Over 100 additional Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations (VCSOs) are now delivering The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award thanks to Access Without Limits funding, made possible by The Julia Rausing Trust.

Launched in 2022, our Access Without Limits funding removes barriers for young people who might otherwise miss out on the life-changing opportunities DofE offers. Grant funding has enabled more organisations across the UK to start delivering the DofE in their communities, expanding access to young people beyond the traditional school setting.

Thanks to The Julia Rausing Trust, over 2,400 new places have been funded and nearly 340 young people have achieved a DofE Award, and over 40% of these participants live in some of the UK’s most financially deprived areas.

Every organisation also receives hands-on support from a dedicated DofE staff member, who guides them through training, mentoring, delivery and reporting – ensuring young people get the encouragement and opportunities they need to thrive, no matter their background.

The Studio in Halton started running the DofE thanks to Access Without Limits funding. Their DofE leader, Barry says:

“Halton is one of the most deprived boroughs in the country. But over the years I’ve worked with many different people in the borough and they’re very close-knit communities, very supportive. All members of the community tend to pull together and support things that you do, especially community initiatives.”

Barry felt it was important to be able to offer the DofE to young people outside of a school setting: “Some of the young people doing the DofE with us weren’t accessing school [or] school wasn’t the best experience. They needed a bit more support and I think that’s what we provide – a little bit of extra support just to get young people started and give them that self-belief.”

Barry was highly commended in the Active Award category of the BBC Radio Merseyside Make a Difference Awards, in recognition of his work leading DofE.

Young people like Lewis, who was home-schooled, have seen the positive impact of the DofE:

“When I first signed up, I was a bit scared because I hadn’t had a social experience in a long time. Now I’ve seen the benefits of the DofE – it makes you feel like you can conquer things you didn’t think you ever could; it gives you a lot of confidence and happiness. Joining DofE has changed me. It’s given me challenges to overcome, and so far, I’ve passed every one of them. I want to see what other challenges there are to come and maybe I could overcome them too.”

See the positive impact the DofE made at The Studio:

Rochdale-based community organisation, Aspire 2 Inspire are now running the DofE thanks to Access Without Limits funding. Aspire 2 Inspire supports young people from Black and minority ethnic communities, new and emerging communities, refugees and asylum seekers, families facing financial hardship, and those with additional needs or language difficulties. By delivering DofE, they offer young people new experiences and the chance to gain a recognised accreditation on their CV.

Young people like Zainab, who took part in DofE at Aspire 2 Inspire, have found the programme life-changing:

“DofE is giving me new skills, experiences, and opportunities, but is also lots of fun,” she remarked. “It’s a great way to engage young people, to take them away from gadgets and social media and get them outdoors.”

However, Zainab is aware of the challenges that young people may face accessing the DofE: “There are barriers to doing DofE – it costs money, so you may want to do it but don’t feel like you can put that burden on your parents if you know they’re struggling. There is also a stereotype of the typical DofE participant,” she explains, “An idea that you must be ‘sporty’ or ‘outdoorsy’ to succeed. I’m keen to dispel that myth, to send a message that DofE, and all the skills, opportunities, and experiences it offers, is for every young person.”

Our work with community organisations is helping young people in some of the most deprived areas in the UK to access the DofE – building confidence and resilience and equipping them with skills they can’t learn from a textbook but need to take on today’s toughest challenges.

Thanks to The Julia Rausing Trust, we’re not just funding places – we’re building confidence, resilience, and skills that last a lifetime. Together, we’re working to enable every young person, no matter their circumstances, to access a life-changing DofE.