All workers wanting to deliver the Award programme will have opportunities, through training and the establishment of Partnership Agreements, to ask any specific questions regarding the Expedition section.  The following information is designed to provide an overview of current guidelines and requirements.

All aspects of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and related activities must operate within the policies and procedures of the delivering organisation.  However, Young Cumbria has specific guidelines for the expedition section of the Award, which must be followed by all organisations and groups delivering the Award for and in partnership with Young Cumbria.   This is in order to ensure Young Cumbria’s ethos of Youth Work is retained within The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Aim of the Expedition Section

To encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery by preparing for and carrying out an adventurous journey as part of a team.

The Principles

All Qualifying Ventures involve preparing for, planning and undertaking an unaccompanied, self-reliant journey with an agreed Aim. Ventures must be completed by the Participants' own physical efforts with minimal external intervention.
It is more in keeping with the Principles of this Section for Participants to choose an environment and form of travel where they can venture with relatively remote supervision rather than undertake a journey which, for safety reasons, requires more direct supervision. At each level of the Award a progressively more challenging venture should be planned and undertaken.

Detailed information on the sections requirements, including the process, time frames and group composition are available from the Award website; www.theaward.org

For information on Young Cumbria’s requirements, please download ‘Expedition Guidelines’, where you will find information on:

• Expedition Approval
• Staff Qualifications
• Assessors
• Supervision Requirements
  

Safety and Notification Procedures

Any training or assessment activity needs to be approved by Young Cumbria’s Operations Manager through the ‘Off Site Activity Form 1’ at least 4 weeks in advance.  This includes completion of form 1 plus risk assessments and a route tracing.

Any expeditions within the Lake District National Park must also notify the Wild Country Expedition Panel at least 1 month before the expedition. This involves 2 route tracings and 2 notification forms.

You do not need to be an outdoor instructor to facilitate and encourage young people to complete this section of their Award, but work alongside individuals who have the necessary qualifications and experience.