The Award framework

The Award is comprised of three levels and four sections and is designed to provide a balanced program of personal development and challenge. Participants complete all four sections at each level in order to achieve their Award. At Gold level, participants also complete a Gold Residential Project.

Bronze

For those over 14 years old.

Silver

For those over 15 years old.

Gold

For those over 16 years old.

Time requirements

Bronze –  for those over 14 years. At least 6 months minimum participation required. The Adventurous Journey is two days and one night; average of six hours of purposeful effort per day; minimum 12 hours of purposeful effort in total;

Silver – for those over 15 years. At least 12 months minimum participation required (or 6 months if a Bronze Award holder). The Adventurous Journey is three days and two nights; average of seven hours of purposeful effort per day; minimum 21 hours of purposeful effort in total;

Gold – for those over 16 years. At least 18 months minimum participation required (or 12 months if a Silver Award holder). The Adventurous Journey is four days and three nights; average of eight hours of purposeful effort per day; minimum 32 hours of purposeful effort in total. Gold Award participants must also complete a Gold Residential Project.

Physical Recreation

The Physical Recreation section of the Award encourages young people to participate in sport and other physical recreation for the improvement of health, fitness and well being.

Skills

The Skills section of the Award encourages the development of personal interests, creativity or practical skills.

This section provides the opportunity for a participant to either improve on an existing skill, or to try something entirely new. As with the other sections, a level of commitment is required over time to progress a skill. It leads to a sense of achievement and well-being, and possibly improved employability through the development of life and vocational skills.

Voluntary Service

For this section participants are required to give service (volunteer) over a set period of time. This enables them to experience the benefits that their Voluntary Service provides to others in their community.

Gold Residential Project (or Gold Project)

The Gold Residential Project, completed only at Gold level, aims to broaden participants’ horizons through involvement with others in a residential setting.

Participants have the opportunity to share a purposeful experience with people who are not their usual companions and work towards a common goal, set out by the participants themselves. Through the Gold Residential Project participants will meet new people, explore life in an unfamiliar environment, develop new skills and, hopefully, have a life changing experience.

Adventurous Journey

The Adventurous Journey section encourages a sense of adventure and discovery while undertaking a team journey. As part of a small team, participants plan, train for and undertake a journey with a purpose in an unfamiliar environment.

The journey can be an exploration or an expedition but must be a challenge. The aim of this section is to provide participants with the opportunity to learn more about the wider environment, as well as to develop their self-confidence, teamwork and health. Participants are taken out of their comfort zone but kept within a safe and secure setting, achieved through suitable training and supervision.

Examples of Adventurous Journeys (explorations and expeditions):

Exploring the natural world: glaciation, erosion, geology, coastal studies

Exploring river valleys, plant studies, exploring human impact: visitor pressure in national parks, pollution

Carrying out health surveys or health education in remote areas

Completing a demanding journey by foot, cycle, canoe or kayak

Kayaking the entire navigable stretch of a river

An extensive sail across an ocean

Climbing the Alpine, Himalayan or other mountainous peaks

Cycling from one end of a country to another