Male Rainbows Volunteer

[ImADadButThatsOKIsntIt]

I have two daughters, the older one who is 5 has just started Rainbows. The group seems very short of volunteer support, as a man am I allowed to volunteer, and if you were a parent how would you feel about it? I couldn't commit to every week, but probably once a month or slightly more so could not become a leader.

I wouldn't have a problem with it. My husband does the daytime child care so he would be far more available to volunteer for these things than me. Our local brownies has a make leader btw.

I’m a rainbow leader and I can’t imagine any of the parents in my group even thinking about this. They would be very pleased that someone was taking the pressure off from all the constant begging emails for help!

Also it is so much fun. Do it!

I am a Brownie leader. At times when we've been short of leaders we've not cared if it's a mum, a dad, a granny etc or on one memorable occasion an 18yo big brother (I think all the girls fell a little bit in love with him. His sister was quite disgusted! ).

We never left a male helper alone with any children though, which is quite funny when you consider that a dad may help us and have to be chaperoned and then we'd wave him off with his daughter and 3 of her friends to take home...

you can volunteer, of course you can!

As you are a dad it would not bother me! If you were just some random volunteer it probably would though as I assume they don't check everyone out?

You can become a unit helper so go for it.

Girlguiding restricts leader roles to women (or people who identify as such) but welcome make and female unit helpers. If you want a once a month commitment unit helper is the way to go anyway.

though as I assume they don't check everyone out?

You know what they say about assuming. ALL volunteers are subject to reference checking and regular DBS checks.

At our unit, they need an extra adult "volunteer" each week and it is sorted out by each child being allocated a week. When it's been our turn, whether DH or I have gone has depended on what else we had have on rather than our sex. Other members have taken grandfathers, uncles and much older brothers. No one has questioned it.

bobster we definitely do check everyone out. Parents can help occasionally (fewer times than 3 in a term I think) but anyone else and any parents helping more than that has DBS (or whatever it’s called now) every couple of years and 2 references.

No one who hasn’t been checked (including parents) is ever alone with any child/children.

I helped run a Rainbow unit for two years post-Uni, me and 3 women.

No problems. Girls enjoyed having a male to beg piggy backs off tbh.

Thanks for all the positive responses I'll go for it