|
The
Squadron supports cadets participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is available to all cadets. Many cadets
who have started the scheme at school find that ATC can provide the
facilities to complete the award.
Each award is broken down into 4 areas (5 for gold), which participants must
complete successfully to receive their award. These are:-
Volunteering
- Helping others in the local community.
Expeditions -
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 Awards are recognised by many employers as an indication that the
individual is keen to undertake challenges.
 
BRONZE AWARD
Cadets
can register from the start of school Year 9 to start the Bronze award and
can expect it to take a minimum of six months to complete. To complete the
Bronze award, cadets must complete a service, skill, physical recreation and
plan & prepare for a 2 day venture.
Based on an average of 1 hour per week, a cadet must actively take part in a
service, skill and physical recreation for 3 months. These can of course run
alongside each other and do not have to run concurrently.
SILVER AWARD
Cadets
must be at least 15 years old to start the Silver award and can expect it to
take a minimum of six months to complete. This timeframe is extended for
cadets starting the award scheme at this level (Direct Entrant), to 1 year.
To complete the Silver award, cadets must complete a service over 6 months, a
skill and physical recreation for a total of nine months (cadets can choose
to do either for 6 months and the other for 3 months) and plan & prepare
for a 3 day venture, while Direct Entrants must undertake an additional 6
months in either the service or the longer of the skills or physical
recreation.
GOLD AWARD
The
Gold award is the highest level in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Cadets
must be at least 16 years old to start the award and can expect it to take a
minimum of one year to complete. This timeframe is extended for cadets
starting the award scheme at this level (Direct Entrant), to one and a half
years.
To complete the Gold award, cadets must complete a service over 12 months, a
skill and physical recreation for a total of eighteen months (cadets can
choose to do either for 12 months and the other for 6 months) and plan &
prepare for a 4 day venture, while Direct Entrants must undertake an
additional 6 months in either the service or the longer of the skills or
physical recreation.
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.
There are other avenues available if the cadet or his award leader can
arrange it. Other possibilities include youth hostels or sailing ships.
|
