17 August 2018

RLSS UK is going into partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. Many of our clubs already use the programme to award members for elements of their DofE that are eligible through lifesaving. At the moment clubs assess candidates and their awards are verified at their school or another organisation. This has become an excellent way to encourage people into lifesaving but cannot always be used to retain their interest beyond the completion of the specific element of their DofE Award.

We want to go a step further by giving you; our clubs the opportunity to encourage people into the club but now also ensure they are awarded and verified by RLSS UK. This will give you the opportunity to encourage uptake of club membership but also invest in your members so that they are likely to increase their long-term affiliation with you and the club. It is getting more and more difficult for young people to be granted their award through the schools due to cuts in funding and we want our members to have this opportunity through RLSS UK. The DofE and our lifesaving awards are really important methods to increase skills and so further prospects of our members. We are always looking at a joined-up approach to invest in clubs and its members and partnership with the DofE as well as other schemes such as vInspired offer this.

The DofE process is simple:

• RLSS UK is becoming a National Operating Authority (NOA) this will allow awards to be verified by RLSS UK
• Clubs apply to become Centres for the delivery of the DofE Awards
• Clubs enrol their candidates on the DofE, Bronze, Silver or Gold. The usual award fees are applicable as per the normal DofE fees.
• Clubs assess candidates against the DofE criteria
• Information gets inputted electronically by the candidate on the DofE website
• The DofE Award is verified by RLSS UK and sent to DofE HQ for award
• Get a candidate to Gold and they get invited to one of the Royal palaces

We need your help to get things set up. We are looking for 30 RLSS UK clubs to pilot the new DofE partnership so that we can work what works best for you and make sure everything is working well before making it widely available. We are looking for clubs that already use the DofE programme or would be willing to use the DofE awards in the club. If you are interested please email Lee via [email protected]