DofE expeditions

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Tunde Folawiyo | The Duke of Edinburgh Award Partners with the Dallaglio Foundation

Boasting a deep-rooted history of promoting the personal development of today’s youth, the Duke of Edinburgh Award serves as a wonderful means of encouragement for millions of young people throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. Through the valued support of many of the programme’s proponents such as Tunde Folawiyo, the Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to inspire bright young leaders striving to make a difference in themselves and in the communities around them.

In its quest to further promote extraordinary character among today’s youth, the Duke of Edinburgh Award (D of E) has joined forces with England rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio’s Foundation in hopes of inspiring the development of a variety of life skills through the power of sports. As of September last year, the D of E has worked closely with the Dallaglio Foundation in an effort to promote education through rugby clubs across England. Valuable life skills such as team work, communication and the ability to work under pressure are all practiced under the game of Rugby, demonstrating a great connection between sports and good character, an idea the organisation continues to explore. It is this innovative thinking that has garnered the respect from other charitable organisations throughout the world.

Since its founding in 1856, the D of E has worked closely with young people, continually encouraging them to set forth on obtaining the Award. The success of the programme is well-recognised as over five million students have taken part in the life-changing programme to date. In March of 2014, Actor Benedict Cumberbatch presenTunde Folawiyoted the Gold Award to 85 recipients as he praised them for their outstanding accomplishments, reiterating the importance of participating in the world-renowned programme. “It’s with great pride that I’m presenting the Duke of Edinburgh Award gold awards. What these young people have achieved is fantastic, not just for themselves but for their communities…as an actor I know how much their experiences and the skills they’ve developed matter. Without determination and passion, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wish them every success for the future,” he said during the ceremony at St James’s Palace.

Initiatives such as these, as well as the Dallaglio Foundation partnership provide an immense service to the goals of the organisation and the young minds participating. Due to the outstanding encouragement of the award’s supporters such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout the world, the Duke of Edinburgh Award will continue to thrive, serving as a constant source of encouragement for the development of today’s young leaders.

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The impact of the DofE programme on participants’ career prospects | Tunde Folawiyo

Many members of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme join during their early teens, simply because they wish to get involved in some fun activities outside of school, and make new friends. But as they complete one challenging task after another, they usually begin to realise just how beneficial their participation in the DofE can be, both personally and professionally; the vast majority find that they become far more confident, responsible and organised because of their involvement in this programme. These qualities are essential in any profession, and as such, it can safely be said that completing each level of the DofE will vastly improve a young person’s future career prospects.

Last summer, the DofE committee created a survey in which it asked participants to discuss their thoughts about the programme. The results should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with the DofE, like Tunde Folawiyo; they showed that 80% of those aged between 16 and 18 believed that having been involved in the DofE would make it easier for them to secure a job in their chosen industry after they leave school, with many stating that the skills and qualities they had acquired would help them through the interview process. Those who had received their Gold Award said that they felt they had developed the most important employability attributes, including self-management, problem-solving, team work and communication.

Local authorities and youth development organisations across the UK are becoming far more aware of how beneficial it is for youths to Tunde Folawiyocomplete this programme, and are now encouraging teens to join the DofE, as a means of reducing national unemployment figures in the future. Just recently, Bishop Auckland College collaborated with a regeneration project called Durham-Gate, to host a series of events designed to encourage local teenagers to sign up for the DofE. One of the attendees, Neil McMillan, explained that getting young people to join this programme would give them a significant advantage in the job market later in their lives, as many employers now actively seek out candidates who have received their Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE awards.

A similar event was arranged by a company called Amey last year; they hosted a workshop which aimed to tackle unemployment amongst young people. Amey is one of just seven businesses in the UK which allows its under-25 employees to join the DofE as part of their training.  The Earl of Wessex attended the workshop; he noted that the current economy makes it very difficult for those in their late teens and early twenties to obtain employment, and that it would therefore be wise for young people to join a programme like the DofE, which will help them to grow into well-rounded, confident and capable adults. This is an opinion which Tunde Folawiyo, and other supporters of the DofE might agree with.

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Completing an expedition with the DofE | Tunde Folawiyo

For many DofE participants, the most challenging and enjoyable aspect of their experience in the programme is completing the expedition. Tunde Folawiyo, and anyone else who is familiar with the DofE, will know that whilst the exact nature of the expedition itself is left up to the individual, the DofE does require individuals to follow the expedition rules very closely. For instance, only a team of between four and seven people can work together to carry out this activity.

Tunde FolawiyoIn addition to this, participants must show proof of the preparations they have made, and the training they have undertaken in the lead up to the actual expedition, and the entire process must be overseen by a DofE-approved supervisor. The team also has to be very clear about what their aim is for their expedition; depending on where they are going, examples of aims might be to explore and document a historical landmark, or to observe the levels of pollution in a particular forest, and plan activities which might help to reduce or eliminate this pollution.

Like most people, Tunde Folawiyo understands the importance of being physically and mentally ready for this type of strenuous, and challenging event. The training which is done prior to the trip must adequately prepare the participants for the mode of travel and activities they intend to engage in; so for instance, if they plan to go on a long hike in a mountainous area, they might have to follow a fitness regime, and ensure that they have the right equipment to guarantee that they reach their destination safely.

So as to ensure that the teams are fully prepared, the DofE also requires them to carry out a practice run of the trip; this is something which most  participants find quite helpful, as it gives them an idea of what to expect. Recently, students from St Patricks School in Malta completed their trial expedition, choosing to spend three days exploring the route from Mosta to Ghadira Bay. During it, they learned some important survival skills, carried out team-building exercises, learned how to correctly read maps, pitch tents and understand basic first aid techniques, all of which will undoubtedly make their actual expedition considerably easier.