Chief Scout’s Platinum Award Explained

What Is the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award?

The Chief Scout’s Platinum Award is one of the top awards available to Explorer Scouts.

It gives Explorers the opportunity to develop their skills, take on new challenges and demonstrate commitment both within Scouting and beyond it.

It isn’t simply an award for completing a collection of badges.

The Platinum Award is designed to encourage personal development, outdoor experiences, community involvement and new challenges.

Scouts describes it as a chance for Explorers to celebrate their progress and take stock of how far they’ve come.

For many Explorers, it can also be an important stepping stone towards the Chief Scout’s Diamond Award and eventually the King’s Scout Award.

Who Can Earn the Platinum Award?

The award is for Explorer Scouts.

One of the requirements is that you must have been a member of Explorer Scouts for at least six months.

The award can be worked towards alongside other Explorer activities, so it doesn’t necessarily need to be treated as a completely separate programme.

Planning ahead is useful because some parts take place over a period of time.

What Do You Have to Do?

The current Platinum Award has several parts.

You need to complete:

Six months as an Explorer Scout

Eight nights away, including at least four camping nights

Two International, Community and Values activities

And then choose between:

The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Bronze Gateway Award

or

The four Platinum Scout Challenges.

Let’s look at each part.

Six Months as an Explorer

You need to be a member of Explorer Scouts for at least six months.

This provides the foundation for the award and gives you time to work towards the other requirements.

You don’t need to spend six months doing one particular activity.

Instead, it’s about being part of the Explorer section while progressing through the award.

Eight Nights Away

You need to complete eight nights away as an Explorer Scout, of which at least four must be camping.

The nights away can come from Scouting activities and can also count when they are used elsewhere within the award, subject to the current award rules.

This is a great opportunity to build confidence with camping and outdoor activities.

A mixture of camps, expeditions and other suitable nights away can help Explorers develop greater independence and experience outdoors.

International, Community and Values Activities

The Platinum Award also requires you to complete two activities from the International, Community and Values list.

The two activities need to come from different areas of the Platinum ICV list.

ICV activities are designed to encourage Explorers to learn more about the wider world, their communities and their own values.

The activities can therefore take you beyond traditional outdoor Scouting skills.

They are also intended to develop with the young person as they progress through the Platinum, Diamond and King’s Scout Award stages.

The Four Platinum Scout Challenges

Instead of completing the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Bronze Gateway Award, Explorers can complete the four Platinum Scout Challenges.

These challenges cover different areas of personal development.

They include:

Taking up a skill

Taking part in a physical activity

Providing service

Completing a self-led expedition

The current Scouts requirements provide the full details and time commitments for each challenge, so Explorers should check the latest guidance before starting.

The Skill Challenge

The skill challenge gives Explorers an opportunity to develop an existing interest or try something completely new.

It could be something practical, creative, technical or hobby-based.

The important part is demonstrating progress and a lasting interest.

This could mean learning something such as photography, cooking, music, crafts, mechanics or another suitable skill.

The point isn’t simply to say:

“I did this once.”

You should be able to show that you developed your ability over time.

The Physical Activity Challenge

The physical challenge is about taking part in a suitable physical activity and following an agreed programme of participation and achievement.

This could involve an activity you already enjoy or something completely new.

Running, cycling, swimming, climbing, walking and many other activities could potentially provide opportunities, depending on the activity and the current award requirements.

The important thing is to make genuine progress and maintain your commitment.

The Service Challenge

The service challenge gives Explorers an opportunity to contribute to an individual or their community.

This could potentially involve volunteering within Scouting or helping with another community activity.

Service should be meaningful rather than simply completing occasional tasks.

Explorers should receive appropriate briefing and training so that they have the skills needed for the role.

For Explorers acting as Young Leaders, current Scouts guidance includes specific requirements around the training that must have been completed before service can count.

The Expedition Challenge

The expedition is one of the most recognisable parts of the award.

Explorers complete a self-led expedition, developing their planning, navigation, teamwork and outdoor skills.

The expedition should be properly prepared and undertaken in accordance with the current requirements and safety guidance.

It’s an opportunity to put many Explorer skills into practice.

