The award scheme launched by the Duke of Edinburgh 61 years ago is planning a new honour to make sure that youngsters who complete all three stages get the recognition they deserve.
The top gold award is widely recognised by employers and universities as a sign of a young person’s leadership, resilience and extra-curricular achievements. But many applicants have realised that they can skip the bronze and silver stages, which take up to two years to complete, by performing an additional six months of volunteering or another activity.
Peter Westgarth, chief executive of the awards, told The Times that a teenager who started and completed all three awards “has clearly shown exceptional qualities and commitment”. The award is still under development and may take three or four years before it is presented, he added.
The bronze award, which candidates can start from the age of 14, requires three months of volunteering, physical activity and a skill or hobby, plus an overnight expedition. The silver and gold sections require similar stages but over six and 12 months respectively, plus expeditions over two and then three nights. A five-day residential activity is also part of the gold award.
Since their launch by Prince Philip in 1956, the awards have been completed by 2.7 million young people, and they remain one of his most widely recognised legacies. The bronze award is by far the most widely undertaken, with almost 1.8 million awards in total, compared with 660,000 silver and 276,868 gold. The awards are offered in 141 countries worldwide.