Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme – Gold Award

This is a brief guide about what you have to achieve for the Gold Award.

It is possible to complete the Award in 12 months, if you have a Silver Award. If not, then a minimum of 18 months is required.

You can start to work for your Gold Award any time after your sixteenth birthday.

For the Gold Award you must complete an activity for each of the four sections; Service, Physical Recreation, Expedition and Skills. In addition you have to be involved in a residential project that takes you away from home for at least five days.

The activities that are offered in each section are so varied, there is something to suit everyone. Although there are adult leaders who can give you advice and guidance you are expected to be able to do most of the planning and preparation for your options and activities independently.

All the activities involve planning and regular assessment. Although the Gold Award is the most challenging of all the Awards it can also give you the greatest satisfaction when you are doing it. You become really involved in all the activities and you will find that your leisure time is very busy but very rewarding.

The times given are the least that you can do to achieve the Gold Award. They are really for guidance as there is no time limit to the activities. You can work on each activity for as long as it takes and you should aim to do more than the minimum to get the best from yourself and learn as much as you can.

The upper age limit for starting the Gold Award is 23 as all Awards must be completed by your 25th birthday.

When you are planning your options for the Gold Award, you may find that you want to extend some of the choices you made at the Silver Award level. If you are still learning something new then perhaps you have good reasons to continue with similar choices but you should also be ready to take on new and demanding challenges or interests.

• Service
  You must choose a type of service, carry out some training and give practical help to others for over twelve months. Many forms of service at this stage will count towards a qualification or a certificate. You are also required to keep a diary.
• Physical recreation
  This is an opportunity to take up a physical activity for a minimum of 18 hours over at least 18 weeks. Within the activity you are awarded points for skills, achievements and effort. You must reach 36 points for the Gold Award by working towards a recognised certificate or showing appropriate improvement.
• Expedition
  For this activity you need some basic training, three practice expeditions and plenty of planning. If you have completed the Silver Award you only need to carry out one practice expedition. To achieve the standard for the Gold Award, you must carry out a four day venture in a group of 4-7 people in unfamiliar countryside that includes three nights camping. During the expedition you must undertake a journey in open country of at least 50 miles on foot, or 170 miles if cycling. Included in your planning should be reasons for your journey. Alternatively, you can carry out an exploration or detailed study in the area. You should plan for eight hours of activity each day. You could complete an exploration activity instead. For this you need to spend at least 10 hours of the expedition travelling and the remainder on scientific surveys or physical activities (ie. canoeing).
• Skills
  You must choose a hobby or skill to work at regularly for at least eighteen months, (or twelve months if you have completed the Silver Award). During the time you must show how you have improved your skill or knowledge. There is a huge number of different skills that you can choose, from playing an instrument to learning how to paint. Some examples are covered in Case Studies given by young people themselves.
• Residential project
  This is an additional activity for Gold Award candidates. You must take part in some voluntary work or a project that takes you away from home for at least 5 days (4 nights). You have to take full responsibility for yourself by planning your stay and making sure you are fully involved in the work or the project. Examples are a training campus, volunteer service or special project.