The Award is a four-Section programme with three levels:

* Bronze (for those aged 14 and over)
* Silver (for those aged 15 and over) and
* Gold (for those aged 16 and over).

The Sections involve:

* Service (helping people in the community)
* Skills (covering almost any hobby, skill or interest)
* Physical Recreation (sport, dance and fitness)
* Expeditions (training for, planning and completing a journey on foot or horseback, by boat or cycle)
* Residential Project (Gold Award only) (a purposeful enterprise with people not previously known to the participant)

The Award is widely recognised by employers and people involved in education. Some of the benefits to young people include developing self-confidence and self-reliance; gaining a sense of achievement and a sense of responsibility; discovering new skills, interests and talents and developing leadership skills and abilities. They can also discover exciting opportunities; make new friends; experience teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making; increase their motivation; enhance their self-esteem and develop their communication skills. They will also, of course, have fun!

The Government has recognised that the Award has a valuable role to play within a young person's personal development. The Award is closely linked with many Government initiatives across the UK.

The Award gives opportunities for young people to:

* enjoy a wide variety of physical, creative and aesthetic experiences which encourage personal growth and development;
* experience new lifestyles and cultures outside their own immediate neighbourhood, possibly abroad;
* experience a variety of learning and teaching styles with people from different walks of life;
* take decisions of increasing complexity and accept responsibility for the consequences;
* discover new talents and abilities and test values and beliefs;
* give a continuing personal commitment of service to others;
* establish and sustain inter-personal relationships;
* negotiate their own personal programme of participation, seeking out and researching relevant information, and gradually take responsibility for their own learning;
* understanding their strengths and weakness, assess their personal level of competence, increase their own personal effectiveness and take responsibility for their own lives having a great time!