Please find the latest pleas/offers from Dave Sommerville below; contact him directly to follow up on anything that interests you. FOR VISITORS FROM FURTHER AFIELD: Please read carefully, since these offers are primarily intended for Pembrokeshire participants…

• Could all leaders please double check record books before sending them in – I have had to send a number back already this term. The two biggest problems are that the participant hasn’t done an expedition report, or that the expedition has been assessed by someone who is not an Accredited Assessor.
• Conservation days with the National Park – one day a month you can do conservation work with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which can go towards either your Skill or your Volunteering sections. This scheme has proved to be very successful but there are spaces still available.
• Accredited Expedition Assessor course at Fishguard Community Learning Centre – 28 February 2010. Anyone who is not yet accredited but who wants to assess expeditions must attend this course – and it’s free to Pembrokeshire based staff – outsiders are allowed but must pay £5 enrolment and bring a cake.
• Junior Sports Leader Award course – February 2010 [exact dates to be confirmed]. A brilliant opportunity for Bronze and Silver Award participants to complete either their Volunteering or Skills sections, this course was highly successful last year and received rave reviews from all who took part. Cost £35.
• Mid Wales Practice Expedition – 15-18 April 2010. Open to all Pembrokeshire Gold Award participants as long as they have completed their Silver Award, made progress with their 3 sections and have either completed or booked their Residential.
• Isle of Harris Scotland Expedition – 21-29 July 2010. Open to all Pembrokeshire Gold Award participants as long as they have completed their Silver Award, made progress with their 3 sections and have either completed or booked their Residential. Cost approximately £200.
• Residential Project in Mid Wales – 10-15 August 2010. Open to all Pembrokeshire Gold Award participants as long as the rest of their Gold Award is complete. This project is being co-run with our good friends at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Richmond. Cost approximately £140.
• BELA course 2010-2011. We are taking applicants already! This course is open to anyone who wants to help out with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Pembrokeshire. Cost £150 or £80 for concessions.

Finished Gold DOE and want more? Like the outdoors lifestyle and enjoy volunteering? Stuck with a long summer holiday between school and university/a job? Fear not! This might be just what you’re after!

This is a volunteer scheme run in Iceland during the summer months to maintain various networks of footpaths in more remote areas of National Parks etc. Unfortunately you need to be over 18 years old but the only self funded bit are the flights from the UK, everything else is free!

The Rona Trust provide sailing voyages for young people which count as Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award residentials. A number of Pembrokeshire participants have been and have been unstinting in their praise of the whole experience. For more information visit Rona Trust’s website at http://www.ronatrust.com/LSP2006/index.php?id=0

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers run excellent conservation holidays all over Britain which make ideal Gold Award residentials. For more information have a look at www.btcv.org/shop

This is likely to be the last year that Bob Inglesant runs his annual Gold Award Residential working in the orphanage at Baia Mare, Romania. If you are a Pembrokeshire Gold Award participant and would like to go, please email Bob on bob.sal@tiscali.co.uk