The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is a varied programme of activities that can be taken by anyone aged 14 to 24 regardless of ability. The College is a DofE Directly Licensed Centre, which means we can deliver the programme to our students, despite the absence of Government funding.
All participants are supported to achieve the Award in timetabled sessions, which give opportunities for sharing ideas, as well as forming teams and preparing for the expeditions. The award is held in high esteem by universities and employers and is entirely voluntary, fun and non-competitive, but does require commitment.
We offer Silver and Gold Awards at the College.
The Silver Award is open to anyone, whether they have previous experience of DofE or not. Comprehensive training is provided in navigation and camp craft, with some first aid included. Enjoyment of the outdoors is extremely important for the expedition section of this Award.
| KEY DATES FOR ALL DOFE PARTICIPANTS | |
| 29 August 2023 to 1 September 2023 | Enrolment – you must sign up for DofE during enrolment |
| SILVER AWARD - EXPEDITION DATES (COHORT 1) | |
| 30 September 2023 to 1 October 2023 | Training Weekend in and around the College |
| 20 to 22 October 2023 | Practice Expedition |
| 19 to 21 April 2024 | Assessed Expedition |
| SILVER AWARD - EXPEDITION DATES (COHORT 2) | |
| 20 to 21 January 2024 | Training Weekend |
| 19 to 21 April 2024 | Practice Expedition |
| 4 to 6 September 2024 | Assessed Expedition |
In order to enrol on the Gold Award, students must have completed at least a Bronze Award, or have plenty of outdoor and hiking experience (perhaps gained through Scouts or another organisation). The Gold expedition is significantly more challenging than Bronze - there is no requirement to do Silver first, and students who choose this route invariably make the transition successfully.
| KEY DATES FOR ALL DOFE PARTICIPANTS | |
| 29 August 2023 to 1 September 2023 | Enrolment – you must sign up for DofE during enrolment |
| GOLD AWARD - EXPEDITION DATES (COHORT 1) | |
| 30 September 2023 to 1 October 2023 | Training Weekend in and around the College |
| 14 to 18 October 2023 | Practice Expedition |
| 8 to 13 April 2024 | Assessed Expedition |
| GOLD AWARD - EXPEDITION DATES (COHORT 2) | |
| 20 to 21 January 2024 | Training Weekend |
| 8 to 13 April 2024 | Practice Expedition |
| 3 to 8 September 2024 | Assessed Expedition |
Q: I already have a silver/gold participation place from my old school/scouts. Do I need to buy another one?
A: No, and your prices will be adjusted to show that you’ve already paid for this.
Q: I want to do DofE but I can’t afford the expedition prices - what can I do?
A: There are options; the College has some help available here, or you may prefer to complete the expedition elsewhere - the College will still support your Award overall. You could also consider spreading the expedition over two years.
Q: Why have these prices gone up?
A: Like the rest of the economy, some of our expenses have really gone up. Fuel for transport has gone up by 50%, and the price of camping has typically doubled. The College takes no ‘profit’ from DofE and any surplus is reinvested into equipment and training to try and keep costs as low as possible.
Q: Which DofE Award should I do?
A: There’s no right answer to this, and bear in mind that you can do Silver in the first year at College, then start Gold in the second year. Consider the time commitment, your confidence in the expedition section and the money too.
Q: What should I do if I am still doing DofE through my school?
A: Please make sure you upload all your evidence and have as much of your award completed and signed off as possible before you come to the College. As long as you've completed one section of the Award, you can start on the next level. You also need to make sure your email address in edofe is a personal one, not your school email.
If you would like to sign up for DofE, please ensure that you select this as an enrichment option during Enrolment. If you have any questions about DofE, please email dofe@farnborough.ac.uk.