Extracurricular activities provides focus during lockdown

Fred, a Silver DofE Award participant, shares this thoughts with us on doing his DofE With a Difference during the coronavirus pandemic:

“I felt ok during lockdown because I had schoolwork and the DofE to keep me going. Doing my DofE helped me to stay focused and mentally sharp. I’ve been blind since birth and I tailored my skills activity to improving my independent living, such as cooking and making hot drinks for myself. Cycling for my physical activity has also helped me feel better about myself and improve my fitness.

I feel more pressure now to do well in GCSE exams next year; I continue to work hard but it’s not easy catching up. However, I always make sure I find time to for non-academic activities as I believe personal development is equally as important as exam results. It shows a desire to achieve things outside of the curriculum and I’d like to see schools and employers embrace it more.”

Hear more from Fred on how doing the DofE has helped with his mental health and wellbeing.

Take a look at DofE With A Difference for ideas and advice on how you can keep doing your DofE during the coronavirus outbreak.

And don’t forget – if you’ve completed your Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections but can’t do your expedition right now, we’ve introduced The 2020 DofE Certificate of Achievement to formally recognise your achievements at this extraordinary time.