Gold Award celebration events

Before you can complete your Gold Award, you’ll need to fill in the “Gold Award celebration event” page on your eDofE account. You need to let us know your preferred location for attending an event (London, Belfast or Edinburgh) or if you’d like to get a certificate presentation folder instead of attending an in-person event. You’ll pick if you want a Gold Award badge or brooch.

You should make sure that your contact details are up to date so we can stay in touch with you. If possible, use an email address that is not linked to your school or college.

When your Licensed Organisation approves your Award, you’ll either join the invitation list for an event at your chosen location or get your certificate presentation folder in the post.

When your Licensed Organisation and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award have approved your Gold Award, you’ll get an automated email to let you know. If you’ve chosen to attend an in-person event, we’ll add you to the invitation list for your chosen location.

The DofE Events Team will email you to let you know when you should expect to get an invitation to attend an event. The team will also check where to send your Gold Award Certificate and badge or brooch. Please make sure the details on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account are accurate so we can keep in touch with you.

We hope to invite you to an event within 12 months of achieving your Award. But please be aware that in some circumstances it may take up to 18 months from your Gold Award completion date.

As long as you keep in touch with us and respond to all event invitations, even if you can’t attend, you can stay on the invitation list for up to five years after you have achieved your Award.

We could not hold celebration events for a significant period because of the pandemic. If you were on the invitation list during this time and you achieved your Gold Award before the end of 2020, you can stay on the invitation list until the end of 2026. If you can’t attend an event by the end of 2026, you’ll be removed from the invitation list and sent a certificate presentation folder instead.

If you don’t want to go to a Gold Award celebration event, you can get a bespoke certificate presentation folder instead.

The folder includes:

• a photograph of our founder HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and our Trustee and Patron HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh together at Windsor Castle
• a statement of congratulations from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

This folder is only available to those who choose not to attend a celebration event. You cannot buy it.

You can choose to get a folder when you achieve your Gold Award, or ask to come off the invitation list at any point and get the folder instead by emailing [email protected].

Once you get your certificate presentation folder you cannot rejoin the invitation list to attend an in-person event.

We send your certificate presentation folder in the month after you complete your Gold Award.

Your Gold Award certificate and your badge or brooch will be posted to you in the month after you complete your Gold Award. We’ll send them to the address registered on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account. If you don’t get your certificate or badge/brooch within two months of achieving your Gold Award, please email [email protected].

We can only issue one Gold badge or brooch per Gold Award holder. You can pick your preference on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account when you complete your Gold Award. If you haven’t got your badge or brooch yet and want to change your selection, please email [email protected] after your Gold Award has been approved.

Gold Award certificates are not presented as part of Gold Award celebration events. You do not need to bring your certificate to your event.
Please remember wear your badge or brooch on the day of your celebration event. If your guest also has a DofE Award, we’d encourage them to wear their badge or brooch too!

Gold Award celebration events take place on weekdays, usually in term time.

• In London, events usually take place in May.
• In Edinburgh, events usually take place in July.
• In Northern Ireland, events can take place at any time of the year.

You choose which location you want to attend your Gold Award celebration event in when you complete your Gold Award. If you want to change your chosen location, please email [email protected].

In London and Northern Ireland, you can bring one guest to your Gold Award celebration event. In Edinburgh, you can bring two guests. This is due to the capacity of the venues. If you want to change your chosen location, please email [email protected].

All guests must be over the age of 18. We cannot to accommodate requests for extra guests.

Please check that we have the correct details for your guest(s) and update them on your eDofE account as required.

Guests cannot be changed within four weeks of your event.

You can stay on the invitation list to attend a celebration event for up to five years after you achieve your Gold Award. If you decline an invitation to attend an event, you’ll stay on the invitation list. You’ll be invited to the next available event in your preferred location.

It’s important that you respond to every invitation you get from us. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll assume that you no longer want to attend a celebration event and we’ll remove you from the invitation list.

If you cannot attend within five years of achieving your Award, you’ll be removed from the invitation list and get a certificate presentation folder through the post instead.

Make sure the details on your “Gold Award celebration event” page in eDofE are up to date, in particular your email address and home address. If possible, use an email address that is not linked to your school or college. If you don’t have an eDofE account, please email [email protected] so we can update our records.

You can make changes to your personal details up to four weeks before your event date. For security reasons, your personal details become locked after that time. If you need to make changes in the four weeks leading up to your event, please email [email protected].

If you’d like to attend a Gold Award event with someone from your DofE group or a family member, please let us know when you complete your Gold Award by emailing [email protected].

In the unlikely event of it being necessary to cancel an event due to unavoidable circumstances, the DofE cannot be held liable for any costs incurred to you or your guest. Depending on your travel arrangements, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance that covers UK travel and event cancellation. Please check your policy to make sure that it covers your travel expenses and/or hotel costs.

When we have set a date for the next available celebration event in your chosen venue, we’ll let you know by emailing the address listed on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account. We’ll send a reminder email if we don’t hear back from you.

If there is no response to the emails, we’ll send you a letter. If there’s still no response, we’ll assume you do not want to attend an event and we’ll remove you from the invitation list. You’ll get a Gold Award certificate presentation folder through the post, and you cannot join the invitation list at a later date.

To reply to an invitation, log in to your eDofE account and select “Accept” or “Decline” on the “Gold Award celebration event” page. This is also where you can check and update the personal details for you and your guest.

Each year we see you capturing amazing content at our Gold Award celebrations. If you’re planning to make your own content on the day, email [email protected] for the opportunity to feature on DofE social channels.

Tag us in your posts!

• The DofE on Facebook
• The DofE on Instagram
• The DofE on LinkedIn
• The DofE on X

If you have a question not answered here or in the specific Gold Award venue pages, you can contact the Events team.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01753 727431
Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm. Please do not call outside of these hours.