FOTA in Action

FOTA E&L works to raise grant funding to extend the reach of the DofE to more and more marginalised young people and also ensures a quality DofE experience for all young people (supporting Expeditions and providing a quality kit hire service at low prices).

In Edinburgh and the Lothians we are involved in :

Delivering DofE to marginalised young people

We do this through our partnerships and direct support from our dedicated Transitions Development Worker:

  • CAMHS (Chidlren and Adolescent Mental Health Services) now with it's own on-site p/t Development Worker and moving on to mentoring in a local venue close to the unit.
  • The Red Phone Box – a one-to-one appointment system to mentor young people through their DofE that cannot be linked in to an Open Award Group.
  • YOS (Youth Offending Service) partnership. This has now moved on to become a 10 week programme with Heart of Midlothian Football Club in combination with a Life Skills Programme for the Physical and Skill sections of the DofE. The pilot study for this project is being evaluated by YOS (June 2010)
  • DofE in the Libraries – 7 libraries across Edinburgh will take part in DofE Induction Training, allowing their staff to deliver DofE to young people in libraries.
  • Explore O Ten – this is a mixed ability Expedition group that will be completing a Living Forest Exploration as part of their DofE in partnership with The Green Team (www.greenteam.org.uk) and Wiston Lodge (www.wistonlodge.co.uk).

Sign up for our Impact newsletter to be kept up-to-date with the work of our Transitions strategy.

Supporting the Expedition section of the DofE:

Organisations often struggle to deliver the Expedition section of the DofE due to the high costs involved in kitting out a group, insurance and the health and safety guidelines that each Operating Authority requires.

At FOTA E&L we have a dedicated Expeditions Co-ordinator to support all groups.

  • We helped 698 young people in 2009 to complete their Expedition. We are on-target to support 900 this year.
  • Our kit hire service can provide top-quality kit for 80 people at a time. We offer 50% off our kit hire charges for FOTA E&L member groups.
  • We now run BELA courses in Edinburgh to increase the skills of our local volunteer leaders but also offer paid places to those from other areas.

(Complete a training enquiry form to enquire about a place on our next BELA course)