Adventure Service Challenge, otherwise known as the ASC scheme, is a three-fold, integrated, interwoven scheme of activity for young people aged 8 to 14 years and beyond. It offers activities of:-

ADVENTURE
Discovery, exploration, leisure pursuits, attitudes to and skills for life;

SERVICE
Concern for others, opportunities for helping those in need;

CHALLENGE
A comprehensive and complete training programme.

The ASC scheme is complete in itself. It is also designed to prepare young people for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. In fact, the DoE Award HQ recommends ASC for that purpose. ASC is not a youth movement. It is an organised, structured, yet flexible and adaptable scheme of activities. It is multi-faith and open to all cultures. It is unique in that it offers its services to leaders and teachers who wish to meet the needs of a wide ability range of young people.Those taking part are not in competition with each other, their progress is assessed on the measure of their own personal achievement.

 

Full details of the recommended activities for each of the 4 stages, together with guidance on the operation of Adventure Service Challenge are contained in the Leader's Handbook. Record cards for each stage are available for those taking part. The cards give an outline of what is required for the activities of that particular stage and allow each one to be "signed off" when completed. Red/yellow cards indicate the 2 Junior Stages and blue/green the Senior.

There is a Certificate for each of the 4 stages. These are available for presentation to those taking part, when they have successfully completed the activities for that stage. They are coloured to match the record cards and serve as permanent record of the young person's achievement. Also available are high-quality enamelled metal badges for Junior Stages (bronze) and Senior Stages (silver).

The Adventure Sevice Challenge scheme was founded in the back streets of a run-down area of Marylebone, in the heart of London, in 1960. The meeting places for the inhabitants of this tight-knit but deprived community, the arena for drunken fights and gambling, and the playground for the children were the streets. Many of the young people were on the receiving end of education (in the narrow sense of the word) but most did not pass the 11+ and were regarded both by themselves and by their parents as failures. They were not stretched, nor did they see much life beyond the classroom. The limit of their horizon was the treeless steets of their home area. They obtained their "kicks" from the adventure of anti-social behaviour, their "adventure games" having the goal of "not being found out". The idea of being concerned with the needs of others seldom if ever crossed their minds; it was "being soft". Concepts of right and wrong were defined by the opinions of their peers and the "values" of the adult society which surrounded them and there was no consensus regarding the source of such concepts or the meaning of the words. The idea of wearing the uniform of a recognised youth organisation was less than appealing to them; they had no wish to be organised by "them". In any case, potential leaders were scarce and hesitated before starting clubs with the limited, if not impossible, aim of "keeping kids off the streets". Many teachers, youth leaders and educationalists were aware of this as a general concern, which was by no means limited to Marylebone, but all needed help to deal with the problem. The answer was to provide the young people with a scheme of activities which was comprehensive, structured yet adaptable, and progressive with goals to achieve. If their natural desire was to seek adventure, then let the Scheme provide it. If they were prepared to accept a challenge, then offer it. If they felt the need to be valued and gain satisfaction from helping others, then let the Scheme open their eyes to such possibilities. Thus the "Adventure Service Challenge" scheme came into being.