The PIONEER
Highlighting the achievements, new initiatives and impact of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, made possible through your support
Welcome!
Welcome to the Winter edition of The Pioneer. I hope you had a restful festive season and a good start to the new year.
As we step into 2025, we are excited to reflect on the incredible achievements of DofE participants, the dedication of DofE volunteers, and the ongoing support of our generous partners. Together, we continue to empower young people, helping them develop vital life skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential. With your support, we are able to inspire and challenge even more young people across the UK.
In this edition of The Pioneer, we’ll share some powerful stories from our This is Youth winners, highlight the key findings from our new Impact Report, and showcase the ways we're supporting our participants to make the transition from education to work, as well as sharing some ways you can get involved in supporting the charity this year.
As always, we are grateful for your continued support. It’s through your commitment that we are able to make a lasting difference in the lives of young people. Together, we can help shape the leaders of tomorrow, equipping them with the skills and resilience they need to succeed.
Thank you for being a part of the DofE journey!
Alex McDowell
Director of Fundraising
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Alex.McDowell@DofE.org
this is youth
This is Youth recognises and celebrates the amazing stories behind The Duke of Edinburgh's Award – from teamwork and innovation, to overcoming personal challenges – it shines a light on the amazing things that young people do through their DofE to inspire and encourage others. Each DofE journey is unique, and every person will be making a difference, building resilience and growing skills to support their future.
We were delighted to announce our winners and special mentions at an event hosted by Youth Ambassadors Kalina and James at the London Transport Museum at the end of last year. Earlier that day, our winners had the opportunity to visit Buckingham Palace for a special reception hosted by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and attended by some of our celebrity judges and This is Youth supporters.
A huge congratulations to all our winners and special mentions! Read on to hear some of their inspiring stories, or check out all our winners and special mentions here.
This is Youth winners, celebrity judges and category supporters with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
Youth Ambassadors Kalina and James host the evening reception at the London Transport Museum.
This is Youth winners.
Boundary Breaker of the Year: Rosa
In January 2024, Rosa’s life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Feeling unwell, she visited A&E, not realising she wouldn’t return home for a month. Her first question after being diagnosed was, “Can I still do my DofE?”
With support from staff, Rosa was able to adapt her DofE sections and even facilitate activities for other young people on the ward as part of her Volunteering section. Her determination to find something positive in a challenging experience has left a lasting impact on the ward, where she hopes one day every young person will be able to continue their DofE journey, even while in hospital.
Rosa's inspiring story has recently been featured in the national press, and she, along with This is Youth celebrity judge Oliver Phelps, was interviewed on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Scotland and more.
Change Maker of the Year:
DORA
Kindly supported by British Airways.
For her DofE, Dora volunteered at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Dora is a youth governor and member of the youth forum. She also promotes the “Call 4 Concern” initiative, which allows patients and their families to voice any concerns they have about their hospital care. She says her DofE experience gave her resilience, time management skills, and allowed her to step out of her comfort zone.
Trailblazer of the Year:
Harry
Kindly supported by The Gosling Foundation.
Harry began secondary school finding social situations challenging. Today, he has achieved all three levels of his DofE and become a Young Leader. Harry’s leadership skills shone during his Gold DofE expedition when, high on a mountain in poor weather, he supported a teammate struggling with anxiety. Harry was supported to do his DofE with funding from the DofE's Resilience Fund.
Innovator of the Year:
Josh
Kindly supported by AVEVA.
Through DofE, Josh was able to merge his love for textiles with the outdoors, designing his own clothing for his Gold expedition. Sustainability is important to Josh, who makes all of his clothing from existing fabric, even using old tents and kites. In the future, Josh wants to develop his clothing designs into a sustainable, accessible, and colourful brand.
Life Changer of the Year: Danny
“Dream big” is Danny’s message for his students at Firwood High School, an SEND school in Bolton. Known for making the impossible possible, Danny goes above and beyond to ensure that every student who wants to take part in the DofE can do so.
Whether it’s adapting expeditions or supporting students with their volunteering, Danny is driven by the belief that the DofE offers his students opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. He hopes they walk away with lasting memories, strong friendships, and confidence that fuels even bigger aspirations.
