The Duke of Edinburgh Award 

The RYA is pleased to announce a recent partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, as a National Operating Authority. We hope this partnership will help promote and inspire more young people to participate in the sport of sailing and windsurfing.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of activities for anyone aged 14 to 24.

Doing their DofE gives young people the opportunity to experience new activities or develop existing skills. There are three progressive levels of programmes which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

There are currently 275,000 young people participating in a DofE award programme in the UK, with over 80,000 achieving a Bronze, Silver and Gold Award each year.

Achieving a DofE Award can be made an adventure from beginning to end. Within an RYA club or training centre, there are already so many activities young people could take part in which can count towards their award. These could range from:

• Volunteering: Helping out at the their local Training Centre, club or Team 15 night on a regular basis, this could be as an assistant, in the kitchen or maybe even on the committee!
• Physical: Regularly taking part in Sailing or windsurfing activity, why not set yourself a goal to gain a certain certificate in the RYA National Sailing or Windsurfing scheme or maybe participate in regular club racing.
• Skill: All about developing your skills, whether practical, social or personal. You may choose to sharpen up your powerboating, learn a new skill such as boat repair work or perhaps increase your theory knowledge and learn all about meteorology!
• Residential and Expedition: You may never have been away from home before, let alone using your board or boat to go on an exciting adventure with friends, so now is the time!

Below are a few links that may help if you would like to start doing the DofE through the RYA. A list of RYA DofE centres where you can coplete your award can be found int he righthand panel.

Why take part in DofE

Getting Started

The different levels

Choosing an activity and Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition explained

The main difference between each level is the minimum time it takes to complete the challenges you have set yourself, how challenging they are and the age in which you can start.

Further information can be found by visiting the DofE website.

Any questions? See our FAQs here.