Haven Banks Outdoor Education Centre - Approved Activity Provider
As an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Haven Banks can support or fully manage all aspects of your DofE Expedition section of the Award.
Services include: Full management of your organisations Expedition section. Support by providing qualified Leaders and/or Assessors.
The Centre offers expedition options both locally and nationally at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Most recent expeditions have taken place on the South West Coast Path and Devon Countryside, Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, The Brecon Beacons and The Isle of Skye.
Approved Activity Providers (AAPs), such as Haven Banks, have been approved by The Duke of Edinburgh's Award as meeting their sectional conditions and can count towards the achievement of a DofE Award. As an AAP we are also able to provide qualified leaders and Assessors to sign off the expedition section of your Awards.
If you are an individual, looking to join under the Open Award, please complete this short form and we'll be in touch: https://forms.office.com/e/6MtUbuaqbK
Expeditions
On Foot
By Canoe
By Bike
By Kayak
Under Sail
Bronze
- No Practice Expedition required but training recommended.
- A 2 day Qualifying Expedition with 1 night camp/residential.
- At least 6 hours during the daytime
(at least 3 of which must be spent journeying). - Must have an aim but no post expedition presentation.
Silver
- 2.5 day Practice Expedition with 2 nights camping.
- A 3 day Qualifying Expedition with 2 nights camping.
- At least 7 hours during the daytime
(at least 3.5 of which must be spent journeying). - Must have aim and presentation required.
Gold
- 3 day Practice Expedition with 2 nights camping.
- A 4 day Qualifying Expedition with 3 nights camping.
- At least 8 hours during the daytime
(at least 4 of which must be spent journeying). - Must have aim and presentation required.
Schools, Colleges & Youth Organisations
Haven Banks works with a range of regional schools, colleges and youth organisations. We can simply offer advice and support, offer assessors or take on the full management of the expedition section of your award.
To discuss your organisations expeditions requirements, with no obligation, please contact us directly. We will happily discuss the challenges you are facing and offer our expertise to provide young people with the support needed to achieve the Expedition section of The Award.
What do we offer?
- Qualified & Experienced Leaders, Instructors & Coaches.
- Qualified advice, support, leadership or management.
- DofE Assessors for Qualifying Assessments.
- Expedition Team Kit & Equipment.
- Minibus Transportation.
- Sail, cycle, kayak, canoe & navigation training.
- National Governing Body Qualifications.
- Structured training programmes.
Did you know?
We also provide staff, support & management to schools & youth organisations for the Ten Tors Challenge.
With a proven track record of providing structured & successful training programmes for schools, colleges & youth organisations.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award & Ten Tors Training Testimonials
"Teign School have used Haven Banks to organise the expedition practice and assessments of our students on numerous occasions. The leaders have been excellent at both the preliminaries and at the final appraisals, no matter what the location we have used for both practice and qualifying expeditions. The students have always set out well prepared, confident and have always proved successful! If you ever need enthusiastic support and help with planning and delivering your Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition then I can suggest nowhere better than Haven Banks!"
Testimonials
"Haven Banks have been amazing! The staff are dedicated and always willing to support and offer advice. We have used them for assessing our DofE expedition for a number of years and will continue to do so."M. Snell
"So proud of all of our students who completed #TenTors2019 today! Thank you to the families for the fantastic welcome they gave the children and thank you @HavenBanksOEC for leading our teams this year, simply couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you @HavenBanksOEC, you inspired our students, they put their complete trust in you first and then into themselves and each other. They have grown so much and have amazing memories for life. Thank you on behalf of the students, their families. @StLukesCollege."D. Holt
"St James School has used Haven Banks as their DofE AAP for two years now and we can thorougly recommend the company. The quality of the training they provide for the students in terms of navigation, map work and camp craft skills is excellent. Prices are very competitive too."J. Thornton
"Haven Banks provide quality assessors who are familiar with the aims, principles, requirements of the Expedition. They have the ability to communicate with adults and young people and are very skilled in adjusting the style of communication to suit the learners needs. In a very short time they build, maintain and facilitate very effective working relationships. We have been working with the team at Haven Banks for over 20 years and would recommend them without hesitation."S. Goss
Staff from Haven Banks recently assessed our teams for the Gold Expedition Section of the Award. Staff were professional and friendly and the teams were assessed in a fair and thorough manner. Both teams felt that they had received lots of personal time and feedback.R. Uren