Danny's school has been supported with funding from both the Tobbells and Access Without Limits funds to enable them to continue delivering DofE to their students.
IMPACT REPORT
Impact is at the heart of our charity – through DofE, we empower young people to make a positive difference to their own lives and futures, as well as their wider communities. At the end of 2024, we launched a brand new Impact Report that analyses data from 40,880 DofE participants and presents the outcomes of our innovative Impact Measurement Framework for the first time. The results were hugely encouraging, showing that young people who take part in the DofE experience positive impacts on their wellbeing, skills development, community ties, and physical activity levels.
Young people like Paaniz, whose school was only able to start running the DofE thanks to funding. She says of her DofE experience:
"DofE has given me so much confidence. I learned how to connect and what I’m capable of. It’s amazing to be making a difference where I live. DofE has given me maturity, confidence, and an idea about what I want for my future.”
Our Impact Measurement Framework uses a groundbreaking open data methodology to measure the difference taking part in the DofE makes to participants, comparing DofE data with UK-wide youth population data in some areas. The research shows statistically significant improvements in three out of four wellbeing measures – life satisfaction, happiness and feelings of doing things in life that are worthwhile. Improvements in life satisfaction are higher for girls and young women, young people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those who reported poor or fair health at the start of their DofE.
Using best practice methodology set out in the 2021 HM Treasury Green Book, we’ve calculated that life satisfaction improvements experienced by DofE participants have an estimated average social value of £4,400 per person. In 2023/24, 155,502 young people achieved a DofE Award – equating to a total social value of more than £684m. Crucially, the data suggests participation also seems to act as a protective factor, helping to counteract some of the negative trends in young people’s wellbeing during adolescence seen in the UK youth population.
Estimated social value for each Award level - £4,400 is the average for all DofE participants
Our Impact Report paints an encouraging picture of the difference DofE participation makes to young people – but this is just the beginning. We look forward to building on our evidence base in the years to come to ensure that all young people can access the high-quality enrichment and personal development support they need and deserve.
boosting employability
The world of work is changing at a staggering pace. From AI and automation to digital and green technologies, UK businesses must adapt and innovate like never before to remain competitive. This means recruiting people with essential skills like adaptability, communication, problem-solving and collaboration will be critical. Developing these skills is exactly what participating in the DofE does and why we are determined to give as many young people as possible the chance to start their own DofE journey.
At the DofE, we offer businesses the chance to connect with thousands of young people, share their mission, and highlight career opportunities within their industry. Partnering with the DofE enables businesses to enhance their social impact, increase relevance, and engage with a dedicated audience of 14-24 year olds.
Read on to learn more about our recent employability news and events and click here to find out how you or your business can partner with DofE.
business breakfast
We were delighted to host a Business Breakfast in London attended by our Trustee and Patron, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Guests had the opportunity to network, learn more about how the DofE supports young people to develop essential skills for life and work, and hear how DofE partners with businesses to transform young people's life chances and help shape the workplace of the future.
Guests also heard directly from young people, as our CEO, Ruth Marvel, chaired a panel featuring two Youth Ambassadors, Kaysah and Scarlett, alongside Alex Sturge, Head of Communications, Media and Engagement at UK Power Networks, one of our valued corporate supporters.
The panel discussed employability, the challenges facing young people transitioning from formal education to work, and how the DofE is helping businesses reach and develop their future workforce.
Thanks to everyone who joined us and contributed to a fantastic event.
To find out more about how the DofE partners with businesses and how you can get involved, please visit our website or get in touch with our corporate partnerships team at Partnerships@DofE.org.
DofE Business Milestones
DofE Business was developed in 2007 to bring the benefits of achieving a DofE Award to the workplace. Businesses offer Gold DofE to their young staff to complement technical training, integrating the DofE alongside early careers training programmes.
We were delighted to recently celebrate the tenth anniversary of Balfour Beatty running DofE Business. Since 2014, over 200 colleagues have completed a Gold DofE Award, building essential skills for work and life.
Balfour Beatty created a brilliant video featuring past and present participants, sharing the positive impact of doing DofE at work and the skills staff have built through the programme. Check out the video below.
We were also thrilled to welcome Stansted Airport as a DofE partner last year, and the first cohort of staff has recently started their Gold DofE. We're excited for their DofE journeys to begin and are confident that the skills they learn through the programme will support them throughout their careers.
