The Silver award is for those aged 15+ years (Year 10)
Activities for each DofE section take a minimum of one hour a week over a set period of time, so they can be fitted in around school, hobbies and social lives.
The Silver Award consists of the following sections and timescales:
- Volunteering section: 6 months
- Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months
- Expedition section: 3 days/2 nights
- If you didn’t complete the Bronze Award, you are a direct entrant and must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
The Expedition section generally involves meeting one evening per week from November to April, plus training days, a practice expedition of 2 days and 2 nights and the final expedition of 3 days and 2 nights.
Training days and weekends take place in Newtownards, the practice and final expedition is somewhere like the Mournes or Antrim Hills with overnight wild camps.
Participants are grouped into teams of a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 7 people.