Wellington College Belfast Co-educational Grammar School
Duke of Edinburgh's Awards Scheme
This year in the college the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme is offered at Gold Level for year 13 and 14 Pupils and Silver Level for year 11 pupils.
The requirements for both Gold and Silver are outlined below:
Gold Award (16+ Years)
| Service | Skills | Physical Recreation | Expeditions | Residential Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Months | One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months | Plan, prepare and undertake a 4-day, 3-night venture | Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights | |
Participants who do not hold their Silver Award must undertake a further 6 months in either the Service or the longer of the Skills / Physcial Recreation Section.
Silver Award (15+ Years)
| Service | Skills | Physical Recreation | Expeditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Months | One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months | Plan, prepare and undertake a 3 day, 2 night venture | |
Participants who do not hold their Bronze Award must undertake a further 6 months in either the Service or the longer of the Skills / Physcial Recreation Section.
Report
This October was a busy month, almost every weekend some or all were walking in the Mournes and experiencing the full range of walking terrains and conditions. The last weekend in October was thankfully mild as 18 pupils were camped out that Saturday night. One group found out what it was like inside a cloud as they traversed Shanlieve/Finlieve in visibility down to about 50m.
During the "off season" when wild country walking is out of the question for the inexperienced there was still plenty to do on the skills and knowledge of map and compass work. During regular afternoons throughout the dark months you could find dedicated "hillwalkers to be" studying the esoteric ways of the map and compass.
More recently some of the year 13 pupils have also had their training in the mist, using compasses to find their way around Castle Bog across to Windy Gap. All coped well, managing not to lose anyone during 4 hours completely off any tracks and with only 70m or less visibility.
Those who complete their Awards this year are to be commended for their commitment and dedication. It takes a lot of time and effort to fulfil all the stipulations at this level. Pupils learn a great deal from the experiences and gain much from being involved in a range of activities they might otherwise not have encountered.
- Mr N Millar, Expedition Leader
Service with Grass Roots Conservation Group
For a number of years, some of the Wellington pupils taking the Duke of Edinburgh's Award have chosen to do their Community Service section by volunteering with Grass Roots Conservation group. This is a long established group who work at sites around Belfast such as Belvoir Forest and Shaw's Bridge, doing work which ranges from tree-planting and making paths to repairing fences and dry-stone walls. Mr. Orr, Head of Physics, is one of the organisers of Grass Roots.
The pictures show Wellington pupils at work with Grass Roots last term
- Making bird-boxes at Knockbracken Nursery
- Clearing sludge from a Mill Pond
- Clearing trees from the Graveyard at Belvoir Forest
- Mr K Orr, Head of Physics
Pics
