One of the core elements of the experience offered by Poole Sea Cadets is the opportunity to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Under the expert coordination of Chris Bonfield and his volunteer instructors, all three levels, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, can be undertaken. If our cadets wish, they can even do all the individual sections with us.
Many Cadets leave the unit with all three of these Awards under their belt.
Chris says, “I always hope they will do this, but only 10% have the motivation and possibly the time to.” But those that do are rewarded with an invitation to Buckingham Palace.”
Why is a Duke of Edinburgh Award so well received? In the wider world of education and employment such a qualification illustrates in an individual a willingness to undertake extra-curricular activities which bestow skills such as communication, commitment, leadership, and teamwork.
If a Cadet is going on to either colleges, universities, or employment a Duke of Edinburgh Award gives them an edge over others as well as confidence. It is said that many employers will guarantee an interview to a Gold Award holder.
In recent months Poole Sea Cadets undertaking their Gold Award have been out on the river Thames rowing from Henley to Reading and back to Hambledon. Others, taking part in their Silver and Bronze Awards, undertook an overnight expedition in the New Forest. Sleeping under the stars and then cooking breakfast the next morning was a totally novel experience for most.
“My team and I,” Chris says, “derive great pleasure in guiding young people through the different stages of the award, including the expedition section. We try to take them to different locations which they wouldn’t normally visit. Hence rowing on the Thames and previously expeditions on Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons, and Peaks.
Covid restrictions saw a new initiative from the award scheme to ensure the participants were able to continue with the award.
Being a little inventive, cadets could for the first time, undertake most of the award at home. Naturally the expedition had to wait for Covid restrictions to be lifted. If it hadn’t been for this, cadets would never have caught up.
Since Covid, interest in the DofE award has gone from strength to strength, not just in Poole, but amongst Sea Cadets generally throughout the Southern Area.
Chris makes the point that, “the biggest challenge ahead to enable completions is to provide sufficient expedition opportunities. Here in the Sea Cadet’s Wessex District, we have trained a great team of staff who are qualified to supervise expeditions, but elsewhere this expertise can be lacking. We do try to help, and our most recent July expedition attracted cadets from as far away as Banbury, Milton Keynes, Ashford Kent, Medway, and Crawley, and as an additional gesture, Poole Unit accommodated most of them the night before.”
