Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme – Silver Award

This is a brief guide about what you have to achieve for the Silver Award. It is possible to complete the Award in 6 months, if you have already done your Bronze. If not, then the minimum completion time is 12 months.

You can start to work for your Silver Award any time after your fifteenth birthday. You may be allowed to take part in some activities just before you are 15 if you are part of a youth group or if you have completed your Bronze Award and are waiting to start the Silver. Your adult leader will need to get special permission to allow you to do this.

For the Silver Award you must complete an activity for each of the four sections; Service, Physical Recreation, Expedition and Skills.

The activities that are offered in each section are so varied, there is something to suit everyone. An adult leader or helper can advise you about the different options available but at this level you are expected to make more contribution at the planning stage than you did at the Bronze Award level.

All the activities involve planning, regular assessment, a lot of enjoyment and hard work. The times given are the least that you can do to achieve the Silver 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 Silver Award is 23 as all Awards must be completed by your 25th birthday.

When you are planning your options for the Silver Award, you may find that you want to extend some of the choices you made at the Bronze 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 challenges and interests.

• Service
  You must choose a type of service, carry out some training or gain a specific qualification over at least 16 weeks. Alternatively, you could do 30 hours of activity over 6 months and keep a diary of your progress. Some forms of service may lead towards a qualification or a certificate.
• Physical recreation
  This is an opportunity to take up a physical activity for a minimum of 15 hours over at least 15 weeks. Within the activity you are awarded points for skills, achievements and effort. You must reach 30 points for the Silver Award.
• Expedition
  For this activity you need some basic training, two practice expeditions and plenty of planning. To achieve the standard for the Silver Award, you must carry out a three day venture, in a group of 4-7 people, in unfamiliar countryside that includes two nights camping. During the expedition you must cover at least 30 miles on foot or carry out a detailed study in the area. If you are cycling, you must cover at least 120 miles. Your expedition must have a purpose and a record must be kept. You could complete an exploration activity instead. For this you have 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 twelve months (or six months if you have completed the Bronze Award). During that 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 line dancing or a type of craft. Some examples are covered in Case Studies given by young people themselves.