A look at the new Staged Awards for the Company and Seniors age groups

The Staged Awards were launched in Summer 2021 as part of the new Company and Seniors Programmes and build on the Core Activity Awards for these age groups.

Why have we introduced Staged Awards?

The Staged Awards came out of feedback received from surveys carried out with leaders and young people as part of the Company and Seniors Programme Review. Leaders and young people were asking for something more than the ‘participation’ focussed awards that were part of the Discover and Challenge Plus Programmes. The Programme Review Group, which had the remit of carrying out the Programme Review, made proposals to launch a new set of awards that would build on the participation focussed ‘Core Activity Awards’ which would replace the existing Discover and Challenge Plus awards. The Staged Awards would introduce a set of awards which young people would complete based on a set syllabus. These proposals were consulted on in Spring/Summer 2020 with over 400 leaders getting involved in a series of webinars, which ultimately led to the launch of the Staged Awards.

Check out the Staged Awards including the requirements for each award at: boys-brigade.org.uk/staged-awards

How many Staged Awards are there?

We have announced 18 Staged Awards, which are all linked to one of the six Activity Areas found in the programme, continuing the focus on providing a balanced programme with a wide range of opportunities. So far we have launched 10 of the Staged Awards and the remaining awards will be launched during the Summer 2022 term.

What is a Staged Award?

A Staged Award is focussed on a specific subject (i.e. First Aid, Navigator, Musician) and has been designed to develop skills and interest by young people working through the varying stages of the award. Each Staged Award has four levels, with Level 1 being a taster or introduction to the subject, and as a young person progresses through the award they will continue to develop their skills and interest, where at Level 4 we see them as being experienced and/or self-sufficient in the subject. Young people are able to work towards any number of Staged Awards at any one time, although of course there will be some discretion on this at a Company level based on leaders being able to appropriately support young people.

How does a young person work towards a Staged Award?

To get started on a Staged Award the first thing would be to enable young people to take a look through the range of awards available to see which they would be interested in working towards. Each award has a set syllabus outlining the requirements to complete each level of the award and young people can decide which level they are aiming to ultimately achieve. The levels should be worked towards one at a time in order, so a young person would need to achieve Level 1 before moving on to Level 2. We would encourage leaders to ensure that young people are involved in decisions around choosing which award(s) and level(s) to work towards.

Are there links to the Major Awards?

The Staged Awards can be linked to our Major Awards (President’s and Queen’s Badges) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to help encourage participation in those awards. There are however no requirements for young people to complete Staged Awards as part of working towards the Major Awards.

Can Staged Awards be achieved outside of BB?

Young people can work towards Staged Awards outside of the BB programme, providing it is safe to do so and activity is recorded and evidence shared. Where this is the case leaders will need to ensure that there is appropriate support in place and that risk assessments are carried out prior to activity commencing. Parents/carers should also be aware of planned activity and take responsibility for any activity taking place outside of the BB programme.

Can a Staged Award be gained for previous achievements?

It is not the expectation that Staged Awards are given out without a young person working through each level of the award, one at a time, building on the previous level. This should be based on the minimum periods of time set out for each level of the award or within the specific requirements set out for the award.

Are Staged Awards compulsory?

The Staged Awards are not a compulsory part of our programme, and it is up to each Company, and ultimately the young people to decide if they would like to work towards the awards. We believe that the Staged Awards will help to support retention by providing a source of additional programming and recognition which builds on the core elements.

Can young people create their own Staged Awards areas / topics?

At the moment the 18 Staged Awards are the chosen areas that young people can work towards awards for, this is to ensure consistency in the awards across the Brigade. Over time the plan is to provide awards in other areas and any new areas will be chosen in consultation with young people. To help provide flexibility for young people, both the ‘Interests’ and ‘Sports Person’ Staged Awards allow participants to pick their chosen speciality to focus on.

How do we recognise achievement?

We believe it is important to recognise the achievement of young people and the Staged Awards are no different. Based on four levels for each Staged Award, certificates will recognise completion of Levels 1 and 2, with badges recognising completion of Levels 3 and 4. There is space on the armband to wear up to six Staged Awards at any one time.

The certificates are available to download from the website or available to purchase from BB Supplies. The badges are available to purchase from BB Supplies.

Will resources be available to support the Staged Awards?

Yes, we have already produced a number of resources as part of the termly programmes for the Company and Seniors age groups which have links to various Staged Awards. We will continue to provide additional resources to help support leaders and young people.

Remember you can find out more about the Staged Awards and the syllabus for each award at: boys-brigade.org.uk/staged-awards

Leaders are encouraged to consider how they can incorporate the Staged Awards into the programme for the Company and Seniors age groups. We believe that young people will really enjoy working towards these awards and that they will be a great addition to the programme.

If you have any questions about the Staged Awards please contact us at: programme@boys-brigade.org.uk