Personal Challenge Award

The example challenges and guidance for leaders were updated in June 2018. The requirements of the award have not changed.

How to earn your award

Complete two personal challenges which you and your leader agree on.

You should choose one of the challenges and your leader will choose the other.

The challenges must be different from the ones you did for your Beaver and Cub Personal Challenge Awards.

Top tips

The challenges should be things that you find difficult but can overcome with some effort and commitment. They can be to do with any part of your life, for example home, school or Scouts.

Here are some example challenges to give you some ideas, but make sure you choose to do something that is personal to you.

Support a new Scout to complete their Membership Award
Give up using your mobile or games console for a week
Take part in an organised walk or run for charity
Talk about a topic you are interested in in front of your Patrol
Bring the right equipment to Scouts every week for a term
Help your younger brother or sister with their school work for a term
Learn how to communicate in basic sign language
Do at least an hour of physical activity every day over the summer holidays
Gain an activity permit
Do the washing up at home for two weeks
Plan and run a base or activity at camp
Organise a small fundraising event for the Group or a local charity

Flexibility

Each young person who participates in the programme, including badges and awards, should face a similar degree of challenge, and requirements can be adapted according to each young person’s abilities. For more information and practical tips see our guidance on flexibility

Guidance for leaders

This award is a great opportunity for Scouts to overcome something they find difficult, or set out to achieve something that is really meaningful and personal to them.

To complete this award Scouts should discuss possible personal challenges with their leader or an Explorer Scout Young Leader. The emphasis is on the young person having ownership of the award. One of the challenges should be primarily the Scout’s choice, and one the leader’s choice. In some cases, it may be helpful to discuss them with the Scout’s parents or carers, with the Scout’s permission.

Challenges should be individual and require some kind of personal commitment. It could be something to help the Scout develop their confidence, organisational skills, health and fitness, behaviour, communication or skills. For example, a shy Scout’s challenge could be supporting a new Scout to complete their Membership Award, or to talk about a topic in front of the rest of their Patrol; or a forgetful Scout’s challenge could be to remember to bring the right equipment for activities every week for a term.

Example challenges are provided, but any suitable challenge can be used. Scouts should agree on their two challenges before they start working on them, and it is recommended that the Personal Challenge Award should be completed when a Scout has been in the section for some time, so that you have got to know each other and had time to think about what will be most meaningful.

Some extra examples are provided below:

Cycle to school for a fortnight
Help someone with their reading or writing for a term
Cook one of the evening meals you cooked at camp for your family at home
Learn how to make your own clothing
Take your dog for a walk every day for two weeks
Help to plan and take part in an Investiture Ceremony
Learn how to light a fire without using matches or a lighter
Plan and run a Scout’s Own
Grow your own vegetables and use them in cooking
Make something to sell to raise money for charity
Do some gardening or other jobs to help an elderly or disabled person
Create and run a new game for your Troop

2nd Southampton Scout Troop have put together a great programme to help deliver this Challenge Award which can be found here.

For more tips and ideas, read a Scouting magazine article about the Personal Challenge Awards here.

Thank you to UK Programme Support Team members Linda Thelwell and Trevor Poulson, as well as Andrew Sutherland (Volunteer Head of Programme Support) and Will Reynalds (UK Scout Adviser) for contributing to the example challenges.