Duke of Edinburgh Award

Make this time count!

Despite the current pandemic, you can still work towards earning a DofE award, in fact, we are encouraging it now more than ever! You will find yourself helping family or the community in kind and wonderful ways, getting fitter, and developing skills that will set you up to face new challenges.

Your achievement tutors and student mentors are dedicated to helping you achieve your Bronze or Silver Duke of Edinburgh's (DofE) Award. Whether you need help finding a volunteering opportunity, taking part in physical exercise or developing a new skill, we can make sure you get off to the best possible start and keep you on track until the finish line!

After all, that is what DofE is all about: developing you as a person and getting you involved in extracurricular activities to complement your college course.

Our Student Experience team have worked hard to ensure that you still get the best quality programme all from your own home. The award is achieved by completing 4 required sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition.

Here’s how you can access these from home:

• Volunteering: Walk a neighbour’s dog, shop for those who struggle to get to the shops, or try some ideas from Leonard Cheshire’s 12-week guide to volunteering from home.
• Physical: Set yourself weekly running challenges, take part in The Manchester College Tuesday fitness challenges or complete the couch to 5k, and many of the other NHS fitness sessions.
• Skills: Learn sign language, pick up on current affairs and politics or work on short stories and poetry.
• Expedition: Map local walking routes, track bugs and wildlife habits with National Trust, or spot NASA’s International Space Station by locating it online!

Why should I do it?

It gives you skills that employers look for and it looks great on your UCAS application and CV. It improves your teamwork, communication skills, planning and much more. You will also make a difference to other people’s lives and your community, get fitter and healthier, make new friends, and have memories to last you a lifetime.

We will guide and support you from start to finish. Check-in with your mentor online and keep a digital log of all your work. What’s more, if you apply to a course at The Manchester College you can start the DofE programme now and we will give you your registration free of charge at enrolment and backdate all your activities and hard work over the summer so it all counts for when you start in September.

Register your interest via e-mail to Julie Steadman, JSteadman@tmc.ac.uk, and a member of our DofE support team will get back to you with information on how to start your journey and for guidance throughout your adventure.