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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 – Registered Charity Number 1178953 (detail here) 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.
111 young people are currently working on their Award at all levels, 124 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 (Exped training can start earlier)
- Direct entry to Silver or Gold is possible if of the right age
Attendance: There is a regular Tues evening attendance expected from 4.15-5.45pm as below for each level This time is spent planning and completing prep for the assessment. It is mandatory.
- Golds Oct-Dec
- Silvers Jan to Easter
- Bronzes Mar to June/July .
Training and Expedition dates are now booked with leaders for 2019-20, therefore we do not change them once published. Please check them against your own family and activity calendars before signing up.
Enrolment: to all levels is possible at any time but there are key dates you have to attend to be eligible for the Expedition section in the following year.
If you did a previous level it will need to have been verified as finished unless there are extenuating circumstances!
- Gill DofE OAC 2019 – 20 Calendar – chronological order
- Expedition – find event detail here
- 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 The Enrolment fee is as per enrolment form and ALL cheques are made out to Gillingham DofE OAC. BACs payments – see below.
- NB Welcome Pack fee and Accredited First Aid (6hr) Certification (£30) are extra to Expedition costs.
- 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
You can ensure your place by paying and enrolling online. See above website banner for the enrolling link. 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 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 but can’t organise them for you.
What’s Happening at Gillingham DofE OAC?
- Gillingham DofE Open Award Centre Relocation
- Award Presentation Evening Tues Oct 6th 2020 – TBC
- First Aid for the 2019-20 Cohort
- Award History updated Jan 20 2020 – 546!
- 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). Term time Tuesday sessions after school will be at the Slade Centre, The Square, SP8 4AR from Tues 5 Nov 2019