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Volunteer with us - become a DofE volunteer

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Volunteer with us - become a DofE Adult Volunteer 

Are you ready to be part of something enriching and rewarding? We're on the lookout for enthusiastic and engaging adult volunteers to help make the DofE Award happen for young people!

As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in creating an inspiring, energetic and supportive atmosphere helping bring the DofE Award to life for young people aged between 13 and 25 years old. 

To apply to be a DofE volunteer you must be aged 18 years and over.

DofE volunteer roles

Youth Centre work

The volunteer role within the DofE Team is split into two core areas of work.
Firstly, our youth centre based volunteering sees adult volunteers get involved in fortnightly 'youth club' themed sessions. The volunteer works directly with the DofE Leaders at each centre to help run activities, assist young people to help achieve the activities, and support young people to achieve the learning outcomes from the session. The sessions are focused on relationship and team building tasks, leadership activities and themed sessions on volunteering, first aid, and expedition cooking. We also cover eDofE and include an aspect of free social time for young people to play sports, pool, table tennis, board games and socialise! 
These sessions take place at our Brentwood Youth Centre, Galleywood Youth Centre and Colchester Youth Centre. There are a total of 10 sessions which are delivered between November and March each year. Sessions run in the evenings between 6.30-9.30pm. 

Expedition work

Our second opportunity sees volunteers get involved in our weekday and weekend training days and practice/qualifying expeditions for bronze, silver and gold. Expeditions take place between March and October every year. Expeditions range from 2 days/1 night up to 4 days/3 nights. This would involve time away from home sleeping in tents or simple accommodation. Expeditions offer volunteers a fully immersive experience into expedition life, helping support and mentor participants with the mental and physical challenges they're facing. 

Who are we looking for?

Dynamic, curious and engaging personalities who are interested in, and enjoy spending time and talking with young people. Hard working and compassionate individuals who will get stuck in to activities with our DofE participants. And help support them during challenging times. Activities could be class based, or in the sports hall crawling around on the floor. This may involve training young people on putting up a tent, discussing the in's and out's of expedition requirements with an expedition team or offering volunteering advice, arranging rucksacks and cooking stoves ready for expedition, camping during an expedition and walking for a day/multiple days with a day-pack to meet teams out on expedition.

The skills you need

  • Enthusiasm and a smile
  • A can-do attitude
  • Responsibility and reliability
  • Good communication skills
  • Friendly and approachable
  • A collaborative spirit
  • Flexibility and adaptability to changing situations 
  • Compassionate and empathetic to young people and their lives 
  • Willingness to dig deep and work hard when those around you are may need more support
  • DofE/Outdoor/Expedition skills ideally, but these can be learnt

What's in it for you?

We want you to get the most out of your volunteering experience. We will ask you at the start of your journey what you want to get out of volunteering with us. You will experience: 

  • Exciting training opportunities
  • An enjoyable and supportive workplace 
  • An environment where you are listened to and have a say
  • Working with young people 
  • Supporting young people to achieve their DofE Award
  • Being part of our brilliant DofE team 
  • What being a youth worker is like - perhaps it's a way to see if its the career for you