Duke of Edinburgh

Ditcham Park DofE group saddle up for a New Forest Triumph

What were you doing over the weekend? Visiting the beach, having a few friends round for a barbeque, just catching a few rays in the garden? Well, a group from Ditcham Park School’s DofE group used the holiday period to achieve a remarkable success by completing their Silver DofE expedition, and on horseback rather than on foot. The team of five rode over 65km through the New Forest, camping for two nights in a field on the forest border next to their horses. The pupils and their horses braved sun, mosquitos, crab flies and camp cooking to complete their expedition with flying colours.

Bridget Green and Christopher Dobbs, their Silver DofE expedition trainers, said how proud they were of the team. “The girls did fantastically well to achieve what they did. Carrying out an expedition like this by horse sounds easy, but in fact adds a whole new dimension, and makes a great deal of work for the team, as they have to take proper care of the horses as well as themselves. Before they even start in the morning (or finish at night) they have to do all the feeding, mucking out, grooming and sorting out the tack”. The team didn’t have to carry the food and water for the horses, but their own equipment was distributed evenly in saddlebags on each horse.

Chrissie Dobbs, an experienced rider and Veterinary Surgeon, who was the equine adviser to the team commented, ‘They had to complete a lot of training to carry out the expedition, not just in the normal skills like navigation and route-planning, but also in the care of the horses, horse first aid and building up fitness. During the practice expedition in the South Downs they actually had to put their horse first aid training into action, but they did well to avoid any problems in the New Forest itself’.

Ted Browning, the Independent DofE Assessor, said of the team as he awarded their certificates ‘I hope this is the first of many DofE riding expeditions in Hampshire and I am impressed how well the young ladies have carried out the venture’. Anne Harris, DofE Co-ordinator at Ditcham Park School, added ‘We don’t know anyone else who has organised such an expedition and so there were many hurdles to overcome in the planning and training. However, it was very worthwhile and the pupils not only learnt how to look after themselves and their team mates but also acquired the skills to take full responsibility for the welfare of their horses. This expedition has taken months of preparation and training and the pupils deserve to feel very proud of themselves for the successful outcome’.

SASBAH

Ten of the younger service users from the Sussex Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus centre (SASBAH) have enrolled with the DofE. Each has started their chosen activities in at least two sections of the Bronze Award, and in some cases all four sections are under way.

Activities in the Physical section include swimming and athletics. In the Skills section, drumming features alongside film making and looking after animals; whilst activities selected in the Volunteering section include working in charity shops, volunteering at SASBAH’s own social enterprise SASPIRE, and working as an intern for an advocacy project.

Training for the Expedition section has now started. So far participants have discussed expedition safety, navigation and expedition kit. Members of the group have completed a basic first aid course. The trainer was Sarah Tindall from the British Red Cross. Further expedition training will take place in the first half of 2011 followed by practice and qualifying expeditions, each lasting two days and camping overnight.

Brenda Reynolds ran a raffle to raise cash that has been used to purchase Silva compasses for the DofE group. Many thanks to Brenda for her valuable donation.

Also, SASBAH has been generously funded from Youth Bank’s ‘A Life More Ordinary’ fund to buy expedition tents, and a laptop and training software for the DofE group.