Home > How to start

What's involved?

Dartmoor sunset 2008 - photo: Will Thurston

There is no weekly meeting or other regular commitment for the Award: your progress is up to you. There is, however, a need for you to be willing to respond promptly to e-mails. You will also be asked to provide yourself with a compass and an up-to-date map when you join an expedition group. We can supply both at a discount, or you can borrow from friends.

Before starting on the list of administrative tasks displayed in the table below, you should let AJPA know that you wish to join the scheme. Tasks which appear side by side in this table can be dealt with simultaneously. Clicking on all three grey buttons below is essential!

If you are not yet of the right age for any particular level, but will be by the time the Expedition season starts, then you should let AJPA know as early as possible in order that appropriate provision can be made in terms of booking Assessors with the New Forest Panel.

 

Read an overview of the Requirements of the Award

  Overview  
 

Download material for your parents and email it to them.

  Form & Booklet  
 

Decide on a programme and construct an Aims Document. You may want to have a preliminary discussion with AJPA  about the various possible strategies, in which case, read the text on the Home page of this web site.

  Aims Document  
 
Receive the Registration form  back from your parents and fill in your bits.   Get the Aims Document signed by your assessors.
 
Give both pieces of paperwork and the cheque to AJPA.
 
Follow your chosen activities for the prescribed periods. During this phase (which can be quite long - up to 18 months for Gold) there is nothing you need do in the way of Award administration.

As you complete each section, discuss the issue of start and stop dates with AJPA and then get your assessor to write his/her report before signing you off.

   During the summer months Expedition groups will be made up, based where possible on houses. Some of the training will be done centrally and some in groups up to house in the evening. The Silver Final Expeditions normally take place at the end of Cloister Time, when GCSEs are out of the way. The Bronze expeditions will probably take place at the beginning of Short Half, the training having been done during Cloister Time.
 
Bring the fully signed-off Record Book to AJPA for onward transmission to HQ