Refreshing equipment to help widen access to Duke of Edinburgh in Largs to get our young people outdoors, enhance wellness and encourage active participation in the community.
Description
Largs Academy’s Duke of Edinburgh Award group was established at the start of 2022/23 at the request of pupils, through the Parent Council, to provide an extra-curricular opportunity for our senior pupils to learn new life skills, become more physically and mentally active while having a positive impact on their local community. The uptake is extremely positive with 50 young people nearing completion of their bronze award, this is expected to grow this year. The inclusivity of the programme has meant that pupils from all backgrounds have been able to participate and has given those who are disengaging from school a positive focus and a huge sense of achievement, enhancing wellbeing. The programme requires pupils to complete four sections; volunteering, physical, skill, and expedition (an overnight adventure by foot, bike or kayak). Sessions develop teamwork, communication and valuable skills including map reading, using a stove and outdoor first aid. The programme has allowed pupils to be themselves and form new friendships, build their confidence, get outdoors and have experiences they may not have otherwise had.
We are seeking funding on behalf of our young people who, when reflecting on their expedition section asked if we could purchase our own outdoor equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, walking boots, waterproof clothing and backpacks. We currently have a small supply of equipment but not enough to support our demand with over a quarter of our young people having to borrow resources from the council store to complete this section. We have attached a graph showing the equipment that was requested for this year’s expedition. We consulted the young people regarding what they got out of the Duke of Edinburgh group, and what they would like to purchase with unlimited funds, and their responses are attached.
We believe having our own equipment will allow us to better support our participants, giving them a sense of belonging and ensure that lack of equipment is not a barrier for participation, particularly considering the expense of the equipment and the cost of living crisis, and bearing in mind the cost of the school day. The funding will also allow us to support our most disadvantaged pupils to experience the outdoors and help to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.
With the expansion of the Duke of Edinburgh Award we hope to set-up a silver group to provide a pathway for successful bronze candidates to continue to build on their sense of achievement.
Estimated costs
We would like to build up our Largs Academy store of equipment, particularly rucksacks, waterproofs, walking boots, roll mats. We would like to work with a local supplier, with a mind to the local economy, and costs at Vango in Port Glasgow are as follows (as of September 2023):
Rucksack £120
Waterproof trousers £32.50
Waterproof jackets £34.99
Walking boots £45
Sleeping bags £52.50
Tents £175
Location: Largs Academy Parent Council represents the parents and carers of Largs Academy pupils. We aim to support our young people in achieving their potential both in and out of the classroom while removing barriers that stand in their way. Encouraging them to lead is a key part of this. The school brought back Duke of Edinburgh at the request of the Parent Council, and now we're looking for support to make it more accessible.
Proposed on behalf of: Proposing in the name of the Parent Council. Parent volunteers and teachers at Largs Academy help to run the Duke of Edinburgh award for our young people.
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