By Tom Hardwicke

The Duke Of Edinburgh's Award is a three-stage award scheme offering participants an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding experience which concludes with a highly respected qualification.

Taking part will mean that you will:

• have a great time and meet new people;
• improve your personal and social development;
• experience a range of exciting, challenging situations and new activities; 
• develop new skills and discover new interests;
• become independent and build your self-confidence.

Who can take part?

To take part in the Award you must be under 25, but over-25s can help too (see link at the end of this article). You don't have to be super-fit, highly-skilled or multi-talented. All you need is a bit of determination.

What do I have to do?

There are five sections to the scheme:

1. The Skill Section: a chance to learn something new. I've been learning the martial art Taekwondo for three months now as part of the Gold Award and it's one of the most exciting and interesting things I've ever done. You can choose pretty much anything: trapeze artist, scuba diveror even how to fly a plane.
2. The Physical Section: physical activities can be anything from football to yoga. For my Silver Award I played badminton for my local team which involved training sessions and matches. It was a great way to get some light exercise after a hard day and meet new people as well. I still play for the club today.
3. The Service Section: this is where the bulk of volunteering is done. The service section involves giving up a little bit of time every month to help out in areas such as conservation or community work. For my Bronze Award I, along with a couple of friends, joined my local Ranger service - a conservation group responsible for maintenance of the sand dunes in our area. We had a great time cutting down trees, building fences and chasing people who were lighting fires!
4. The Expedition: probably the best part of the Award. You and your team must venture forth into unknown territory (the Lake District will do) on your bikes, in your boats or on foot. Camp out in the countryside, then cycle, row or walk home. For me, the expedition is the heart of the award, the real test of strength and where most of the fun can be had.
5. The Residential: this section only needs to be completed by people taking part in the Gold Award. You go on a conservation or activity-based holiday for five days with only one person you know. A great chance to make new friends and give something back to the countryside.

Over-25s

Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh's Award wouldn't be possible without the dedication and support from the many leaders, helpers, assessors and supporters, so why not get involved with the scheme and join them?

More information can be found on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award website

You can also search for volunteering opportunities with the Award on do-it.org.uk

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