Changes to the DofE Expedition Section

Everyone Sports, Expeds and Adventure Training
1

New set of changes coming in in Nov 2023… what does everyone think?

From November 2023

  • The 20 Conditions are becoming Expedition Requirements, taking on board your feedback to create inclusive and accessible guidelines for the section.
  • We’re removing reference to recommended environments and replacing it with the idea of progressive challenge over different Award levels.
  • We’re removing the temporary flexibility to allow Silver and Gold practice expeditions to count for the lower level so participants can reflect and develop their skills across multiple expedition experiences.
  • Leaders and AAPs can decide a reasonable gap between practice and qualifying expeditions. You (not us) are best placed to decide how long this gap is.
  • Some young people will be allowed to go home to sleep. This allows young people to take part who previously would not have been able to access an expedition at all.
  • Leaders and AAPs can use motorised transport to support safe transit to camping sites and open up new expedition areas.
  • Expedition Assessors can be known in advance to groups at all levels not just Bronze.
  • Urban areas and restricted spaces expeditions will continue to be allowed, as they allow for equally challenging and meaningful experiences.

Personally I like them - in particular the motorised transport one. This opens up a LOT of potentially awesome adventures where there might not be a campsite within easy reach of the end of the day.

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2

These are really positive changes. It should open up more opportunities to individuals who may have struggled previously.

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3

I think they’re great changes to be honest.

I had no idea these changes were coming down the line, but I think it makes the expedition more accessible to a lot of people.

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Requirements… so now pass/ fail?

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The 20 Conditions have always had to be complied with for a successful expedition, so those were equally pass/fail.

It will be interesting to see how the Conditions have been adapted and what has changed.

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What @grounded said!

7

Gold DofE expedition to Area 51 then :joy:

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One of the things I like most about the activities that I’m able to help the scout movement with is how vastly more flexible and inclusive the mentality is.

Problems are things we work on around and find solutions for, not things that stop us.

The atmosphere and culture is ‘what can you do?’, not ‘no, you won’t fit into our plans…’.

I really like these changes.

9

I’m 100% behind these changes too. So much more enabling in bringing about a different type of adventure! Especially the focus on Gold having to be in “Wild Country” - anybody in the bottom right of the UK having to travel for 6-8 hours to the top or left of the country at either end of an expedition was a faff. Yet we can facilitate just as adventurous activities in the South east.

I’m very much looking forward to facilitating teams exploring some urban waterways - crossing London or Birmingham by SUP or Canoe presents a completely different challenge.

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10

Is this RAFAC only or DofE themselves?

11

DofE Award have made these changes. Hoping RAFAC have to adopt them all.

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12

Came from DofE head office.

No doubt some will try and put their spin on it and claim it’s not like it was in their day etc.

But I think it’s quite forward thinking and will still allow young people out and doing.

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13

I think it’s really positive. Particularly the urban rules which I think will help those who maybe can’t afford the additional transport costs to get into wild country

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