The Youth Service has had its Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Operating Authority Licence renewed with flying colours. This enables the award to be offered to more than 800 young people located at 12 registered award units across the Island.
 
An officer from the North West region of the award travelled to the Island to ensure the Youth Service – part of the Department of Education and Children – was meeting all the necessary criteria to operate the scheme and found it to be flourishing.
 
Licences are renewed every five years, to ensure quality of deliver. The Youth Service has been an operating authority since the early 1980s.
 
This year has been a record year for local young people entering onto DofE, with more than 400 taking up the challenge, 315 bronze, 80 silver and 40 gold.
 
Participants commit to regularly completing activities in volunteering, physical and skill sections for between three and 18 months depending on whether they are taking part in bronze, silver or gold awards. They also complete an expedition, which can be walking, cycling, canoeing/kayaking, sailing or horse-riding. At gold level, the qualifying expedition takes place off-Island in locations such as the Lake District, Snowdonia, the Mountains of Mourne, the Yorkshire Dales, the Isle of Skye, Vancouver Island and Greenland. Gold participants are also required to take part in a five-day residential stay.
 
Alison Gawne, Awards’ Co-ordinator with the Youth Service, said: ‘Despite the huge number of activities young people can get involved with these days, this year’s numbers show that DofE is as popular as ever, especially in the Island’s secondary schools.
 
‘Young people enjoy the challenge of setting themselves goals in existing activities, trying something new and being credited for their achievements.
 
‘Many also enjoy the independence that the expedition section gives, where they have to plan and take part in overnight camping ventures as a group, with remote adult supervision.’
 
Twenty recipients have been invited to attend this year’s gold badge presentation at Government House in April and the bronze and silver presentation evening at the Gaiety Theatre in September will be a very busy event.’
 
Photo -  an illustrative photo showing young people completing an expedition.