Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Skills and Practice Expedition Camp L ast Easter holiday, I was one of a second group of 60 Year 10 boys who ventured into the Ashdown Forest to successfully complete
The training camp taught us valuable lessons in life skills. We were forced to contemplate effective teamwork in order to get the best out of everyone in the team and made to manage our time well. We rapidly discovered which pieces of gear and types of food brought to the camp were worth bringing and which were not, which will stand us in good stead for our Assessment expedition at the end of the Summer Term – I will certainly be bringing more lightweight food and gear. I would recommend this trip because as well as being extremely useful for putting life skills into practice it is also lots of fun.
the four-day practice expedition camp for our Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. When we arrived at the camp we were split into groups of seven and given instructions on how to navigate, camp and cook in a harsh outdoor environment. After two days of our groups’ navigation and time management being supervised by instructors, we were left to our own devices for the final two days. The trip was not for the faint-hearted: we had to undertake several kilometres of uphill walking, whilst carrying all of our food and gear on our backs. Doingmy Gold Duke of EdinburghAward T he process of completing my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Certification was one of firsts. Whilst the expedition was the first time I had eaten tinned spaghetti bolognese for five consecutive days, doing my Duke of Edinburgh was also filled with far more interesting and, dare I say it, more inspiring first-time events. While away on our expedition in the Lake District, I experienced my first full week camping. I experienced my first sunrise over northern England’s hills and lakes, and for the first time in my life, I felt I had challenged myself to the extremes. Of course, the Gold Certification provided far more than just the opportunity to traverse England’s great hills. Back in Dulwich, I had the privilege of overseeing the spirited football players of DUCKS each week, in addition to challenging myself in the sports centre in order to fulfil all requirements of the challenge. Through undergoing the Duke of Edinburgh Challenge, I had the opportunity to experience many things I had never done before. I had the opportunity to plan and execute an expedition with a team I came to love, but most importantly, I had the opportunity to develop my interests and skills, and to get to know myself just a little bit better. GIDON GAUTEL (YEAR 12)
MICAH ROBERTS (YEAR 10)
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