Residential Break Volunteer

Brief description:

Go Beyond are a national children's charity providing residential breaks to young people who are facing serious problems in their lives. We need volunteers to help us run fun,

creative and physical activities to help them escape their worries and pressures through breaks in the countryside. Break volunteers will join us for a week-long break with all

meals, accommodation, and activities included from Monday to Friday at our centre in Chelmsford, Essex. We operate six breaks across the year and accept applications on a

rolling basis.

Responsibilities:

As a Break Volunteer you will join a team of people supporting Go Beyond’s Break Leaders to give children and young people aged 8-13 years-old a week they’ll remember for a

lifetime.

Your responsibilities will be wide and varied and might include:

· Helping with day-to-day tasks, such as setting up activities and keeping our centres tidy

· Leading planned activities based on your skills with support from Break Leaders (such as baking, sports games, gardening, arts and crafts)

· Assisting at mealtimes with preparing, serving, and cleaning

· Accompanying our driver to collect or drop off groups and supervise behaviour on the buses

· Being a positive role model and leading by example at all times

· Being encouraging and supportive to the young people and taking an interest in each child

· Taking part in the activities alongside the young people

· Being aware of boundaries and knowing when it is important to enforce these

· Informing the Break Leaders of any issues or concerns you have relating to the young people or the break experience

· Contributing to personalised messages which the young people receive in their goody bags as a lasting memory of their Go Beyond break

· Capturing photos of the young people using Go Beyond’s cameras

· Reading, signing and ensuring Safeguarding and Health and Safety Policies and Reporting Procedures are followed, and contributing to Go Beyond Hazard Analysis Critical Control Principles, Risk Assessment and Quality Assurance processes

You will stay onsite in our volunteer bedrooms (depending on the group and size, you may have to share a room with another volunteer of the same gender). All your meals and activities will be provided for the duration of the week.

You’ll need to bring with you comfortable, weather appropriate clothes, strong, comfortable shoes or trainers, a swimming costume (no bikinis) or swimming trunks, plus your own towels and toiletries.

What we hope you’ll gain

· New skills and experience in a professional environment

· Training and personal development opportunities (the opportunity can contribute towards a Gold DofE award)

· Time with an enthusiastic team of people who want to make a difference, just like you

· A rewarding experience making a difference to children living in desperately difficult circumstances across the UK

· Memories you’ll remember for a lifetime

What skills do I need?

· Enthusiasm and a willingness to help

· Good communication skills and a positive, friendly attitude

· Non-judgemental and approachable

· Experience of working with young people

· Willingness to work flexibly, adapting tasks to suit the needs of the group

· Ability to work well as part of a team in a busy, fast-paced environment

Interests

• Children

Activities

• One-off Activity
• Supporting People and Befriending