Three teams from Shackleton Explorer Scout Unit have successfully completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Qualifying Expedition in the New Forest this weekend.
The expedition began north of Burley, where the teams set off on their independently planned routes after months of preparation and training. Over the course of three days, they navigated across the New Forest, demonstrating the skills and confidence developed during their practice expedition.
The teams spent their first night camping at Braggers Wood Campsite before continuing their journeys on Saturday. For their second night, the teams camped independently at Wilverley, managing their own campcraft, cooking, route planning and teamwork with minimal support. This is a key part of the Silver Award and gave participants the opportunity to showcase their self-reliance and expedition skills.
With favourable weather throughout the weekend, the teams made excellent progress and embraced the challenges of expedition life. They showed great determination, supported one another when things became difficult, and worked together to overcome obstacles along the way.
The expedition concluded in Lyndhurst, where all three teams finished successfully and were informed that they had passed their qualifying expedition assessment.
Passing a Silver Qualifying Expedition is a significant achievement and reflects the commitment, preparation and teamwork demonstrated by every participant. The assessors were impressed by the positive attitudes shown throughout the weekend and the way each team worked together to achieve their goal.
Congratulations to all of our participants on this fantastic accomplishment. Everyone at Shackleton ESU is incredibly proud of what you have achieved, and we look forward to seeing you complete the remaining sections of your Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
