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Dukes rules and requirements

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is flexible but there are some rules and requirements.

There are no prescribed activities so, along with your Award coordinator, instructors, and assessors, you need to be flexible and work together in deciding activities for each section so that you get the most out of the program.

The Award is open to all young people 14 years and over and must be completed by your 25th birthday. The Bronze Award is for those 14 and over, Silver for 15 and over and Gold for 16 and over.

For each Award, participants need to complete the following sections:

Service
To develop a sense of community service and responsibility to others.
Adventurous Journey
To encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery.
Skills
To develop personal interests and practical skills.
Physical Recreation
To encourage participation in physical recreation and improve performance.
Residential Project (Gold Award only)
To broaden experience through involvement with others in a residential setting.

The minimum time requirements for each Award level are expressed in months, during which there should be a regular commitment averaging at least one hour a week. The Gold Award has the Residential Project as an additional section. You are required to undertake some shared purposeful activity away from your place of residence for a total period of no less than five days (four nights away).