Duke of Edinburgh Award

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is programme of activities for young people aged 14-25.
The Air Cadets are the largest operator of the scheme offering a valuable award to accompany your existing qualifications, this is an excellent award recognised by employers across the country!

The award consists of three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Gold takes the longest and is the hardest to achieve, but each of these offer a challenge and on completion

you really can be assured that you have earned something useful, and all Air Cadets who meet the age criteria can join the award scheme.

Each award is broken down into 4 areas (5 for gold) which participants must complete successfully to receive their award. These are:-

  • Service – Helping others in the local community.
  • Expedition – Training for, and planning of a journey.
  • Skills – Demonstrate ability in almost any hobby, skill or interest
  • Physical Recreation – Sport, dance and fitness.
  • Residential Project – (Gold Award only) – A purposeful enterprise with young people not previously known to the participant.

The Award is widely recognised by employers as it helps demonstrate that award holders are keen to take on new challenges, have a higher level of self confidence than their counterparts, have leadership qualities with the added experience of teamwork.

 

Bronze Award

 BRONZE

  • Minimum age = 14
  • Minimum time to complete = 6 Months
  • Complete the bronze ‘Service’ section
  • Complete the bronze ‘Skill’ section
  • Complete the bronze ‘Physical Recreation’ section
  • Plan and complete a 2 day expedition

 

Silver Award

SILVER

  • Minimum age = 15
  • Minimum time to complete = 6 Months
  • Complete the silver ‘Service’ section
  • Complete the silver ‘Skill’ section
  • Complete the silver ‘Physical Recreation’ section
  • Plan and complete a 3 day expedition

The 6 Month timescale assumes that the cadets has already completed the Bronze Award, this timescale is extended for cadets starting the award scheme at this level (Direct Entrant), to 1 year.

The minimum age for completing the Silver award is 15 and a half years or 16 years for Direct Entrants.

 

Gold Award

GOLD

  • Minimum age = 16
  • Minimum time to complete = 1 Year
  • Complete the gold ‘Service’ section
  • Complete the gold ‘Skill’ section
  • Complete the gold ‘Physical Recreation’ section
  • Plan and complete a 4 day expedition


The Gold award is the highest level in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The 1 Year timescale assumes that the cadet has already completed the Silver Award, this timescale is extended for cadets starting the award scheme at this level (Direct Entrant), to one and a half years.

In addition, Gold participants must also complete the residential element of the award. This involves undertaking a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights, with people who are not already known to them.

To help cadets complete this section, the annual summer camps are the ideal opportunity, as many camps take two or more squadrons. This means that the participant will be working with people they have never come across before.

The minimum age for completing the Gold award is 17 years or 17 and a half years for Direct Entrants. On completion, cadets will be invited to either London or Edinburgh to be presented with their award by a key figure, quite possibly HRH Prince Phillip.