Training Opportunities

Upcoming courses which support the delivery of Duke Of Edinburgh within Aberdeenshire Council. To make a booking please email awards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

2 day BASP 1st Aid courses

27-28 May 2023

03-04 Aug 2023

02-03 Sep 2023

15-16 Oct 2023

11-12 Nov 2023

Cost: £155.00 per person for 2 day course. Location: Alford Community Campus

1 day Lowhills Gateway course

Sunday 27th August 2023

The Lowhills Gateway is open to the general public. This course is an introduction to hillwalking- topics covered include basic navigation, equipment & clothing, lightweight camping skills and emergency procedures.

The course is also aimed at those Aberdeenshire staff & formally recruited volunteers who wish to lead a group walking & or camping in terrain below 300m, and those who aspire to join Aberdeenshire Council’s Lowhills Scheme but lack the hill experience & navigation skills to confidently accrue the required 20 days hill walking experience. 

Cost: £85 Location: in the hills around Glen Dye

2 day Lowhills course

September 2023, dates & locations to be confirmed

Contact awards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk to discuss the course requirements

Cost: £165

1 day Lowhills Update course

Next course Autumn 2023 or Spring 2024, depending on demand. Please contact awards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk to express your interest

Cost: £85 Location: To be confirmed

To join any of these courses, please contact awards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

DofE Live

DofE Live: Shaping Our Future- online events 8th-12th March 2021.

Instead of a single day conference in a venue, a week’s online exploration of “overcoming obstacles, creating opportunities” 

An opportunity for existing, new and potential DofE Leaders, education professionals (including headteachers) and CLD practitioners. In fact, anyone with an interest in helping young people be the best they can be.

Click on the link to be part of a fascinating, thoughtful and positive week  – https://live.dofe.org/ and starting following #DofELIVE on social media to find out more.

If you have any questions, please email Scotland@dofe.org or contact your Operations Officer.

RSPB Youth Council Volunteering Opportunity

RSPB is looking for volunteers ages 12 to 17 who would like to join their Youth Council

The Youth Council is an advisory committee comprised of 10 representatives of the RSPB’s teenage membership, that provides a youth perspective and a youth voice on projects and issues that the RSPB is working on. As a council member you’ll have the chance to make your ideas a reality; influence RSPB projects; speak publicly at a variety of events; hone your writing skills by contributing to Wingbeat magazine; get hands-on at RSPB conservation camps; and gain a host of CV-boosting skills along the way. If the idea of joining the Youth Council gets you excited, we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need any experience of campaigning or conservation to get involved in the council, just a love for nature.

What’s involved: We would like you to write your own 200 word manifestos, which will be reviewed and voted on by a youth judging panel.

Dates: Please send us your manifesto by 31 July 2020. For full details: www.rspb.org.uk/youthcouncil

RSPB

Volunteers’ Week

Messages from HRH The Earl of Wessex, among others!

A thank you message to DofE volunteers from HRH The Earl of Wessex. Aberdeenshire’s Lord Provost has also posted a thank you video. There’s also been a flurry of activity from some of our participants- see below and click for messages from Ona and Holly

Hi there, my name as Erin and I am former pupil of Meldrum Academy. In my 6th year I decided to undergo the Gold Duke of Edinburgh scheme which improved my self confidence and enhanced my character as a whole. This experience wouldn’t have been possible without the great help and support from the volnteers who worked alongside this programme. I would like to thank Penny, Duncan and all staff at Meldrum Academy who shared their time to help make my goal possible! Thank you!

You can now do our Hi5 Award at Home

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The Hi5 Award at Home is an exciting SCQF level 2 award for young people that records and recognises wider achievement.  This could count towards your Skill section of the DofE Award.  Just make sure you update any change on your eDofE, your plans fulfil the DofE criteria and gain approval from your Leader or Coordinator.  Full details here

Quoich Bridge Replaced and Car Park Reopened

News from Mar Lodge Estate: Following floods in 2015 which changed the course of the Quoich, the replacement Allanaquoich Bridge has now been completed. The bridge is located 50m upstream from the site of the previous bridge. The car park is on the west side of the river as before. The bridge is for the use of walkers, cyclists and horses. Vehicle access is for estate use only