Duke of Edinburgh

Habs Boys is licensed to deliver the Duke of Edinburgh programme. Great news for you as a Sixth Form student.

Since the programme began in 1956, over six million young people have benefited from a Duke of Edinburgh experience.

We help young people build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, and discover talents they never knew they had. Because when you prove to yourself that you’re ready for anything, nothing can hold you back.

Duke of Edinburgh

What are the Duke of Edinburgh awards?

The programme is open to young people aged 14-24, who can pursue a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

The Duke of Edinburgh award is not a competition, or about coming first. It is about setting your own challenges and pushing your personal boundaries. At every level, you will take on the following challenges:

Helping the community and environment
Becoming fitter
Developing new skills
Planning, training for, and completing an expedition
Teamworking on a residential activity (Gold only)

You can start at any level, even Gold. But most students prefer to start at Bronze and work upwards. If you do not want to progress any further, you can always stick with Bronze or Silver.

What are the benefits of doing Duke of Edinburgh?

Every year, over 200 Habs students take part in Duke of Edinburgh –just a few of the hundreds of thousands across the UK. So why do they do it?

It pushes your boundaries
It is fun
You make new friends
You make a difference to other people’s lives
You help your community
You get fitter
You create memories to last a lifetime.
It is great for your CV, as well as university and job applications

What skills will you develop?

By taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award programme, you will develop lifelong skills, helping you in school, university, in work, socially and in relationships. For example, you will:

Improve your self-esteem
Build your confidence
Develop your resilience
Enhance your problem-solving skills

Duke of Edinburgh awards can also give you an edge over others when you apply for college, university or a job. Universities and employers want to see evidence of ‘soft skills’, such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork – all developed through co-curricular activities.

Duke of Edinburgh can be positively life-changing, helping you along the path to a productive and prosperous future.

How long do the awards take?

	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Volunteering section	3 months	6 months	12 months
Physical section	3 months	One for 6 months and one for 3 months	One for 12 months and one for 6 months*
Skills section	3 months	One for 6 months and one for 3 months	One for 12 months and one for 6 months*
Expedition section	2 days/1 night	3 days/2 nights	4 days/3 nights
Plus	Another 3 months on one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections (your choice of which)	If you didn’t do Bronze, you must so 6 more months of either Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections	A residential section – a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights

*At Gold level:

You will need to do the programme for at least 12 months if you have achieved your Silver Award
You will need be on the programme for at least 18 months if you have started at Gold level without completing your Silver (even if you have your Bronze). You will also need to do an extra six months in either Volunteering, or the longer Physical or Skills sections