About

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar was established in 1971 and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award encourages young people to learn new skills, be active, to volunteer within their community and to take part in adventures outside the classroom.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation is available in more than 130 countries and territories around the world, and the Foundation is committed to making the Award available to more than 7 million young people by the year 2023. The Award is available in countries as far and as varied as Uzbekistan, St Helena, Fiji, Mongolia, Bolivia and Turks & Caicos.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar was established in 1971 and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021. The Award can be life-changing, and also gives young people aged 14-24 the opportunity to gain skills and experience they may otherwise miss out on. It is our goal to ensure that every eligible young person has the opportunity to participate in the Award.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar is licensed by the Foundation as the National Award Operator (NAO) for Gibraltar. The NAO has sub-licensed a number of organisations to be Operators of the Award; and it is these Operators who work directly with young people. There are currently four Operators and these include:

Air Training Corps

[No 2 Overseas GIBRALTAR Squadron]

Open Award Centre Gibraltar

Prior Park School Gibraltar

Scouts Gibraltar

These OPERATORS are responsible for providing the Award opportunity to interested young people, supported by adult leaders and adult activity coaches. These adult leaders guide, mentor and train the Award participants to help them succeed in achieving the Award.

Participants are encouraged to choose and organise their own activities for the Skills, Voluntary Service, and Physical Recreation sections. The operators support the participants in choosing their activities for each section, and the centres also train the participants in the outdoor skills needed for the Adventurous Journey section. Each operator assists with the arrangements for qualifying ventures for this activity, so participants are fully supported in all areas of the programme.

FRAMEWORK

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (simply known as ‘the Award’) is an internationally recognised programme for young people aged 14-24. The Award encourages the development of essential life skills and provides the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of areas.

There are three Award levels – Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each level involves participating in activities for a period of 6-18 months, depending on the level and point of entry. Bronze is the starting level, but you can choose to begin at Silver or Gold.

There are four different sections that make up the Award. These come together to create a balanced programme that enables each participant to develop their skills and experience in different areas. The four sections are as follows:

VOLUNTARY SERVICE

SKILLS

PHYSICAL RECREATION

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY

So, what does each section entail?

VOLUNTARY SERVICE

The value of helping others and the community. Almost any form of voluntary service can count towards this section. For example, voluntary service may include visiting people in need, volunteering in a care centre, voluntary sports coaching and many, many more.

SKILLS

The development of personal interests, creativity or practical skills. The list of eligible activities is virtually endless and examples include music, chess, arts and crafts, web design, journalism and so many others.

PHYSICAL RECREATION

The participation in sport or other physical recreation for the improvement of health and fitness. Does it make you sweat? If so, it probably counts! There is a huge variety of options to choose from for this section. Team sports such as football, netball and rugby all count, as do other sports and physical activities such as swimming, kayaking, martial arts, dance and more.

Adventurous Journey

The spirit of adventure and discovery as you journey in a group. This is possibly the best known part of the Award – participants undertake an outdoor journey in an unfamiliar environment. The journey will require determination, physical effort, perseverance and cooperation to complete, but also rewards with incredible memories and a lot of fun. All participants receive training in outdoor skills and emergency procedures before undertaking this venture.

GOLD RESIDENTIAL PROJECT

For Gold level participants, there is a final, additional requirement. The Gold Residential Project gives participants a shared, purposeful experience with people who are not their usual companions, working towards a common goal, to enable them to broaden their experience through living and working with others in a residential setting.

Even though many people associate The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award with ‘hiking in the mountains’, there is so much more to it than that. The Award requires commitment over a given time period to the chosen activities, and participants also have to set their own goals and record their progress in their Online Record Book.

Age and Time Requirements

The Award is mostly about individual challenge and progression. In the Skills, Voluntary Service and Physical Recreation sections, participants are encouraged to work at their own pace in setting and working towards their own personal goals. However, the Award also encourages teamwork as can be seen when participants undertake their Adventurous Journeys working in teams.

The age requirements as well as the duration required for the Award vary depending on the level of the Award being undertaken.

The standard requirements are as follows:

Participants may take as long as they need to undertake the activities (e.g. the skills, voluntary service and physical recreation sections do not need to be completed simultaneously), but all activities required must be completed by the participant’s 25th birthday in order to receive the Award.

SHORT DESCRIPTIONS

Voluntary Service

Physical Recreation

Skills

Adventurous Journey

Gold Residential Project

Give back to your community! Whether you volunteer at a care centre, voluntarily coach a sports team or help run a club, helping others is an important part of the Award.

Does it make you sweat? Improving and maintaining your health and fitness is vital for day to day life, and a variety of sports and activities can count towards the Award.

Develop a hobby or start a new one. Music, art, languages and so many more interests can be part of the skills section.

The iconic part of the Award! Cooperation, perseverance and physical effort come together on this outdoor adventure in a group.

Participants broaden their experience by staying in an unfamiliar environment with other young people, taking part in a worthwhile project and building new relationships.

At Gold level only

Voluntary Service

Give back to your community! Whether you volunteer at a care centre, voluntarily coach a sports team or help run a club, helping others is an important part of the Award.

Physical Recreation

Does it make you sweat? Improving and maintaining your health and fitness is vital for day to day life, and a variety of sports and activities can count towards the Award.

Skills

Develop a hobby or start a new one. Music, art, languages and so many more interests can be part of the skills section.

Adventurous Journey

The iconic part of the Award! Cooperation, perseverance and physical effort come together on this outdoor adventure in a group.

Gold Residential
Project

Participants broaden their experience by staying in an unfamiliar environment with other young people, taking part in a worthwhile project and building new relationships.

At Gold level only