Programmes

BAC Open Award Centre

The Duke of Edinburgh Open Award is a volunteer led initiative supported by BAC for over 20 years. The Open Award programme offers open access to young people who do not have, or may find difficulty accessing the Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme through other providers. The BAC Open Award offers programmes for Bronze, silver and gold levels and includes additional BAC equipment and staff support for expeditions locally and internationally.

As the demand for access onto the BAC Open Award has grown annually, for essential health and safety and in order to maintain the highest programme delivery standards, participating numbers are limited in relation to the number of volunteer leaders available to lead each level annually.

To support an equality of opportunity and to ensure a level of fairness, all prospective participants for the 2011/12 programmes are invited to register their interest as follows:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: REGISTRATION FOR THE OPEN AWARD FINISHED ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER. FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED SUMMER 2012.

We would ask those who would like to participant this year in the Award with BAC to:

· Contact BAC on Tel. (028) 9060 0132

· Ask to register interest in the Open Award

· You will be asked for:

o Your name

o Address

o Phone Number

o Date of birth

o If you have completed a previous Award (Silver and Gold registration only)

o If yes, confirmation will be required for programme dates and your Award certificate completion date)

o Confirmation of your previous Award provider(s)

o Any sections already started / completed to date

PLEASE NOTE, registering interest is not a guarantee for a place on the BAC Open Award

This initial information will enable us to measure the demand from potential participants for the programme year 2011/12 commencing from October 2011. Although BAC will strive to accommodate as many young people as possible, should demand exceed our ratio of available volunteer leaders to participants, selection for confirmed registration will be accessed against the following criteria:

Bronze

· ALL bronze participants must be 14 years or older by the 1st. October 2011 (in exceptional circumstances someone aged 13 ¾ may be allowed to join peers)

· Participants must commit to ALL of the day walk, practice and final expedition dates

· A parent or guardian must attend the parents’ evening to be held at the beginning of November

· BAC reserves the right to prioritise places for participants who are engaged with BAC core projects and longer term programmes

Silver

· ALL silver participants must be 15 years or older by 1st. October 2011

· Participants must commit to ALL of the day walk, practice and final expedition dates

· If Bronze Award has been completed through a provider other than BAC, participants will be asked to provide evidence of completion (Bronze Certificate or evidence that their Award Book is being processed)

· Participants who completed their Bronze Award with BAC be given priority for continuing towards completing their Silver Award

Gold

· ALL gold participants must be 16 years or older by 1st October 2011

· Participants must commit to ALL of the day walk, practice and final expedition dates

· If Sliver Award has been completed through a provider other than BAC, participants will be asked to provide evidence of completion (Silver Certificate or evidence that their Award Book is being processed)

· Participants who completed their Silver Award with BAC will be given priority for continuing towards completing their Gold Award

BAC Open Award Costs 2011/12

· Bronze Training Cost: £110.00

· Silver Training Cost: £145.00

· Gold Training Cost: £195.00 (Excludes final expedition costs, the destination of this expedition normally takes place outside N. Ireland and is priced based on participant demands).

The Open Award is co-ordinated and delivered by BAC volunteers to ensure that participating costs are kept to a minimal. BAC continues to absorb all associated management and staff time and equipment costs needed to support the Open Award. An analysis of registration costs by other Award providers indicates registration costs commencing from an average of £200 for Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Training.

All prospective participants will be notified regarding registration (accepted or declined) by Friday 30th September 2011.

Open Award Day walks, Practice and Final Expedition Date 2011/12

BRONZE

Day walk 1: Sunday 19th February 2012

Day walk 2: Sunday 18th March 2012

Day walk 3: Sunday 29th April 2012

Practice Expedition: Sat 19th- Sun 20th May 2012

Final Expedition: Sat 23rd- Sun 24th June 2012

SILVER

Day walk 1: Sunday 23rd October 2011

Day walk 2: Sunday 20th November 2011

Day walk 3: Sunday 26th February 2012