The
Award framework
The
Award is comprised of three levels and four sections and is designed to provide
a balanced programme 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
for a total period of no less than five days and four nights.
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 wellbeing.
Encouraging
healthy behaviours has benefits, not only for participants but also for their
communities, whether through improved health, or active participation in team
activities. This section specifically aims to improve the team skills,
self-esteem and confidence of participants, which in turn can help improve both
their physical and mental health.
Examples
of Physical Recreation:
·
Ball sports – football, volleyball,
basketball, cricket, golf, tennis, table tennis, handball, hockey
·
Athletics – running, jumping,
throwing, hammer, javelin, shot put.
·
Water sports – canoeing, kayaking,
swimming, water polo, diving
· Fitness- Jogging, skipping, gym, cycling, badminton
· Martial arts - karate, judo, kickboxing, boxing, taekwondo, kendo
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.
Examples
of Skills:
·
Music – singing, learning to play an
instrument, music event management
·
Sports related – sports officiating,
umpiring or refereeing, chess, billiards, pool, snooker
·
Arts and crafts – ceramics,
embroidery, jewellery making, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography,
knitting, calligraphy, sketching
·
Nature and the environment –
agriculture, astronomy, beekeeping, conservation, fishing, forestry, gardening
· Communication – film and video making, foreign languages, reading poetry, creative writing, public speaking, journalism, website development, debating
· Others - Vehicle maintenance, theater, dancing, fashion designing, information technology
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.
Examples
of Voluntary Service:
·
First aid
·
Visiting and supporting people in
need, such as the elderly, or those with disabilities
·
Volunteering at a hospital or local
care home
·
Sports coaching
·
Charity work: fundraising, donation,
helping the local community, working for a charity organization
·
Acting in a lead role in a youth club,
organizing events at school/college or university
· Assisting in teaching for the underprivileged children
· Environmental service, caring for school/university garden, caring for the animal under threat, working in a clean-up campaign
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: geology,
coastal studies, forest, highlands
·
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 tazing dong, keokradong or
other mountainous peaks
·
Cycling from one end of a country to
another
·
Visiting historical places
Time requirements
Gold
Residential Project (or Gold Project)
The Gold Residential Project to be 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.
Examples
of Gold Residential Projects:
·
Residential language courses
·
Youth camp overseas
·
Voluntary work with national parks,
youth parliaments, sports coaching
·
Crew member on a tall ship
· Work for an international charity
· Restoration project
·
Community Project
·
Staying with fishermen, farmers or
tribal groups and observing their lifestyle
Time requirements
The activity should take place over a period of at least four nights and five consecutive days