May 2013

Mail Out for Summer… Mail Out forever!

If you’re a qualified Expedition Assessor who is looking for something to do in June then you are in luck my friend! There are lots of schools who are looking for assessors. See below for further details. And if you’re interested in becoming an assessor, why not check the available training? This and other exciting info is below.

Expedition Assessors Required

• Stoke Newington School are in need of an Accredited Assessor for Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June. Bronze assessment weekend with 18 young people near Theobalds Park, Enfield, North London. Please contact John Barrett - John.Barrett@sns.hackney.sch.uk if you are available or for more details.

• Alexandra Park School require an Expedition Assessor for the weekend of 22nd and 23rd of June in the Epping Forest area. They have approximately 6 walking groups. Please contact Crispin Bonhem-Carter - cbonham-carter@apsch.org.uk if you are available or more details.

• Northumberland Park School require an Assessor for a Bronze Expedition Friday 21^nd – Saturday 22^nd June in the Epping Forest area. Expected 20 participants (approx. 4 walking groups). Please contact Sam McDonald by email sma@northumberlandpark.haringey.sch.uk.

• Canons High School require an assessor for their Bronze Qualifying, 5^th-6^th July based at Chalfont Heights campsite, Denham Lane, Chalfont St.Peter, Bucks, SL9 OQJ. Please contact Alex Butcher at abutcher@canons.harrow.sch.uk if you are able to assist.

• Holland Park School, urgently needs an assessor for their Bronze expedition 29th and 30th June. It will be around the Southdowns area. If you are available, can you please contact Alison Bale or Richard Ball asap at Alison.bale@hollandparkschool.co.uk or Richard.ball@hollandparkschool.co.uk.

• Sacred Heart Language College require an assessor for their Bronze Qualifying, Saturday 29^th – Sunday 30^th June in Chesham – camping at Braid Wood Scout Campsite. Please contact Deb Capp at dcapp@tshlc.harrow.sch.uk

• Fortismere School also require an assessor for an expedition taking place at the South Downs on the 28th- 29th of June. Please email Gavin Kay at GKay@fortismere.org.uk if you can help.

New Leaders Programme and Gold Award Forum Nominations

You can nominate young people to participate in either our New Leaders Programme, which trains DofE Leaders of the future or the Gold Award Forum, where they can have their say on issues affecting the DofE in London. Both initiatives offer a Residential and can count towards sectional activities.

Click here for a New Leaders Programme nomination form  

Click here for a Gold Award Forum nomination form

Return both forms to Kirsty.Young@DofE.org.

Gambia Open Residential

Places are still available for the Gambia Residential. See this poster for more information and email Kirsty.Young@DofE.org to register your interest.

SEN Expedition Opportunity – September 2013

We have received funding to deliver a subsidised, accessible Bronze expedition week for young people with additional needs. The opportunity is available to two schools that support young people with additional needs. Each school needs to have a group of 8 participants and at least 2 Leaders. It will take place from 7^th-13^th September and will include the training, practice and qualifying Bronze expedition.

The expedition will be multi-mode, using bell boats and by foot.  It will take place at Trewern in Wales.

Please respond with your expression of interest for this expedition no later than Friday 14^th June to Hayley.Shenholds@DofE.org.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions on 020 7227 9820.

Job Vacancies

There are currently three job available within the DofE, based at our offices in Newcastle, Sutton Coldfield and London. Please see http://www.latestvacancies.com/DofE/ for further information.

DofE A Level Survey

For those expecting A Level or AS Level results this summer or with participants who are, please take a few minutes to complete this short survey: http://www.dofesurvey.org/s/SDWHLK7IWptNDb2

Money off Travel for Apprentices 

The Apprentice Oyster photocard has gone live and applications are now open at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/apprenticeoyster. This concession is available to all apprentices aged 18 or over, living in London and in the first year of an approved apprenticeship course. Apprentices can save 30 per cent off the price of adult rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes.

