Dear Parent and Caregivers,
With the exception of the very last few, all of our Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Students are now fully signed up to the eDofE system and are beginning to upload evidence towards each of their sections. In terms of ‘what students should be doing now’, they simply need to begin work on their three sections and upload the evidence of them completing these activities. If you need any help in finding activities to complete for each of these sections, please do not hesitate to contact me. Over the next few weeks, you will receive a pack in the post, this pack will hold all of your welcome information for DofE, information on each section and also your Assessor Reports. These simple reports are to be signed by the person Assessing each section (not a family member) and then uploaded as evidence for me to sign off. This welcome pack will also include a discount card, for you to use at various outdoor retailers.
On the subject of kit, please see below, a letter from Ben, from BXM Expeditions, our brand-new Expedition provider.
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are really looking forward to seeing your child for their DofE expedition this year and wanted to share some further information to help you prepare.
Firstly, a reminder – the first day of the expedition is spent working closely with the instructor, focusing on final training, preparation and ensuring everyone is ready and confident before heading out in groups on their own.
We have some great video resources on our website that will help to prepare participants. The videos can be found below by clicking on the links. You can also find them on our website, just look for the drop down menu titled ‘Prepare for expeditions’
- To give you a clear idea of how the expedition runs, we recommend watching “What happens on”.
- If you would like some help with Kit and Packing we have a video which talks through what is needed and how to pack effectively.
- It is important that you use our official kit list when preparing for the expedition. This list has been carefully developed by our team to be clear, practical and easy to follow, we have attached it to this email.
To make life even easier (and save you a few headaches), we’ve teamed up with Vango to create the ultimate DofE kit. It’s been tried, tested and approved by our instructors. It’s exclusively available through Kit4Trips, meaning less shopping around and more peace of mind.
We highly recommend using this equipment, as it’s specifically designed to meet DofE requirements. With a limited amount of stock, we recommend ordering as soon as possible so you don’t miss out.
● We also have a video to help with Food and Menu Planning. Helping participants think about balanced meals, portion sizes and what they’ll actually want to eat after a long day walking will set them up for a much more enjoyable expedition.
As with any activities taking place in the UK there is a possibility that weather conditions may affect the camping element. If this does happen and camping needs to be removed or adjusted, we will be in touch ahead of the expedition with full details and next steps.
If you need to share any medical information or have medical-related queries, please email us directly at parents@bxmoutdoors.com.
If you have any further questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re looking forward to an exciting and successful expedition.
Kind regards,
Ben Maxfield
Director – BXM Expeditions
As ever, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, sam.collis@mascalls.latrust.org.uk or dofe@mascalls.latrust.org.uk.
Kind regards
Mr Sam Collis
Duke of Edinburgh & Venture Award Lead
