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The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award is one of the most popular youth schemes in the UK, with more than half a million young people currently working towards completing the award and 3.5 million hours of volunteering performed over the last year (DofE). For many young people, it is a formative experience and an opportunity to participate in entirely new experiences.

The Residential section is a major component of the DofE Gold Award and many participants spend a lot of time trying to find the perfect week away. With this in mind, we created a guide to some of our favourite Gold Award residential ideas in the hope that it will inspire and excite. As RAW Adventures is an Approved Activity Provider (AAP), we know a thing or two about residentials and are happy to share our expertise.

What criteria does a Gold Award DofE residential need to meet?

While there is a longer list of rules for what does and does not count as a DofE Gold Award Residential, the three core criteria are as follows:

• • The residential must last a minimum of five days and four nights
• • It must involve people you have never met before
• • It must involve working with others towards a shared goal.

This makes it remarkably broad and there is ample scope for some incredible residential ideas. If you are unsure about any aspect of your Gold Award residential, we recommend speaking to your scheme coordinator.

1. Develop mountain skills with RAW Adventures

We may be biassed, but we would wholeheartedly recommend the RAW Adventures Gold Award residential to anyone interested in developing their outdoor skills, building confidence in mountain environments and enjoying some rock climbing, too.

Consisting of five activity days, the residential centres on the Mountain Skills course – a nationally recognised skills course from Mountain Training, the UK and Ireland’s most respected outdoor training organisation. From essential navigation techniques to emergency procedures, the course covers everything you need to know to enjoy mountain walking safely. Food, accommodation, transport during the week and all Mountain Training registration fees are included in the cost of the residential.

Alongside the two days you dedicate to completing the Mountain Skills course, you will participate in a one-day Rock Skills Introduction course and then put everything you have learned to the test with a two-day expedition into the remotest corners of Eryri (Snowdonia). Combining skills development, outdoor training and personal adventure to excellent effect, the RAW Adventures residential is ideal for anyone who loves exploring the great outdoors, is considering a career in the outdoor sector, or wants to experience some of the most spectacular landscapes in the UK.

2. Go for an overseas adventure

For those who can afford to do so, heading overseas for a DofE Gold Award residential can be the adventure of a lifetime. From trekking in the Alps to cycling across entire countries, a world of possibilities awaits.

If you are considering an overseas adventure, make sure it meets the Gold Award residential criteria. For example, organising a trip that involves people you don’t know can be challenging. For this reason, you will probably need to arrange it via an established tour company.

You also need to consider the Expedition section of your DofE award. You cannot use a single overseas trip to tick off both the Expedition and Residential sections of the award, and you may find going abroad for the Expedition section imposes fewer limitations on your experience.

3. National Citizens Service

The government also organises events that meet the DofE Gold Award Residential criteria via the National Citizens Service scheme. Each experience consists of five days away from home with a similarly aged group. There are three varieties to choose between.

Boss It experiences are for those with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to participate in a business masterclass and develop relevant skills. Change It residentials are for anyone who wants to have a positive impact on the world and get involved with some social action projects. Finally, Live It experiences are an opportunity to learn survival skills, sample team-building tasks and get your heart rate up with adrenaline-filled activities.

As these residentials are partially funded by the government, they are a more affordable option and a great way of keeping overall DofE costs low.

4. Volunteer for a summer camp

Volunteering at a summer camp is a fantastic way to meet new people, try interesting activities and potentially help other people enjoy their holidays, too. Plenty of organisations arrange summer camp opportunities suitable for Gold Award residentials. A few of our favourites include:

• • The Youth Hostels Association (YHA) – the YHA is a national hostelling organisation with a significant connection with outdoor activities and plenty of summer camp volunteering opportunities.
• • Free To Be Kids – camps that help support vulnerable children in London and the surrounding areas.
• • Bendrigg Trust – the Bendrigg Trust delivers outstanding activity courses for disabled and disadvantaged people. They also offer volunteering residentials that meet the DofE criteria.
• • Go Beyond – a charity that supports children facing serious challenges in their lives by offering activity-packed escapes and adventures. It also has an official DofE Gold Award Residential scheme.

5. Pursue your passion

If you are passionate about a particular hobby, activity or sport, why not take the opportunity the Gold Award presents to pursue it? The DofE website lists plenty of residentials that deal with a specific area of interest. For instance:

• • Sailors looking to get shipshape should check out the Tall Ship residential.
• • Budding directors might like the Young Film Academy Summer Camp.
• • Future Bake Off competitors can cook up a storm at a Cookery School residential.
• • Poets, playwrights and novelists can hone their craft at a creative writing camp.

As always, it’s important to pick a residential that meets all of the Gold Award criteria. If you are in any doubt as to whether an opportunity does or does not meet the necessary conditions, we recommend contacting the organisation and also discussing it with your scheme coordinator. To make things extra simple and guarantee your residential is accepted, you can always pick something from the DofE scheme’s own list of Approved Activity Providers. It contains more than 140 organisations that offer certified residential opportunities.

6. Exercise your inner scientist

If you’re into conservation, wildlife and all things nature, why not get some real-life field experience with a residential that enables you to develop your science skills? Though not the only provider of this kind of residential, the Field Studies Council is an excellent resource and even has a whole section dedicated to DofE Gold Award residentials.

Whether your specific area of interest is geology, marine science or ecology, the Field Studies Council has an opportunity for everyone. These types of courses are ideal for young people who want to gain practical experience in a particular field, get a better understanding of potential career pathways and develop a host of transferable skills.

As the Field Studies Council is a UK-wide organisation and has centres across the country, it is more accessible than some of the other opportunities on this list. As such, it is often necessary to book a place early.

Gold Award residential with RAW Adventures

At RAW Adventures, we want to help foster a lifelong appreciation and passion for nature and outdoor activities. And we know that giving young people the opportunity to experience somewhere as beautiful, thrilling and stimulating as Eryri (Snowdonia) can be life-changing. The mountains often bring out the best in people, helping individuals to develop excellent teamwork and leadership skills, while making them more self-sufficient and capable. But they’re also just good for our physical and mental health.

We believe establishing a positive relationship with the natural world around us (and having a great time while we do) is one of the greatest gifts we can offer young people. And that’s why we love organising and delivering fantastic Gold Award residentials.

To learn more, check out the RAW Adventures Gold Award residentials page.