The DofE made easy

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award brings cadets benefits by the bucket load and it's even easier than you might think to become an Award Officer...

The seven blindfolded instructors gripping the long rope are desperately trying to coordinate their efforts in a race against the clock. Each person gingerly follows the rope trying not to bump into anyone else as they negotiate their way around a tree and through a hedge, relaying as much information as they can to the rest of the team about the obstacles they have just stumbled around. Howls of laughter (and an occasional muttered expletive) accompany the urgent instructions before the team eventually manages to complete the course with just seconds to spare. Welcome to DofE Leadership training, Army Cadet-style.

The DofE Award fits perfectly with the ACF's ethos. The DofE aims to inspire and guide the self-development of young people through empowerment and opportunity. It's a vital inclusion in the Cadet portfolio but any young person wanting to participate must often rely solely on their detachment to provide suitably qualified instructors. If there aren't any adults in a particular detachment who understand the DofE, cadets are likely to miss out. It's as simple as that. "DofE allows a national accreditation to be bolted onto activities that cadets already enjoy," says Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Spowage, Chair of the ACFA's Duke of Edinburgh's Award Advisory Panel. "It means Cadet activity can easily be translated into an internationally recognised award. For that reason we're always trying to get more cadets involved, but we need enough trained adult volunteers in place to oversee them. That's where these courses come in," he says. Just one DofE Leadership course a year used to be run at Frimley Park but then on average just 40 or so instructors were completing the course every year. "Our goal is to get DofE badges on as many cadets' brassards as possible, but getting cadets to do DofE is not a problem, the tough part is getting the instructors to train the cadets," says Lt Col Spowage. "Since we started taking the training out to the counties four years ago they've become a big success - more than 1000 adults have been through the introductory course in the last four years!"

In the ACF, DofE Leadership training is split into three courses - Introduction to the DofE, Foundation Level and Group Leader. The aim of each is to increase the confidence and competence of adult instructors delivering the DofE to cadets. Thankfully, a rope and a fistful of blindfolds are only a small part of training. "On the surface the rope task is just a bit of fun but it also calls on a range of skills that are essential for anyone involved in DofE - from communication and leadership to teamwork and trust" says Lt Col Spowage.

The Introductory module is the bedrock of DofE training and is arguably the most important. Adults need no prior knowledge to undertake it and it gives a thorough grounding in the award. "I believe it is by far the most important of the courses as it teaches adults the basics," says Lt Col Spowage. "It trains instructors with no experience to a point where they can lead cadets through their DofE programmes back at their detachments. The first day explains the purpose of the DofE and the second illustrates how it works with and fits into the ACF syllabus," he says. Much of the learning is classroom-based because of the wealth of information leaders must take on board. Presentations, role plays and other interactive sessions define the DofE, and what adults and their cadets can get out if it. Participants are taken through the DofE Leader handbook and are shown how to fill in a cadet's record book. They leave with a certificate and the eligibility to work as a DofE Leader in their county.

The ACFA DofE Advisory Panel runs the Introduction to the DofE Course on request at venues across the organisation. To find your nearest one is contact your County DofE Officer.

DofE at a glance DofE is hugely valuable - isn't it time your cadets got involved?

Of the 275,000 young people involved in the DofE Award in the UK last year, 4500 of them were in the ACF.
635,000 young people are participating in DofE programmes at any one time across the world.
A wide range of activities can count towards the Award - from DJing and driving, to painting and dancing.
The ACF is the UK's second largest DofE operating authority.