Gold DofE. fULLY FUNDED.
Windmill Youth Group helps young people from Blackpool and the Fylde take on the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award when cost would otherwise stand in the way.
We can fund the costs that make Gold possible - including expedition and residential fees, essential expedition kit and necessary travel.
A FAIR CHANCE TO TAKE ON GOLD.
Gold DofE asks a lot of a young person: commitment, time, independence and the willingness to see something through. For some families, it also brings costs that are difficult to meet.
The Windmill Youth Group exists to remove that financial barrier. We support young people who want to complete their Gold Award and are ready to commit to it, but need financial help to make it possible.
You can apply if…
You want to work towards the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
You are prepared to commit to completing the Award.
You or your family would find the associated costs difficult to meet.
You are willing to complete an application and, if shortlisted, meet our selection committee.
It’s NOT if…
You're outside the FY postcode area. We'd love to help, but our funding is local.
You're not 16 yet. We focus on Gold DofE, which starts at 16.
You're looking for activities or a youth programme. We don't run sessions, we fund Gold DofE alongside an existing provider.
You haven't decided you want to do Gold DofE yet. This is for people who already want it.
Why FUNDING MATTERs
GOLD COSTS MORE THAN THE REGISTRATION FEE.
Those costs vary considerably depending on the provider, the residential chosen, what equipment a participant already has and how far they need to travel. Taken together, they can quickly run into four figures.
That is the gap the Windmill Youth Group is here to close. We assess each successful applicant individually and fund the reasonable costs needed for them to complete their Gold Award.
The official Gold participation fee is only one part of the picture. Completing Gold may also involve expedition training and assessment, a five-day residential, personal expedition equipment and travel.
£3065
The TYPICAL cost of one Gold DofE Award, in FULL.
7
Places we currently fund every year.
21
Places we want to fund each year.
What we cAN FUND
Everything Gold DofE costs.
We CAN cover IT.
GOLD
EXPEDITION
Training, practice and qualifying expedition costs through an appropriate DofE provider.
GOLD
RESIDENTIAL
The cost of an approved five-day, four-night residential that meets the Gold requirements.
Essential
expedition kit
The personal equipment needed to take part safely and properly - for example boots, waterproofs, a rucksack and sleeping equipment - where the participant does not already have suitable kit.
TRAVEL
Reasonable travel costs associated with the expedition, residential and other agreed Gold requirements.
Getting
started
Where a young person is not already registered or connected to a DofE provider, we can help them understand the next step and, where appropriate, meet the relevant costs.
Support
through IT
Someone to help signpost you along the way.
How it works.
From application to cOMPLETION. What to expect.
1.Apply
Tell us who you are, where you are in your DofE journey and why Gold matters to you.
2. Shortlist and interview.
Our selection committee reviews applications and meets shortlisted applicants.
3. Agree the plan.
If selected, we agree what support is needed and how your Gold programme will be delivered.
4. Complete your Gold.
You undertake the Award through your DofE provider. The Windmill Youth Group funds the agreed costs and stays in touch as you progress.
Our heritage
SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE SINCE 1978.
The Windmill Youth Group began in Blackpool in 1978, founded by Police Inspector Stuart Sykes.
What started as a local initiative grew into decades of DofE activity, community service, environmental work and expeditions across Britain and overseas.
Today the way we work has changed, but the purpose remains recognisable: creating opportunities for young people to challenge themselves, contribute and achieve something that stays with them.
The next generation
SAM SYKES - CHAIRMAN
In 2026, after 15 years as Vice Chairman, Sam Sykes succeeded his father as Chairman.
A former Windmill Youth Group participant who completed his own DofE through the Group, Sam now leads outdoor education businesses working across DofE, instructor training, expeditions and specialist projects in the UK and internationally. He takes forward the same mission for the next generation.
Stories
WHAT GOLD CAN START.
The Award is the framework. The real story is what a young person learns by committing to it: turning up, working with other people, dealing with setbacks and discovering what they can do.
As the new Windmill Youth Group programme develops, this is where participants will tell that story in their own words.
Support Windmill Youth Group
HELP FUND THE NEXT PLACE.
The Windmill Youth Group is a registered charity run by trustees and volunteers. Donations, grants and partnerships allow us to fund more young people through Gold DofE.
Support can be financial, through grants or sponsorship, or practical - including appropriate expedition kit and services that reduce the cost of a participant's Award.
7 places a year today.
21 is the target.
£3065 +
Fund a full Gold DofE Award
Everything one young person needs, from application to certificate. Expedition, residential, kit, transport, support.
£850
Kit FOR one participant
Rucksack, boots, waterproofs and sleeping kit, so nobody arrives at the start line already behind.
Any Amount
Give what you can
One-off or monthly. Every contribution goes straight into places, not overheads.
Sponsors, grant-makers and businesses
Partner with Windmill
Kit partnerships, corporate sponsorship, grant funding and legacy giving. Get in touch and we will talk you through where the money goes.
Common questions.
-
Young people aged 16-25 living in the FY postcode area who want to undertake Gold DofE and need financial support to make it possible.
-
No. Gold can be started without completing the earlier Awards, although the timescales for some sections are longer for direct entrants.
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No. You can apply whether you are already underway or are trying to work out how to get started.
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Support is agreed individually and can include DofE registration, expedition and residential costs, essential personal expedition kit and reasonable travel associated with completing the Award.
-
Applications are reviewed by our selection committee. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview before funding decisions are made.
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Through charitable donations, grants, fundraising and support from partner organisations and businesses.
Ready to apply?
If you're 16-25, live in the FY postcode area, want to do the Gold DofE Award, and the cost is the reason you haven't applied yet, we'd love to hear from you.
Not ready to apply yet? Get in touch with a question first.