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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

What did your DC do for DofE Bronze volunteering?

99 replies

drspouse · 18/03/2026 15:53

My DS is 14 and has some SEN and also has epilepsy. Currently, the epilepsy is more problematic in extracurriculars as he's increasing in social confidence, though he doesn't do much in the way of really challenging extracurriculars e.g. competitive sport/high level instruments. One of his needs is dyspraxia but he's very up for having a go at a lot of things that he will never be a professional at.

It's probably time to ask if he wants to do DofE (anything with a badge is usually a yes for him). His school doesn't run it but he can do it through Scouts.

We can find a skill and a physical activity for him as he does guitar, some skill type activities at home, or at school but he could take them up independently, and he goes to junior Lifesaving and disability skiing.

It may be a difficult task to find an expedition that will take him (currently Scouts ask us to go on camps, though not to sleep in with him - partly for safeguarding but also thankfully he hasn't had a fit in his sleep for years) but we can make some enquiries.

I'm just wondering what your DC have done for volunteering. Not all the ideas will suit him - and some won't be available to him (e.g. his school would not let him listen to younger children read, and I doubt the nearest primary school to his school would let him either) or that interesting to him, but I thought it was worth asking for All The Ideas. So just dump them here, don't worry if I've already mentioned them or if you aren't sure if they'd work for him.

So far I've thought of helping at Beavers, even if it's mainly doing the drinks and snacks; volunteer maintenance at one of the local Scout camp sites; and volunteering at one of the local parks (there are two that have regular volunteering mornings, but one of them is during the school day, and they are each only once a month so that might not work).

OP posts:
TeenToTwenties · 18/03/2026 15:57

Mine helped at an after school childcare club at local primary. (She wanted to work with children eventually).
A friend's DC volunteered in an Oxfam shop.

Volunteer at a ParkRun?

Oneearringlost · 18/03/2026 16:03

Two of mine did funeral directors...it was fab, they will never forget the varied experience, tho' im not sure this is allowed anymore, shame, really.
Middle son did his at the local museum, but he hasn't the wealth of experience that the other two had; everything from embalming to carrying the coffin. It made them very respectful and gave them an insight into death and grief.

runwithme · 18/03/2026 16:06

Eldest did Park Run. They seem to have a lot of DoE volunteers

aintnospringchicken · 18/03/2026 16:08

Both my DC volunteered at our local Cancer Research charity shop.

drspouse · 18/03/2026 16:08

Oh funeral work sounds really interesting!

I think he'd need a fair bit of support doing shop work. Looks like Oxfam do take them from 14 though. Our local hospice has shops but I'm not sure what age you can volunteer from, they are known for being very locally proactive and friendly so we can always ask.
I just looked and they also have catering volunteers (and he's good at rounding up dirty dishes, cleaning tables, we could train him up on washing up) but only from age 17 it looks like.

OP posts:
bonnemaman1990 · 18/03/2026 16:08

We have done litter picking, library volunteering and parkrun.

ACynicalDad · 18/03/2026 16:09

I'm a parkrun Event Director, it's all about health and community and I'd be sad if they said no, some have a waiting list and you may need to volunteer with him as they can't be expected to manage his condition, but I'd ask.

drspouse · 18/03/2026 16:11

@bonnemaman1990 was the litter picking with a park organisation? Or just randomly choosing a stretch of canal/park/street to keep clean?

OP posts:
Chiefangel · 18/03/2026 16:11

Litter picking and helping out with a youngsters football team and a cricket team.

drspouse · 18/03/2026 16:12

ACynicalDad · 18/03/2026 16:09

I'm a parkrun Event Director, it's all about health and community and I'd be sad if they said no, some have a waiting list and you may need to volunteer with him as they can't be expected to manage his condition, but I'd ask.

I think he'd be pretty good at marshalling at Parkrun but sadly our Saturday mornings are already a mad rush of DD's sport, and DS and my music activities.

OP posts:
Monolithique · 18/03/2026 16:12

1 volunteered with a brownie group. The other helped at the library.

Skills were really just hobbies they did at the time, and improving on those.

NetballHoop · 18/03/2026 16:13

Oxfam was the only charity shop that would consider under 16s near me. Mine also helped in a sports club and helped out at their old primary school.

Cheersminesalargeone · 18/03/2026 16:15

Definitely try parkrun which is on Saturdays and junior parkrun on a Sunday so much he could do there in a volunteer role my local ones often have Doe.

WheelySquirrel · 18/03/2026 16:15

@drspouseHow about junior parkrun instead? That’s on a Sunday morning (and is a shorter volunteer commitment as the event itself is shorter!) - the good thing about doing it through parkrun is he can work is way up to different roles, e.g. some DoE kids end up being the Run Director (supported) if they want to. As an organisation parkrun is well set up for it, but it will be facilitated by the local teams. It’s increasingly popular so there may well be a waiting list.

Londonmummy66 · 18/03/2026 16:16

School library volunteer - tidying up etc? ANything he could do around your music activities on a Saturday - ef if its a choir setting out and putting chairs away?

CraftyGin · 18/03/2026 16:16

Mine did Sunday School, and stayed on it for her silver.

ohnonotthisargumentagain · 18/03/2026 16:16

My guitarist helped with the younger children’s guitar group (organised by her guitar teacher)

welshpolarbear · 18/03/2026 16:18

Does he like dogs? A local dog walker might be happy for him to help walk a group. Our dog walker did this with a young volunteer.

Pineapplechunksandcream · 18/03/2026 16:20

Dc3 has sn and health needs, did volunteering at a community run leisure centre (who often take on people with disabilities) dc managed to go independently after a while but I could stay,/be in the building if needed. Was great for building confidence and actually did it for longer than required.
Other dc have done helping in labs at school breaktime (mainly cleaning) and helping at beavers.
For the skill dc3 did the st John's ambulance course thats linked to the dofe. Its all online and then they just talked to their assessor about what they'd learnt.

MrsMoastyToasty · 18/03/2026 16:20

I volunteered at my local hospital (it was over 40 years ago). It involved collecting patients from the wards who wanted to attend the Sunday service in the hospital Chapel, staying with them to help as needed and returning them to the wards after.
DS volunteered (and still does) with a local autism youth club.

rugbychick1 · 18/03/2026 16:21

Litter picking in the local area

Pernicketywishes · 18/03/2026 16:22

We have a community orchard and he did that. They were so grateful and he enjoyed it. He’s very shy and so it was perfect. Now he’s doing his Silver he wanted to do something more public facing and it’s taken ages to find somewhere. All the charity shops say he’s too young. He’s finally got a place at a second hand and recycling shop.

MujeresLibres · 18/03/2026 16:23

Volunteering at Barnardos, they do 14+ onwards

Meadowfinch · 18/03/2026 16:24

Marshaling at Parkrun,
helping out with the little ones' local karate class.

Doing water sampling for the local parish council.
Litter picking, pruning back hedges from local 'School, slow' road signs