Diamond Fund opportunities

Back in 2016, Girlguiding members took on the Diamond Challenge.

Together you raised an amazing £31,00 for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE). This was  match-funded by DofE and the #iwill foundation, as part of the DofE’s initiative to get more disadvantaged young people doing their DofE.

For more information, see our blog on the Diamond Fund.

Current national Diamond Fund opportunities

To help more disadvantaged young people do their DofE, girls and groups can now apply for GO Outdoors vouchers. We have 100 £100 and 141 £50 vouchers to give out to groups and girls in need.

What can I spend the vouchers on? 

 As our recommended outdoor retailer, GO Outdoors is dedicated to providing you with the best range of kit at the best prices. The GO Outdoors family of stores aim to make the outdoors accessible to everyone, so adventurers of all ages and abilities can have unbeatable experiences.

You can use the vouchers to buy any outdoor kit relevant to a girl's DofE experience. This could include outdoor wear, walking boots, camping gear, tents, and any other essential expedition equipment. 

Who can apply? 

Any Girlguiding member doing their DofE who falls under the definition of 'disadvantaged' can apply for a voucher.

You can apply as an individual, or on behalf of a group. The individual or group you apply for has to be doing their DofE with Girlguiding. The vouchers are not available for individuals who are doing their DofE with their school, even if they are a Girlguiding member. 

Parents can also apply on behalf of their girls. If you are a Girlguiding volunteer applying for a girl under the age of 18, please inform the girl's parents before applying. 

What does 'disadvantaged' mean? 

The term 'disadvantaged' refers to people who live in the top 30% of disadvantaged postcodes. This is measured by an Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). You can check whether your group's postcode falls in a disadvantaged area by entering them into the IMD for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

You can use either the DofE Leader's postcode, or the postcode of your group or unit's meeting place. 

Leaders and girls can also qualify for a voucher if any of the following apply: 

• if a girl is in receipt of free school meals
• if a girl is at risk of exclusion from education
• if a girl is not in full time education, training or work
• if a girl is responsible for caring for someone else
• if a girl is a parent under the age of 18
• if a girl doesn't speak English as a first language
• if a girl is an asylum seeker or a refugee
• if a girl is in custody. 

Specific circumstances

If there are any specific circumstances within any of your regions that would mean a young person is harder to reach, please do also include this in your application, as this could also qualify. 

If you aren't sure about whether your girl or group falls into any of the criteria above, but still want to apply, give us all the information you can in the form below, and we'll be in touch. 

How to apply

Please fill out the form below with all the information you can. We may be in touch to ask questions about your application if needed. We will be allocating the vouchers on a first-come-first-served basis to everyone who is eligible.