Overview
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is an adventure and a fantastic way for young people to build skills for life, grow in confidence, and discover what they’re capable of. Whether they are trying something new or getting recognized for activities they already love, DofE empowers them to chart their own course.
How the Award Works
There are three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
To achieve an award, participants set their own personal goals across four core sections (with a fifth section at Gold):
Volunteering: Giving back to the local community, from helping at youth groups to conservation projects.
Physical: Getting active, improving fitness, or taking up a new sport or dance.
Skills: Developing personal interests, creativity, or practical talents like cooking, coding, or music.
Expedition: Training for, planning, and completing an unaccompanied outdoor journey as part of a team.
Residential (Gold only): Spending five days away from home working on a shared activity with new people.
Participants choose their own activities and work at their own pace with guidance from leaders. For in-depth guidance on each level, time commitments, and approved activities, check out the official DofE website (dofe.org).
DofE and Scouts Top Awards
The DofE Award runs hand-in-hand with the Scout programme, allowing Explorers and Scout Network members to easily count their DofE volunteering, skills, physical activities, and expeditions toward their Chief Scout’s Platinum, Diamond, and King’s Scout Awards. Because the requirements align so closely, young people can pursue both badges at the same time—gaining national recognition through DofE while simultaneously achieving the highest honours in Scouting.
The Expedition Section
The expedition is often the most memorable part of the award. In small teams, participants take full ownership of their adventure:
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Planning their route and carrying their own kit.
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Navigating trails using maps and compasses.
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Cooking their own meals on camping stoves and camping overnight.
Before heading out, everyone receives full training in campcraft, first aid, and navigation to make sure they are safe, confident, and self-sufficient.
Here in South East Scotland, Explorer Scouts have various opportunities to join DofE expeditions.
Bronze Expeditions are typically organised by your local Scout District and will be communicated by the district teams. Sign-up is usually in January with training and the expedition itself in April/May or September/October.
SEEE organises silver and gold expeditons for Explorers from across the region. Sign-up is usually in October/November for training in wintertime, practices in June and qualifiers in August/September the following year. Usually hillwalking, biking and canoeing are offered.
There is an events calendar on this website that we update with dates as they become known.
For wider advice on expedition requirements and kit guidance, visit the DofE Expedition Hub.
Supporting your Explorer
You don’t need to be an outdoor expert to help—your biggest role is being their champion.
Learning to manage their own commitments is a fantastic life skill in itself, and you can support them by:
Celebrating milestones: Cheering on their progress and helping them stay committed to their goals.
Getting plans approved first: Reminding them to submit their activity plans on eDofE before starting so their activity counts.
Collecting assessor reports: Giving them a nudge to ask their coach or leader for the assessor’s report once a section is complete. (It can’t be signed off without this.)
Keeping logs updated: Encouraging them to log their activities regularly rather than all at once at the end.
Costs
For a full breakdown of enrolment fees, expedition costs, and available financial support, visit our Costs Page. Cost should never be a barrier to taking part—please reach out to a leader in confidence if support is needed.