Volunteer with us
All our projects here at Campus Children’s Holidays are run by dedicated volunteers. Most people who volunteer do so as Group Leaders, the people who look after the children on our holidays to keep them safe and ensure that they enjoy themselves as much as possible.
What does Group Leader involve?
On Residential you will be assigned to a group of 3-5 children, usually based on age and Gender, and on Hippocampus all volunteers work together to look after all of the children. As a group leader your core responsibilities would include:
– Ensuring that the children are safe at all times and that Child Protection Policies are observed
– Making sure the children are having fun and entertaining them whilst out on Activities
– Getting the children to bed each night (Res)
– Providing piggy backs/bedtime stories/a human canvas for face painting
Who We’re Looking For
There is no magic recipe for what makes a good Group Leader – Many people surprise themselves by the end of the week. We need both volunteers to run around with the most energetic children and others to sit and draw the quieter kids out of their shells. A few key qualities include:
– Energy, enthusiasm and patience.
– Responsibility to look after a group of lively children.
– Ability to think on your feet to respond to a wide variety of situations in thesafest way possible.
– Being unafraid to speak out if you see/hear something that concerns you.
Child Protection is one of Campus’ greatest responsibilities and is something we take extremely seriously; volunteering for Campus is subject to a clear DBS check.
Campus uses minibuses for transport during the week between activity and site.
If you’re 21 or over and have 2+ years of experience then you are eligible to act as a driver. Without drivers our holidays can’t go ahead – if you are unsure or would like to talk to us before committing contact Becky, recruitment@campusholidays.org.uk
If You’re Apprehensive
We know it can be daunting – many of Campus’ most beloved volunteers started off in exactly the same place as you. Thankfully Campus makes every effort to support new Group Leaders and to prepare them in advance
– You will always be joined by one Experienced Helper and often a Young- Helper (an ex-Campus Kid), so you’ll be with someone who’s seen it all before
– Each group is carefully planned and you’ll be told about any pre-existing issues with children we, along with ways to deal with problems that may arise
– Senior members of Campus (the Co-ordinators) will also be on site throughout the week to help with any issues, both personal or related to your group.
– Campus provides a new helper training session before your week on Campus where we cover the basics of Child Protection and how to deal with difficult behaviour. It also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. There is also a re-fresher safeguarding session at the start of your week
What To Do Next
If Campus appeals to you, fill in the application form, which opens in March time. If you are not already on our mailing list, please email recrutiment@campusholidays.org.uk. We are also hosting an information evening in March where we will give you a bit more information, and you can ask any questions that you may have. After this our recruitment officer will get in contact with you to sort out an interview and training, so we can find out a little more about you and your motivations for doing Campus. For more information please contact our Recruitment Officer Becky on recrutiment@campusholidays.org.uk
