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Registered Charity Number 1178953 (detail here).
Gift Aid Registration 061000058285
Find out more about the DofE Award itself on The Award page. Other Dorset DofE Centres and schools delivering DofE under DC are listed on DofE Dorset
Gillingham (Dorset) DofE Open Award Centre has been operated entirely by volunteers since Sept 2014 and has to be self-funding, as per our Young Friends of Gillingham DofE page. Pics and posts on our Facebook page.
127 young people are currently working on their Award at all levels, 146 have achieved an Award since June 2018. Full Awards, since 2003, are recorded on our Awards page.
Yr9 to 24yrs can start from:
- Bronze can start as early as the June before they go into Yr9
- Silver can start as early as the June before they go into Yr10
- 16th birthday for Gold (Expedition training can start earlier)
- Direct entry to Silver or Gold is possible if of the right age
Enrolment: to all levels is possible at any time but there are key dates you have to attend to be eligible for a dofe qualifying expedition.
If you did a previous level it is expected to have been finished unless there are extenuating circumstances!
Attendance:
There are specific dates to attend for all levels please see the 19-20 overview below.
We are at the Slade Centre – from 3.45pm to 6pm term time Tuesdays.
Sept to Dec is the time for new enrolments to decide on sectional work. People can drop in and discuss their own DofE programme.
There must be time spent planning and completing the prep for the assessed expedition. Regular Tues evening attendance is expected from the silvers and bronzes as below. This is mandatory.
- Silvers Jan to Easter
- Bronzes Mar to June/July
From 2020 Golds will do their planning for their Expedition final in one day.
Training and Expedition dates are fixed the June before the new intake. We do not change them once published. Please check them against your own family and activity calendars before signing up.
Important Downloads and links
- Expedition detail is posted here
- Gill DofE OAC 2019 – 20 Calendar – chronological order
- 19-20 overview with costs update Nov 2019
- Previous exped training may count; clashes or illnesses resolved with other Dorset DofE centres.
- Team equipment is provided.
- Rucksacks, Sleeping bags and some other personal kit can be borrowed.
- Please speak to us in confidence if costs appear prohibitive.
- DofE 2019-20 Enrolment Form Gillingham or
- enrol online – link above website banner
- The Enrolment fee is as per enrolment form and ALL cheques are made out to Gillingham DofE OAC. BACs payments – see below.
- Accredited First Aid (6hr) Certification (£30) and Expedition costs are extra to the enrolment fee.
- Please speak to us in confidence if costs appear prohibitive.
- 2019 Parent Consent and Medical Form
- Code of Conduct for Participants
- Bullying Policy from 2019
- Guidance for safer recruitment and working practice for those working with young people May 2019
- DofE Safeguarding code of behaviour for adults
BACs – Bank Ref MUST BE full name of participant. sortcode 30.98.97 (Lloyds) a/c 47830260
Note that the enrolment fee goes elsewhere to buy your place for you and we can’t get it back if you change your mind.
It is an individual responsibility to choose and to check that any activity undertaken for the DofE programme is appropriately managed and insured, unless the activity is directly managed or organised by their DofE group, such as the Expedition. We’ve lots of ideas and contacts but cannot organise them for you.
What’s Happening at Gillingham DofE OAC?
- First Aid for the 2020-21 cohort
- Award History updated Feb 11 2020 – 548!
- Awards 2020 Oct 6th – TBC
- Gillingham DofE Open Award Centre Relocation
- Summer 2019 – Local links updated for sectional activity
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Gillingham, Dorset is delivered under the DofE licence of Dorset Council by Gillingham Open Award Centre (OAC).