Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions

Shepherd Outdoors delivers fully managed Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE expeditions — safe, professional and accessible, with a commitment to widening participation for young people from deprived communities.

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Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions (Bronze, Silver & Gold – On Foot)

Explore. Learn. Live.

At Shepherd Outdoors, we provide professionally led Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions at Bronze, Silver and Gold level. Our programmes are structured, safe and outcomes-driven — designed to build resilience, independence and teamwork through purposeful challenge in the outdoors.

We work with schools, academies, trusts, youth organisations and community groups, as well as offering open expeditions for individuals who need an external provider.

Every expedition is delivered with professionalism, care and a strong belief that adventure should be accessible to all.

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What We Offer

We provide complete expedition packages, including:

• Training days (navigation, campcraft, kit preparation, route planning)

• Practice expeditions

• Qualifying expeditions

• Accredited supervision and assessment

• Remote supervision models (where appropriate)

• Fully compliant safety management and documentation

All expeditions are delivered in line with Duke of Edinburgh Award requirements and current expedition guidelines.

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Bronze, Silver & Gold Programmes

Bronze (2 Days / 1 Night)

Ideal for Year 9 or first-time participants.
Focus on teamwork, basic navigation, campcraft and developing independence.

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Silver (3 Days / 2 Nights)

Building advanced navigation skills, resilience and leadership within teams.

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Gold (4 Days / 3 Nights)

A significant personal challenge requiring higher levels of self-management, route planning and endurance.

We operate across a range of suitable UK landscapes, matching terrain to age, experience and confidence levels.

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For Schools & Trusts

We partner with:

• Secondary schools

• Sixth forms

• Multi-Academy Trusts

• Alternative Provision settings

Our service can include:

• Full expedition management

• Staff training and mentoring

• Risk assessment and compliance support

• Equipment guidance and kit lists

• Parent briefings

• Data tracking and completion monitoring

We understand school systems, safeguarding frameworks and budget pressures — and we design our delivery to integrate smoothly into your academic calendar.

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Community Groups & Youth Organisations

We work with:

• Scout and Guide groups

• Youth charities

• Community sports clubs

• Faith and cultural organisations

Our flexible delivery model allows groups without internal expedition capacity to access fully supported DofE provision.

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Open Expeditions

For individuals whose school or group cannot offer DofE expeditions, we provide open enrolment expeditions at Bronze, Silver and Gold.

These are ideal for:

• Home-educated young people

• Participants who have relocated

• Students whose school does not run expeditions

• Individuals needing to complete expedition sections externally

Open expeditions are professionally supervised, supportive and inclusive.

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Accessibility & Inclusion: Our Commitment

At Shepherd Outdoors, widening participation is central to our ethos.

We actively work to:

• Support schools in deprived communities

• Offer flexible payment options where possible

• Provide clear, transparent pricing

• Advise on funding streams and charitable support

• Reduce hidden costs

• Offer loan kit guidance and practical solutions

We believe the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award should never feel out of reach due to financial barriers.

Adventure builds confidence, aspiration and opportunity — particularly for young people who may not otherwise access it.

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What Participants Gain

Through our expeditions, young people develop:

• Resilience and perseverance

• Leadership and teamwork

• Navigation and problem-solving skills

• Independence and responsibility

• Communication and decision-making

• Confidence in unfamiliar environments

These are transferable life skills that extend far beyond the expedition.

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Safety & Professional Standards

Shepherd Outdoors combines extensive expedition leadership experience with robust risk management.

Our approach includes:

• Comprehensive written risk assessments

• Dynamic risk assessment training for participants

• Clear supervision thresholds

• Structured emergency planning

• Strong safeguarding protocols

• Professional judgement grounded in real-world outdoor leadership

We treat every expedition as both a developmental journey and a responsibility.

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Bespoke Packages Designed Around You

We offer:

• Full-service expedition delivery

• Practice-only or qualifying-only support

• Multi-year partnership models

• Combined Bronze/Silver cohorts

• Gold expedition specialist support

• Staff CPD in expedition leadership

• Integration with Outdoor Adventure Therapy or Forest School pathways

Whether you are commissioning for 10 participants or 150, we build a structured and scalable solution.

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Why Shepherd Outdoors?

Shepherd Outdoors was founded on the belief that structured challenge transforms lives.

We combine:

• Extensive Duke of Edinburgh leadership experience

• Deep understanding of school systems

• Strong safeguarding culture

• Professional expedition management

• A commitment to inclusion and accessibility

We do not simply supervise expeditions.
We develop young people.

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Let’s Plan Your DofE Expedition Programme

If you are a:

• Headteacher or Senior Leader

• DofE Manager or Coordinator

• Trust Lead

• Youth Organisation Leader

• Parent or Individual Participant

We would welcome a conversation about how we can support your Bronze, Silver or Gold expedition provision.

Contact Shepherd Outdoors today to discuss bespoke packages, open expeditions and partnership opportunities.

Shepherd Outdoors – Explore. Learn. Live.