Hatfield Peverel Parish Council is running the first community

Duke of Edinburgh award scheme in the country!

A DofE Award is not just a prestigious award much desired by colleges, universities and employers–it recognises the huge effort put into achieving it taking on challenges that build confidence, resilience, and skills for life. Not all secondary schools are able to offer the DofE Award scheme to their pupils. Tha'ts why we're excited to be giving young people in our village the chance to achieve something they can be proud of. Last year, we held a taster session for village youngsters to come along and discover what is involved. Our group of DofE participants are progressing with their tasks and skill building.

To earn their award, each participant must commit to three separate activities—physical exercise, learning a new skill, and volunteering—over a period of three to six months. Their hard work culminates in an adventurous expedition: a weekend of hiking and camping, testing their teamwork and perseverance in the great outdoors.

Every other week, they meet at Hatfield Peverel Village Hall for hands-on training in map reading, first aid, cooking, camp craft, and tent-pitching—essential skills for their upcoming summer expedition. And in an era of constant digital distractions, they’ll take on the challenge without mobile phones in sight! 

Our Hatfield Peverel DofE community group has led the way in running the scheme outside traditional school settings, and it’s fantastic to hear that other parish councils are now adopting our model. This means even more young people, who may not have access to the programme through their schools, can benefit from the life-changing experience that DofE offers. 

Keep checking back for updates on our young adventurers and if you're interested in taking part in the next cohort, we'll be posting details of how to apply in the future.

Read our article below for more updates on the DofE Award progress: (click article to open in new window)