Backpack Competition

Cotswolds have given us a backpack to give away. Entrants must like our Facebook page and tell us their favourite thing about the Expedition section. Full details are on the poster that can be downloaded here.

Open Gold Expeditions

Monday 1st – Sunday 7th July – Training/Practise OR Qualifying week

Monday 5th – Sunday 11th August – Training/Practise OR Qualifying week

The cost is £180 per week. This includes instruction, bed and board whilst at the centre, all specialist equipment and camp fees.  Participants will be expected to work with a group in planning and purchasing food for the expedition but this is normally no more than £10 per head. Participants will need to arrange their own transport – pick up is available from Hereford station.

If you have students who would like to book onto one or both of these weeks, please fill out and return the attached form to me as soon as possible. A flier for the qualifying expedition is here. Click here for a consent form.

Littering is Wrong

We have received a number of complaints from farmers and landowners in the Chilterns based at St. Leonards, and stretching from Bellingdon to Chartridge and Swan Bottom, near The Lee. They are situated very close to Braid Wood Activity Centre. Several groups have been reported as being ill prepared for the task of navigating by map, littering and are frequently walking over or through growing crops and environmental features that are left to encourage wildlife on the land.

We appreciate that it is a few individuals being referred to here as the majority of DofE groups are well prepared and aware of the Code.  However, we would welcome your support in ensuring leaders and their participants are briefed and understand the impact they can have on the environment and local community when expeditioning. 

Training Available

We have upcoming EAAS, ITTDofE, ESTC and BEL Assessment courses available. See here for more info and how to apply.

eDofE and Training

Beginners eDofE training sessions are fully booked at present and no further ‘free of charge’ sessions are planned. ‘Top up’ eDofE training is available on 26th June (PM) and 4th September (PM). Email Jack.Kirby@DofE.org for more information.

eDofE is going to remain in its current format until at least April 2014 and we have already offered comprehensive training across London region whilst leaders, teachers and volunteers were becoming acquainted with the latest format and functionality.

All current courses through to September will be freely available to the network but most of these are nearly full.

In the autumn we will be running 4 train-the-trainer courses (free of charge) so that DofE Managers’ can be suitably skilled-up in delivering local support.  For those Licensed Organisations that wish to continue signposting leaders, volunteers and teachers to us for training there will be a small charge of £50.00 per candidate.  You can also arrange for bespoke courses locally at a cost of £250.00 for a half day course for up to 12 candidates.  You must ensure that appropriate IT Systems are available for us to deliver this training on your behalf.

If you have any concerns related to eDofE training and/or functionality please contact your respective Operations Officer for support.

The last few weeks we have had an increase in enquiries regarding allocating and using participation places. Follow the link here to find a guide for allocating places. Please remember if you have not allocated places, they will appear under the ‘Licenced Organisation’.

When creating a participant account DofE Manager’s and LO Administrator accounts can use places directly from the LO (section 2). If Coordinators are creating accounts, the participation places must be allocated to a centre or group.

We have also had some further queries regarding the Expedition section. All young people must add their own Expedition Aim (the team aim) and Goal (this is what an individual wants to achieve personally). A step by step guide for participants has been added and can be found here. This will show a participant where they need to add the details.

Please be aware the young person should add their aim and goal AFTER you set the details on behalf of the group. If a young person adds it before, they will be allocated 2 qualifying ventures. You will not receive an alert as the young person will only save the changes, not submit them.

Do you run first aid courses?

If so, please let us know. A participant in Hillingdon is seeking to do this for his Skill. Other participants across the region may also have interest in attending.

Well Done to Jo and Kirsty

Their bicycle ride to Paris raised nearly £3500 (and still counting) to support disadvantaged young people take part in DofE, risking life, limb and being extremely saddle sore to do so. Hooray for them!

As ever, please email any items for inclusion in the next mail out to Jack.Kirby@DofE.org.