Some of the Stansted Airport DofE Business cohort on their Residential
Running DofE Business in your organisation can improve employee engagement, retention, and skills development, and helps your graduate or apprenticeship programme stand out from your competitors. By partnering with the DofE, you can invest in your young talent while enabling young people across the UK to access the DofE, supporting the next generation of talent.
Youth Without Limits LIVE
Youth Without Limits LIVE: Beyond the CV is part of our work to support and champion young people by helping bridge the gap between education and work.
We held events for DofE participants and alumni at Google's London office and in Glasgow at the University of Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre.
The events included workshops on making a good first impression, different communication styles, and finding a career you love – along with panel discussions from employers on the skills and qualities they look for and how to navigate a rapidly changing world of work.
Doing DofE gives young people skills and qualities employers value, which can’t always be learnt in classrooms. Youth Without Limits LIVE helps them recognise and explore those skills, boost their confidence, and get first-hand, top-quality advice on entering the workplace.
Representatives from Amey, British Airways, Balfour Beatty, Centrica, Google, IBM, Loudspeaker Technology Ltd, Mags Creative, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Next, Robiquity, Royal Mail, and RSM were on hand across both events to lend their expertise and offer support and advice – a huge thanks to all our partners who supported these events and ran engaging workshops for our young participants.
If your business is interested in supporting our next series of Youth Without Limits LIVE: Beyond the CV events, please get in touch by emailing Partnerships@DofE.org.
challengers support the dofe
Last year, lots of our incredible supporters took on challenges to raise essential funds to enable more young people to access the DofE. Supporters ran for the DofE in events across the UK, including the Manchester Half Marathon, Brighton Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon.
Daring fundraisers also skydived and took part in our Wing Walk Challenge, standing on top of a vintage 1940s bi-plane.
Kate Blissett skydived and spoke about her experience saying, "I highly recommend this to anyone looking to raise money for the charity while enjoying the experience of a lifetime. My friends and family were in awe of what I was doing so I raised over £1,000. I am really proud of taking on and achieving this amazing adventure!"
A huge thanks to everyone everyone who fundraised for the DofE in 2024!
Are you looking for a challenge in 2025? We have lots of exciting opportunities to take on a new adventure while supporting the DofE, including some brand new events like Dragon Boat Racing. We're also launching a new virtual challenge – the Do it 4 Youth 120 Mile Challenge. Challengers will walk, run, or wheel a total distance of 120 miles in March, wherever they choose, to raise money for the DofE.
Join one of our challenge events with friends or colleagues and make it a fun and rewarding experience while raising money for a great cause.
Check out all the great events we have coming up on our website.
Events for your diary
Below is a selection of our upcoming events, to find out more please visit: dofe.org/fundraising-events
Clay Shoot
Join us for the 2025 DofE Clay Shoot on Thursday 12 June, at the exclusive The Grange, Hampshire, one of southern England's finest estates.
You'll enjoy an exciting and competitive day of clay shooting, which includes breakfast, elevenses, and a sumptuous two-course lunch.
Places are limited, so get in touch now to reserve a space by emailing Rebecca.Lumsden@DofE.org.
Quiz Night
Test your general knowledge at our interactive quiz at the Kia Oval in London on Tuesday 9 September, at 6.30pm.
Join us for an evening of fun, laughter, and friendly competition! There will be prizes and delicious food and drinks. Whether you’re a trivia pro or just looking for a good time, this is the perfect night out.
Get a team together and secure your place by emailing Rebecca.Lumsden@DofE.org.
Golf Day
We’re delighted to invite you to our golf day on Thursday 16 October to play the iconic Brabazon course at the prestigious Belfry Hotel and Resort.
With breakfast, a drinks reception, and three-course meal included, you don't want to miss this day!
If you're interested in taking a team, please email Rebecca.Lumsden@DofE.org.
festive Concert
We're hosting a festive evening of music and readings with a variety of talented performers this December.
Celebrate the DofE and the incredible journeys of our participants, while enjoying the magic of the season and supporting a fantastic cause. This is the perfect event for everyone to enjoy. More details coming soon!
To register your interest, please contact Rebecca.Lumsden@dofe.org.
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