Duke of Edinburgh Award
Through the Duke of Edinburgh Award, you can take part in many varied and interesting expeditions with the opportunity to achieve the Gold Award. Alongside the experience of exploring the great outdoors, you will develop a variety of practical skills, including map reading, appropriate use of equipment and route preparation.
Hereford Sixth Form College primarily concentrates on the requirements for the Expedition section, as this is the one area which students cannot undertake themselves. Please note, however, that this is just one of the five areas that you have to cover to obtain the full award. Young people have until they are aged 25 to complete all five parts of the Gold Award. Those who are successful are invited to the Palace to receive the Award from a member of the royal family.
Expeditions include:
- October - a 14-mile day walk across the hills and valleys of the Black Mountains;
- January - a navigation exercise in the Malvern Hills;
- February - a weekend in a Youth Hostel in Stratford-upon-Avon with Duke of Edinburgh training sessions at a nearby National Trust property - putting up tents, cooking on stoves and having some fun;
- April - a two-day expedition in the Brecon Beacons, carrying all equipment needed;
- May - four days on the Black Mountains, carrying all equipment needed;
- July - an assessed expedition in the Cambrian Mountains. You are required to keep a diary of your experiences and undertake a short project
A full programme is given to students who are interested at the start of the academic year. Please note, once you start an expedition, you are expected to complete them all and to attend all classroom training sessions in order to continue to the assessed expedition. This is for safety reasons.
The four-day expedition is a totally self-reliant journey of approximately 80km (50 miles) in wild country in groups of four to seven, with rucksacks containing the necessary food, water, clothing and tents.
Although the challenges are expressed in terms of distance walked and height climbed, natural obstacles crossed and project chosen, the Award is primarily concerned with the development of your own abilities and the social skills of the group. Despite being very demanding and at times a possibly painful experience, the pride and satisfaction of completing the expedition makes it an experience to remember for life