Gold Award celebration events:
London

Gold Award celebration events are designed for attendees to be able to enjoy a variety of activities within Buckingham Palace Garden whilst young people celebrate their outstanding achievements.

Central to the celebration event will be speeches from the West Terrace to reflect on all that the young people have achieved and encourage them as they embark on their next chapter.

In addition, there will be a series of satellite stages throughout the garden where guests can hear from inspirational public figures about their personal journeys and ask them questions. The stages run throughout the event, but pause during the West Terrace speeches. Attendees will find out who will be speaking on the day.

Military bands will be playing throughout the event, and there are multiple spots to capture unique photographs, including giant deckchairs, large #DofE and #GOLD letters, and a photo backdrop with selfie props. There will also be garden games for those who wish to play.

All attendees are invited to visit the tea tent during their time in Buckingham Palace Garden for a cup of tea and a cake.

On arrival guests will be handed a souvenir programme for the event, which will include more information about the activities taking place.

For those who wish to explore the garden, they will have access on the day to a map and a description of some of the key areas of interest to visit.

Gold Award holders will have been posted their certificate in advance of the event and these won’t be presented on the day.

Security arrangements at Gold Award celebration events are strict but shouldn’t interfere with your enjoyment of the event.

To gain entry to the events, you will need to bring the following items for both you and your guest:

• Coloured admittance card
• Two forms of identification – one must be photographic, and the other must confirm your address.

Due to security restrictions, it’s essential that the first and last name that we have on file for you and your guest exactly match the photographic ID that you’ll be bringing to your event. Shortened names shouldn’t be used. The address provided for both you and your guest should also exactly match the ID that you’ll be bringing on the day.

On the day all attendees are required to present two forms of ID upon arrival, one of which must be photographic. You must present one form of identification from both Box A and Box B. If you are not using your photo driving licence as your photographic ID in Box A, you can use it as your proof of address (Box B). Additional items valid for ID from Box B include official correspondence from the government, such as a council tax letter or polling card.

If you or your guest do not currently have an approved form of photographic ID, please do make arrangements to obtain this prior to the event. If you are going to be unable to meet the ID requirements, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible to discuss this with the team. No responsibility can be accepted by the DofE should you not meet the ID requirements and be denied entry.

The DofE charity is committed to ensuring that every Gold Award holder can attend and enjoy a celebration event if they wish, accompanied by one guest of their choice.

Attendees are welcome to bring their wheelchair; however, please note that the pathways are gravel. Wheelchairs are not available to borrow on site.

Mobility scooters are permitted within the garden. Please be aware that there is a reasonable distance from the entrance gates to the main gardens. There are accessible toilets at the event.

We’ll have a quiet space gazebo available on the day which will be located slightly away from the main activity in the garden.

Seats will be available throughout the Garden for guests who need them for accessibility reasons.

If you have any accessibility requirements or additional needs, please contact the Gold Award Events Team by emailing [email protected] so that we can make the necessary arrangements to support your attendance.

The event will take place with attendees standing. Seating will be available throughout the garden for those who need it, but this is primarily a standing event. Whilst it is not possible for us to reserve seats in advance, please let a member of staff know if you need / to sit down and there is no chair available.

Due to security at Buckingham Palace, attendees will only be permitted to bring in a handbag or a small personal bag. Attendees may also be subject to a search on entry. You’ll be denied entry if you bring large bags or luggage. Please note that there are no cloakrooms to leave coats or bags, so you’ll need to keep anything you bring on your person for the entire event.

As a special celebration in Buckingham Palace Garden, there will be a smart dress code – e.g., a suit, jacket and tie, dress or a smart alternative. Hats are optional but aren’t required. National dress is welcome.

As you’ll be standing on grass for the event, we would advise wearing appropriate footwear. Trainers should not be worn unless required for accessibility reasons.

