Excel Esports have become one of the first esports organisations to partner with the Duke of Edinburgh as an approved activity provider.
Excel will offer their Shoreditch HQ and facilities to students in a free pilot scheme to complete the skills section of their Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award. Excel’s team and technological resources will be available to students, including PCs and games, across 13 weeks.
Excel’s talent manager Freeman Williams and FIFA manager Samuel Blackett will be leveraging their experience with professional players to help students develop skills including strategic thinking, communication, leadership and teamwork.
As part of a pilot, Excel’s facilities will initially be open to five young people doing their Bronze DofE. Excel are planning to expand the opportunity to Silver and Gold Award participants in the future, and are set to announce wider activations to help further support disadvantaged youths across London to have access to gaming technology.
The news follows The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’s announcement that it has added esports as a skill young people can develop as part of their programme.
Excel have also published some new research to mark the announcement. They found that 90% of London teenagers believe playing video games and taking part in esports equips them with skills for the future.
Excel spoke to 2,000 London-based teenagers and discovered almost two thirds (63%) believe The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award including esports would encourage them to start their DofE.
The study also highlighted the inequality still faced by disadvantaged youth in London, with over one in 20 teenagers (6%) claiming they would like the opportunity to do esports for their DofE, but do not have access to the specialist technology including gaming consoles to do so.
According to the survey, the London boroughs where young people feel they have the least amount of access to gaming technology to take part in esports are:
- Camden (13%)
- Hackney (10%)
- Croydon (10%)
- Newham (10%)
CEO of Excel Esports, Wouter Sleijffers, commented: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helps thousands of young people each year to develop themselves and we are proud to offer support for those hoping to complete the programme.
“At Excel Esports, we believe that esports has a broader purpose than a social activity or form of entertainment – the industry is innovating in digital competition as well as the way we learn new skills in an ever-changing world.
“We work and support some of the top up and coming professional esports players, talent and future leaders on a daily basis see the incredible benefits of them having learnt communication, teamwork, leadership and strategic thinking skills at a young age not only for their performance but also their overall wellbeing and confidence. We look forward to teaching students these skills and help equip them for the future.”
“Across this course, students will expect to learn skills to compete in a certain game title, with a joint focus on the mental and physical aspects. I’m excited to show them what esports is really all about at Excel and teach them skills they will have for life.”
Freeman Williams, Excel Esports
Excel’s Fortnite manager at Excel and supervisor for Excel’s Duke of Edinburgh programme, Freeman Williams, added: “This one is definitely closer to home for me – especially as my job before Excel was in numerous different schools as a teaching assistant and coach.
“Being able to spread education in any form is always a pleasure. Across this course, students will expect to learn skills to compete in a certain game title, with a joint focus on the mental and physical aspects. I’m excited to show them what esports is really all about at Excel and teach them skills they will have for life.”
Vicky Ellaway-Barnard, programme innovation manager at the Duke of Edinburgh`s Award, added: “We’re delighted that Excel Esports are creating more opportunities for young people to take part in esports for their DofE.
“The DofE is all about giving young people the skills, confidence and self-belief to succeed in life – so esports is a perfect fit for DofE programmes. It helps young people develop essential skills like teamwork, leadership and strategic thinking, while also giving them a chance to have fun and build their social skills.”
For more information, visit https://xl.gg/dofe
More Excel news:
- Excel Esports make changes to Valorant roster
- Excel Esports sign UK streamer Leah
- Interview: Excel Esports CEO on upcoming LEC 2022 Summer Season
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
