The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at 457 (Farnborough) Squadron.

The Squadron encourages Cadets to join the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (D of E) as it gives Cadets the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge outside of the ATC’s core syllabus. The Squadron currently has 6 Award holders at silver and bronze level (September 2005) and has a further 12 Awards in various stages of completion at gold, silver and bronze level.

What is The D of E?

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a voluntary, non-competitive program of practical, cultural and adventurous activities, designed to support the personal and social development of young people aged 14-25, regardless of gender, background or ability. It offers an individual challenge and encourages young people to undertake exciting, constructive, challenging and enjoyable activities in their free time i.e. not at school or work.

The Award offers a flexible program and the wide range of options means you can try something different without having to do anything you don't want to do.

Everyone gets different things out of the Award but there are some common benefits which we've listed here...

In taking part, you'll develop:

It is a four-section program with three progressive levels:

The Sections involve:

So why bother with The D of E?

A CAREER

No doubt about it: an Award looks pretty damn fine on your CV.

Bosses often notice when a person applying for a job has an Award. It sounds corny, but all those skills and qualities associated with the Award - teamwork, drive, dedication, perseverance, problem-solving abilities and communication skills - are just what employers are looking for.

So it's no wonder how many people say that the Award helped their career, and it's no surprise more and more businesses are encouraging their workers to take up the Award.

ADVENTURE

You're half way up a mountain. It's raining. You're hungry. And somebody forgot to bring the can opener. Doh!

Adventure? It's probably not what you'd call it at the time, but getting through these sorts of dilemmas makes for great stories in the future.

It's often the Expeditions Sections of the Award that people enjoy most. Whether you're hitting the highlands on foot or taking a major waterway on by canoe, there's always going to be a sense of adventure involved.

AN AWARD

On completion of each Award level you will receive a badge that you can wear on your uniform.

And if you complete your Gold, you will get to rub shoulders with Royalty itself. Presentations take place in the Royal Palaces and you receive your Award in the presence of The Duke of Edinburgh himself. Flash, huh?

NEW SKILLS AND INTERESTS

Cacti growing or egg decorating? Fly fishing or map making? The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is the perfect platform for learning new skills or discovering new interests. There are Award Programs in place for over 200 activities and if you find your chosen interest isn't one of them, don't fear: a new Program can be created especially for you and your passion.

Many people use the Award as an opportunity to take the plunge and try something they would never have thought of doing before. Some people even discover they've got talents they never knew they had. Award Holders always feel damn good about having finished their Awards.

After all, you've planned and organised everything, made the contacts with the right people, and finally met the requirements of the various Sections.

What do you do now?

The first thing you need to do is purchase a Record Book at the appropriate level, the Squadron will advise you as to the best level of entry. The books cost £10.50 for bronze and silver and £15.00 for gold, the costs are correct as of September 2005.

Then you need to decide what you are going to do for each section, the Squadron will give you guidance on this. Some section can be done on the Squadron but some cannot.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of Duke of Edinburgh’s Award then contact the D of E Officer at the Squadron.