Uniformed organisations are encouraged to wear their uniforms. For official military uniforms, the Royal Navy should wear No 1C Undress, the Army should wear No 2 Dress and the Royal Air Force should wear No 1HD Dress. Gloves, leather and medals should not be worn.

There are no changing facilities available at the Palace; those wishing to change into a uniform should make their own arrangements.

Attendees should check the weather forecast in advance of attending and bring appropriate attire, including an umbrella and raincoat, or sun cream and hat if necessary. Please note that there is limited cover in the garden and the event will go ahead in wet weather.

You’re permitted to have one personal guest accompanying you to the event, who must be over the age of 16. Please check that we have the correct details for your guest and update eDofE as required.

Guests can’t be changed within four weeks of the event. We’re unable to accommodate requests for additional guests.

Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA.

The nearest tube stations are Green Park (Jubilee/Piccadilly/Victoria), Victoria (Victoria/Circle/District), Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly) and St James’s Park (Circle/District). Visit tfl.gov.uk to plan your route.

Buckingham Palace is located in central London, so please allow sufficient time to cope with London traffic.

Buckingham Palace is within the central London Congestion Charge Zone – information about the charge and payment is available online at cclondon.com. It’s also located in the Ultra Low Emissions Zone, so please check to see if your vehicle is eligible for this charge before you travel.

Apart from limited disabled parking which has been pre-arranged, there is NO parking at Buckingham Palace. Many buses stop within walking distance of Buckingham Palace.

A limited number of disabled parking spaces are available at Buckingham Palace for Blue Badge holders only. If you would like to request a parking space, please email [email protected]. Parking will be allocated at the discretion of the Event Manager. Due to road closures, it may be necessary for guests with allocated parking to arrive by a specific route which will be confirmed when they receive their invitation.

We’re unable to confirm receipt of individual responses as they arrive; however, we’ll send a confirmation email to you within two weeks of receiving your reply. If you don’t receive a confirmation email within two weeks, please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] as your response may not have reached us.

You can check the status of your invitation at any point on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account.

Your official invitation and admittance card will be posted to you approximately two weeks before the event date and will list your exact entrance time. We will post the official invitations for you and your guest to the address registered on the ‘Gold Award celebration event’ page of your eDofE account.

Due to security restrictions, it’s essential that the first and last name that we have on file exactly match the photographic ID that you’ll be bringing to the event. Shortened names shouldn’t be used. Middle names are not required.

You’ll receive a formal white invitation and a coloured admittance card. If any of the details are incorrect on your admittance card or don’t match your ID (first and last names must match, middle names are not required), please contact the Gold Award Events Team by emailing [email protected].

For security reasons, you may be asked to return the incorrect admittance card to be reissued. Admittance cards are not transferable under any circumstances.

Attendees are welcome to take their own photographs in Buckingham Palace Garden using small cameras or camera phones, but please don’t bring large cameras or tablet computers.

All guests will be invited to visit the tea tent for a cup of tea and slice of cake as part of the event. Guests are permitted to bring a small bag with them, and they are strongly encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle to the event and there will be water stations available. Guests should not bring a picnic, but if they feel that they will require a light snack (cereal bar, fruit or similar) to make it through the event, they are welcome to bring this.

Gold Award holders are not arranged in groups as part of the official event proceedings, so if you would like to meet anyone from your organisation during the event, you should agree this with them in advance.

There will be designated meeting points within the garden which will be clearly marked. Although all guests from the same Licensed Organisation will be given the same entrance time, if you wish to meet up with other guests at the event, we would strongly encourage you to do this within the garden rather than outside the Palace, for security reasons.

Young people can accept their place at a Gold Award celebration up to four weeks before the event is scheduled to take place. It is not possible for us to add people to the list after this time. Guests can also not be updated within four weeks of the event.

You can change your guest until four weeks prior to the event. Please update the guest details section of your “Gold Award celebration event” tab on eDofE, ensuring that their details exactly match the ID they will be bringing on the day.

It is not possible for you to change your guest within four weeks of the event.