Action4Youth (A4Y) are a charity that provide positive, often transitional experiences and activities which inspire children and young people. They are the operating authority for the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) open award in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and are an Approved Activity Provider, running expeditions at all three award levels.
A4Y are able to negotiate free or subsidised DofE places where appropriate, which covers or contributes towards the £41 enrolment fee. However, the cost of the expeditions, which are a compulsory element, often make it prohibitive for those from poorer and more disadvantaged backgrounds and subsidies for these are much more limited. The costs for expeditions vary by award level, ranging between £150 for bronze and £700 for gold.
A4Y have been awarded a grant of £20k over two years from a Heart of Bucks donor in order for them to offer fully subsidised places to a significant number of young people who would otherwise not be able to take part.
With the grant A4Y will be able to support 50 students requiring subsidised places for the bronze award in year one. In year two, the funding will allow approximately 25 students from the initial cohort to progress through to the silver award.
Jenifer Cameron, CEO for Action 4 Youth said:
DofE is a world leading youth development and achievement award but the cost of the expedition programme can make it difficult for some young people. As a charity our aim is to give all young people the opportunity to challenge themselves, work with others and discover new skills and experiences that help them to grow in confidence and achieve success.
By offering free expeditions to those who otherwise may not have been able to take part we can support even more young people and enable them to take full advantage of the benefits, fun and rewarding experience of the DofE Award.
Peter Costello, CEO for Heart of Bucks said:
A particular donor of ours has always been a big advocate for the DofE award and the positive impact it has on young people. It gives us great pleasure to be able to connect this donor with Action4Youth in order to fund places for young people who might otherwise miss out on a brilliant experience.
To find out more about DofE enrolment please visit Action4Youth’s website or call 0300 003 2334
