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.

Expeditions include:

• two 14-mile day walks, across the hills and valleys of the Black Mountains, and both ways along the crest of the Malvern Hills with a fully-loaded rucksack;
• four-day expeditions, camping and journeying across the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons, and later in the Cambrian Mountains.

The four-day expeditions are totally self-reliant journeys of 80kms (50 miles) in wild country, in groups of four to seven, carrying all the necessary equipment and food for the whole period.

Although the challenges are expressed in terms of distance walked, 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 painful experience, the pride and satisfaction of completing the expeditions make it an experience to be remembered for life.