Record numbers swelling Duke Of Edinburgh award intake (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Record numbers swelling Duke Of Edinburgh award intake

4:00pm Friday 26th October 2012 in News

Record numbers of young people across the borough are seizing opportunities to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

Over the past decade, Wandsworth has increased enrolments through schools and youth centres by 289 per cent - with more than 1,000 young people enrolling in 2011/2012 compared to 275 in 2002/2003.

During the same period the number of awards achieved has gone up from 68 to 341 - the highest total for any inner London borough and the eighth best across the capital.

Wandsworth Council’s youth service and local schools have been working hard to help young people aged between 14 and 25 access the programme, which offers personal achievement awards for various activities such as taking part in community projects or completing expeditions.

Youth workers and teachers based in borough state schools have received training from the youth service so that they can now offer students the chance to undertake a basic expedition award under their leadership.

More recently, Wandsworth DofE leaders and teachers in Tooting Hub Youth Centre and Ernest Bevin College have been working with minority groups, who have historically been less well represented in the DofE scheme, to complete bronze, silver and gold awards.

For more information about the award scheme visit www.dofe.org.