Volunteering
Volunteering
Volunteering is about giving time to do something meaningful for your community and making a difference to others. This can be done as an individual or team.
Opportunities can be found in Scouts, your community, at social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations and approved activity providers.
Volunteering in Scouts
There's a variety of volunteering roles available, including helping with a younger section, helping at a campsite or running adventurous activities.
Explorer Scouts helping with a younger section need to complete module A of the Young Leader Scheme within three months of starting their placement. Adult volunteers need to complete the Growing Roots training. We do not require evidence of this on eDofE, although compliance will be monitored locally.
We encourage the completion of additional modules which help show progression, however this is not a requirement.
Scouting volunteers should be given a copy of the appropriate Safe Scouting cards which includes the Young People First orange card for young leaders and Yellow Card for adult volunteers.
Young People between 13.5 and 18th birthday who are not members of Scouting can volunteer as a Young Leader for a fixed period of time as required for their level of award.
They need to complete module A of the Young Leader scheme within 3 months of starting and be given a copy of the Orange Card.
They do not need to register as an Explorer Scout or pay membership fees, but the District must be notified and you need to make sure you have relevant medical information and InTouch details.
See POR for more information on the appointment of Young Leaders.
They're able to take part in the full programme within their section (including camps), complete Young Leader training and wear group-branded clothing.
They’re not able to take part in the wider Explorer Scout programme, act as service crew on a campsite or stay beyond 18 without becoming an adult volunteer.
They are covered by public liability insurance but not for personal accidents. Although the DofE provide limited insurance (click here for details) groups might like to consider taking out additional cover
Guidelines
All participants should undertake relevant training for their role. Up to 25% of the time can be training, the other 75% must be practical volunteering.
You can find guidance on volunteering with commercial organisations on the DofE's website.
Checklist
- The activity is suitable for the volunteering section.
- Progression is shown over the volunteering placement.
- All activities completed for an average of an hour per week for the required timescales.
- Volunteering is for a charity or organisation founded for civic interest. Any volunteering for a commercial company follows the DofE guidelines
- Programme planner on eDofE is completed and approved by a leader.
- An assessor is identified and completes an assessor's report for the participant via the DofE website or using the card in the DofE welcome pack.
Volunteering ideas
- Scouts
- Girls’ Venture Corps
- Sea Cadets
- Air Cadets
- Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade
- St John Ambulance
- Air Training Corps
- Army Cadet Force
- Boys’ Brigade
- CCF
- Church Lads’ & Girls’ Brigade
- Girlguiding UK
- Girls’ Brigade
- Sports leadership
- Music tuition
- Animal welfare
- Climate change action and awareness
- Environment
- Rural conservation
- Preserving waterways
- Working at an animal rescue centre
- Litter picking
- Urban conservation
- Beach and coastline conservation
- Zoo/farm/nature reserve work (excluding private companies such as Vets)
- Helping a charity or community organisation
- Helping children
- Helping children to read in libraries
- Helping in medical services (eg hospitals)
- Helping older people
- Helping people in need
- Helping people with additional needs
- Tutoring
- Young carer work
- Youth work
- Campaigning
- Cyber safety
- Council representation
- Drug and alcohol education
- Home accident prevention
- Neighbourhood watch
- Peer education
- Personal safety promotion and PR
- Road safety
- Being a charity intern
- Being a volunteer lifeguard
- Event management
- Fundraising Mountain rescue
- Serving a faith community
- Supporting a charity
- Working in a charity shop
- Coaching, teaching and leadership
- Dance leadership
- DofE Leadership Group leadership
- Head student
Assessor
Assessors check on the progress of a young person and confirm completion of the section - there is a useful card in the welcome pack which can be given to assessors at the beginning of the placements.
They should have some knowledge or be involved in the activity the young person is undertaking (eg Scout Leader or charity shop manager).
The assessor must be 18+ and not related to the participant. They'll write an assessor's report which can be submitted via the DofE website or using the card in the welcome pack.
Support
Here are some resources to support you with this section:
The DofE have lots of opportunities for each section on their website
The DofE have ideas for activities for all sections on their website.
Check out the details of available funds and grants from Scouts.