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With your support, we can make an unprecedented change to help one million people thrive.
Achieving a DofE Award is a game-changer. The structured programmes of volunteering, physical and skills-based challenges inspire, guide and support young people to succeed.
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s support is enabling DofE to reach 10,000 more young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds with recent funding supporting these young people with the participation fee.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
34,121 people started their DofE journey in London, including 12,726 disadvantaged young people
DofE participants in London spent an amazing 356,616 hours volunteering to help others.
There are 459 organisations actively delivering the DofE in London.
Life changing experiences
This year, we have launched an online hub packed with resources and activities that can be done from home and introduced temporary programme changes, to give young people more flexibility to complete their DofE during the coronavirus pandemic.
We’ve supported 14 new organisations in deprived areas of London to deliver the DofE and extend opportunities for young people across the capital, in both school and non-school settings, including Harlequins RFC, which engages NEET young people.
We have raised education professionals’ awareness of the value of the DofE in relation to the curriculum. For example, outlining how DofE programmes meet character development requirements of the Ofsted inspection framework.
We’ve licensed more centres in the secure estate in London to run the DofE, including piloting a virtual expedition model in London and exploring the possibility of young prison officers doing their DofE.
We launched the DofE app, to enable young people to track and record their DofE progress easily via their smartphone.
We’ve created a support package, including funded participation places and support for training, equipment and DofE London operational staff costs, to ensure young people can continue to access and benefit from the DofE in London this year.
Around 40,000 Leaders and volunteers deliver DofE programmes in the UK.
In London, a total of 17,838 Awards were achieved.
Participants in the secure estate in London volunteered over 1,000 hours, equivalent to around £4,354 worth of their time.
Georgina’s story
After achieving her Bronze DofE, Georgina was involved in an accident which resulted in a spinal injury. Determined not to let this stop her, she persisted with her DofE journey and chose activities that put less strain on her spine and wouldn’t risk more health complications, canoeing for her Silver expedition and horse riding for her Gold.
DofE has inspired me to keep going and to push on through the hard times, dismal weather, problems and unforeseen circumstances.
It has given me the confidence in myself to go with what I have worked out and trust my instincts and helped me be more confident in my leadership skills.
Georgina’s story demonstrates great resilience, and through doing her DofE she has improved her outdoors skills and realised a passion for working outside, where she feels calmer. The DofE helped build Georgina’s confidence, which she believes will help her with her ambitions to work in engineering."
With your support, we can make an unprecedented change to help one million people thrive.