The Student Room Group

Dofe Conundrum

Hi guys just wanted to ask everyone's opinion on something..

I was on a gold dofe expedition last year and was taken off for "health and safety reasons" and the company i did the dofe with claimed that i "wasn't eating or drinking" however i was eating as much as everyone who was allowed to complete the expedition was!

I have a heart condition which means that if i do too much exercise in hot weather the flow of blood to my brain can be significantly reduced, I put this on my medical form before the expedition yet afterwards I was told they had no knowledge of this! and wouldn't have allowed me to attend if they would have known!, I was given no concessions (although concessions may be granted in these types of circumstances) , I feel that this put me at a disadvantage to everyone else.... , the person in charge of the company then said that he couldn't answer any of my questions (due to a lack of knowledge)

Before i was taken off we turned up late to a checkpoint (due to rough terrain and someone in our group being injured as well as numerous hazards) at this point one of my assessors grabbed my rucksack and took out most of the contents (with the exception of a few light snacks) and threw them in a carrier bag, then proceeded to berate me for keeping my mobile phone (despite the fact my Dofe Co-ordinator told me I could.... due to my condition) and told us to reach the next checkpoint by a certain time (we met this deadline)

during the expedition numerous pieces of my kit failed, my rucksack's lumber bar gave out (making my rucksack extremely uncomfortable), my boot laces broke (leaving me with extreme blisters) and my hydration bladder started leaking (I didn't realise this had become defunctional)

When I was taken off I was told to walk with the instructor (I didn't know i was going to be taken off) and was only told i was being taken off when I was separated from my group!

I'm unhappy with the conduct of the company and upset because I can't afford to go on another expedition (meaning that this was my one and only chance to do my gold dofe) most of the parties involved have ceased contact with me (I pursued it shortly afterwards)

I feel like I don't have a chance against my activity provider aims the director frequently bought up the company's "impeccable reputation)

can anyone advise me with how I should proceed?
Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous
Hi guys just wanted to ask everyone's opinion on something..

I was on a gold dofe expedition last year and was taken off for "health and safety reasons" and the company i did the dofe with claimed that i "wasn't eating or drinking" however i was eating as much as everyone who was allowed to complete the expedition was!

I have a heart condition which means that if i do too much exercise in hot weather the flow of blood to my brain can be significantly reduced, I put this on my medical form before the expedition yet afterwards I was told they had no knowledge of this! and wouldn't have allowed me to attend if they would have known!, I was given no concessions (although concessions may be granted in these types of circumstances) , I feel that this put me at a disadvantage to everyone else.... , the person in charge of the company then said that he couldn't answer any of my questions (due to a lack of knowledge)

Before i was taken off we turned up late to a checkpoint (due to rough terrain and someone in our group being injured as well as numerous hazards) at this point one of my assessors grabbed my rucksack and took out most of the contents (with the exception of a few light snacks) and threw them in a carrier bag, then proceeded to berate me for keeping my mobile phone (despite the fact my Dofe Co-ordinator told me I could.... due to my condition) and told us to reach the next checkpoint by a certain time (we met this deadline)

during the expedition numerous pieces of my kit failed, my rucksack's lumber bar gave out (making my rucksack extremely uncomfortable), my boot laces broke (leaving me with extreme blisters) and my hydration bladder started leaking (I didn't realise this had become defunctional)

When I was taken off I was told to walk with the instructor (I didn't know i was going to be taken off) and was only told i was being taken off when I was separated from my group!

I'm unhappy with the conduct of the company and upset because I can't afford to go on another expedition (meaning that this was my one and only chance to do my gold dofe) most of the parties involved have ceased contact with me (I pursued it shortly afterwards)

I feel like I don't have a chance against my activity provider aims the director frequently bought up the company's "impeccable reputation)

can anyone advise me with how I should proceed?


I expect DofE will have a complaints procedure.
It seems to me that you were not treated well. I would report it and see how it goes. Maybe ask a parent or teacher to help you out with that.
Reply 2
Thank you, it's been a year since it happened and i've left the school I was in. so I can't ask for help from them.

I don't really know how to proceed because it was a year ago...

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