The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) has commissioned the University of Bath and the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice to carry out an independent evaluation of its new initiative which aims to expand access to DofE for young people in youth justice settings.

Generously funded by the Julia Rausing Trust, the three-year £1m project aims to reach young people who are leaving prison, serving their sentence in the community, or at risk of offending.

Through the project, DofE is supporting new organisations, including Youth Justice Services, local authorities and community charities, to help more young people to access a DofE programme.

DofE gives young people the opportunity to build confidence, develop new skills and contribute to their communities. For those facing significant challenges, achieving a DofE Award can be a powerful step forward, improving wellbeing, building resilience and opening up future opportunities.

By March 2028, the project aims to license 18 new organisations and support hundreds of young people – whether leaving prison, serving sentences in the community, or at risk of offending – to start or continue their DofE journey.

To support this work, the DofE has commissioned experts in the University's Department for Health to carry out an independent evaluation of the project alongside the Alliance of Sport.

The Alliance of Sport is the UK’s leading organisation focused on the role of sport in criminal justice settings, with extensive experience working across statutory and voluntary sectors to support young people facing complex challenges.

Within the University, the evaluation is being led by Dr Haydn Morgan and Dr Andrew Manley, researchers specialising in sport, social inclusion, community development and youth engagement. Their work focuses on how structured programmes and trusted relationships can help young people – particularly those facing disadvantage – achieve positive outcomes.

Working closely with the DofE and delivery organisations across the UK, the research partners will build a deeper understanding of how DofE can best support young people in youth justice settings. This includes exploring how DofE complements existing provision and how it can help young people build confidence, develop skills and engage positively with their communities.

By combining frontline experience with academic insight, the partnership aims to strengthen delivery, share learning across the sector and create meaningful, lasting opportunities for the young people involved.

Dr Haydn Morgan, a Senior Lecturer in the Department for Health, says: "We know that enrichment activities, such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, have the potential to create belonging, broaden horizons, and support aspiration. But access to these activities is often unequal, so we’re looking forward to examining how expanding access to this cohort of young people might support their futures and build evidence regarding the potential of enrichment activities as a broader policy tool to engage and support young people.

"We are pleased to be supporting this project by informing the partners on the latest research, creating case studies and convening meetings of experts in the youth and justice policy space to make sure the findings of the project are as impactful as possible."

James Mapstone, the Alliance of Sport CEO said: “Every young person deserves the opportunity to recognise their strengths, build confidence and see a positive future for themselves. This evaluation will help us understand how the DofE can make the greatest difference for young people in youth justice settings and ensure that the learning strengthens support across the wider sector.”