates, and a little for my CV. The teacher who ran it at our school had very strict views on what counted as wilderness, so we had lots of variety in the Cairngorms, Hebrides, Lakes and Dartmoor. He was also keen to mix groups where possible.

Best/worst part was dealing with a hypothermic group member in the middle of Galloway after 2 days of rain on silver. He ended up in a helicopter and we looked like heroes (I hope!). Didn’t half create a lot of paperwork for the school, and I know it put other kids off doing gold. Our group all did gold (including the casualty), partly off the back of dealing with a situation like that on our own.

…Definitely worth it for those guys, but we won’t be able to continue subsidising it. Does anyone know of charities that would support disadvantaged students access DofE?

What do you need in terms of funding? Kit? Travel? External trainers?

The DoE website itself has a page on funding for disadvantaged groups, and you should be able to link up with others who can lend tents, stoves etc.

There are plenty of small trusts and bodies who would help fund buying equipment, or training up your team to run it yourselves. There is a misconception that it has to be in the middle of nowhere, but certainly at Bronze it can be local enough to require no expensive travel.

there is another skill it teaches. You will actually have to go and talk to an adult, ask them to sign something off

You mean, the teenager has to learn the skill of going to talk to an adult.. first of all listening to the advice of their parent who tells them to go to talk to the adult… gawd, he ain’t ever getting this signed off!