Navigation becomes useful.

So does route planning.

Camping becomes practical.

Cooking becomes relevant.

And teamwork becomes essential.

The expedition isn’t simply about walking from one place to another.

It’s about demonstrating that you’ve prepared properly and can take responsibility for the journey.

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Alternative

If you complete the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, it can be used instead of completing the four Platinum Scout Challenges. The Bronze DofE is specifically linked with the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award.

The Bronze DofE includes volunteering, physical, skills and expedition sections.

If you’re considering this route, speak to your Explorer Leader or DofE adviser before starting so that you understand the registration and assessment requirements.

Bronze Gateway Award

The Bronze Gateway Award can also be used as the alternative to the four Platinum Scout Challenges.

The Gateway Award is designed to be inclusive of different abilities and provides an alternative award pathway.

If this is the route you want to take, check the current Scouts guidance with your leader before beginning.

Can You Work Towards Other Awards at the Same Time?

Yes.

Explorers can work towards multiple awards at their own pace.

The Scouts Explorer awards page specifically highlights the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award, Chief Scout’s Diamond Award and King’s Scout Award as part of the wider Explorer top-award pathway.

Some activities may be able to contribute towards more than one requirement, depending on the rules for the particular award.

This makes planning important.

Before starting an activity, check which requirements it could potentially help you complete.

What Skills Does the Platinum Award Develop?

The award covers much more than outdoor skills.

It can help Explorers develop:

Independence

Commitment

Leadership

Teamwork

Navigation

Outdoor skills

Physical fitness

Community awareness

Problem-solving

Personal responsibility

These are useful skills whether or not an Explorer continues towards the next top award.

Why Is the Platinum Award Worth Doing?

The award gives Explorers a reason to challenge themselves.

You might discover a new hobby.

You might become more confident outdoors.

You might learn how to lead others.

You might contribute to your community.

You might complete an expedition that you didn’t think you were capable of.

The award is therefore less about collecting a badge and more about what you become capable of while earning it.

Tips for Getting Started

Don’t leave everything until the last few months.

Start by looking at the requirements and deciding which pathway you want to take.

Then think about activities you’re already interested in.

Perhaps you’re already camping regularly.

Maybe you have a hobby that could become your skill challenge.

Perhaps you’re already helping with a younger Scout section.

You may already have ideas for your physical activity.

Use those interests as a starting point.

TOP TIP

Don’t choose activities simply because they seem easy.

Choose something that gives you an opportunity to learn, improve and demonstrate genuine progress.

Keep Evidence as You Go

It’s much easier to record your progress while you’re doing the award than trying to remember everything afterwards.

Keep notes, dates, photographs, certificates or other appropriate evidence where useful.

Your leader or assessor can then help you confirm that you’ve completed each requirement.

The current Scouts guidance includes specific information about assessment and sign-off, so check the latest requirements rather than relying on an old checklist.

Platinum to Diamond

The Chief Scout’s Platinum Award isn’t the end of the Explorer top-award journey.

The Chief Scout’s Diamond Award comes next.

Scouts describes Diamond as the highest of the Chief Scout’s Awards and the final step before the King’s Scout Award.

Completing Platinum can therefore give Explorers a strong foundation for taking on the next challenge.

The Diamond Award increases the level of commitment, including more nights away, further ICV activities and additional challenges.

Keep the Award Personal

There’s no need for every Explorer to complete exactly the same activities.

One person might discover a passion for photography.

Another might become a confident climber.

Someone else might enjoy volunteering with younger sections.

Another Explorer might discover that they love expedition planning.

That’s one of the strengths of the award.

It gives Explorers a framework while allowing them to develop their own interests.

Final Thoughts

The Chief Scout’s Platinum Award is a significant achievement.

It combines time in the Explorer section with nights away, community and values activities and a choice of personal challenges.

But the most important part isn’t the badge.

It’s the experience gained along the way.

🏆 THE BIG IDEA

The Platinum Award is about becoming more capable.

Try something new.
Develop a skill.
Challenge yourself.
Help others.
Spend time outdoors.
Learn from the experience.

By the time you finish, you should be able to look back and see how much you’ve developed since you started.