Aureus' volunteering hours through DofE, totals 637 hours

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants strengthen links to Didcot
as they give 637 volunteering hours at Aureus School

· Aureus School, in Didcot is delighted to share the impact that The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) participants have made locally through the Volunteering section of their DofE.

· Young people have completed numerous activities from spending time in care homes to working in charity shops, helping them to support their local communities and to learn new skills for their future.

June 2025: Participants doing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Award at Aureus School are being celebrated today for the amazing impact they have had on the local community.

Young people at the school do a range of activities from litter picking all the way through to visiting care homes. In total, DofE participants at Aureus school have completed 637 volunteering hours which equates to an amazing £4,076 – and with more participants taking part in the Award each year, this number is set to increase significantly, further helping people within the local community.

Aureus School has just 505 students, 52 of which are taking part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award this year. Having completed a fantastic 637 hours of volunteering shows the hard work that the participants put into their Awards.

Megan, 14, who is doing her Bronze DofE at Aureus School, said: “Originally, I was only meant to volunteer for three months. I started in November 2024 and was meant to finish in February 2024, but I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t notice that I had spent more time volunteering than I needed to! I visit the Oxford Manor Care Home every Friday between 4pm and 5pm after school; it is walking distance from my school, and it is a great way to kickstart my weekend by being able to visit - and even though I haven’t known them long, it really feels as though I have.”

Rob Hayden, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Manager and Head of PE at Aureus School, said: “It is fantastic that the DofE enables the participants to give back to the local community and seeing how much they do and commit to these great causes is fantastic. Megan is one of many examples of the amazing things our young participants do when completing their DofE Award.”

In May, the DofE announced that a record-breaking 342,000 young people had started a DofE programme in 2024-25 – the highest since the charity was founded almost 70 years ago. During the same period, participants have contributed an astonishing 5.2 million hours of volunteering in communities all over the UK – with an estimated total value of £33.4 million.

                                                        

                                                 Changing lives and communities for the better

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see the impact that young people at Aureus School have made through their DofE volunteering. Volunteering is a great way for young people to build confidence, develop work-related skills and use their passions and talents to benefit others. It changes lives and communities for the better – that's why it’s an integral part of the DofE programme. We’re so proud of all the young people at Aureus School who have dedicated their time and energy to helping others in their communities.”

To do their DofE, young people aged 14-24 choose activities in four sections: improving a Physical and Skills activity, Volunteering for a cause of their choice, and completing a demanding Expedition. Along the way they have fun, grow in resilience and self-belief, discover new talents and passions, and learn practical skills to help them in future – while working towards a highly respected Award.

Thanks to its incredible network of organisations delivering DofE, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is the largest facilitator of youth volunteering in the UK. Over the last four years, the DofE charity has focused on breaking down barriers to taking part – working with more community organisations, schools in deprived areas, further education colleges, prisons, and centres supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The charity is now aiming to achieve 1.6 million Award starts by spring 2026, so that even more young people can take part in a life-changing DofE programme.

About The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Every year, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) inspires hundreds of thousands of young people, from all walks of life, to explore who they are, grow in confidence and develop the skills they need to successfully navigate life. We help them build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, and discover talents they never knew they had. The DofE is delivered in schools, colleges, community organisations, hospitals, prisons and more, all over the UK.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is open to any young person aged 14-24. Participants build their own programmes – choosing activities and a cause to volunteer for, in order to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award. In 2024/25, more than 342,000 young people started their DofE, with participants giving more than 5.2 million hours of volunteering in their communities.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity wants to see 1.6 million young people start their life-changing DofE by spring 2026. Find out more at DofE.org.