What did your DC do for DofE Bronze volunteering?

[drspouse]

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).

We often have D of E volunteers at Beavers (or Cubs may take him). We also have them at Church on a Saturday or a Sunday Service (duties include handing out service sheets, making teas and coffees)

one of mine volunteered at the local city farm. Do you have one of those near you?

If he’s at scouts the easiest thing to do is become a Young Leader at one of the younger sections.

His explorer leader should be able to organise that for him.

What about junior parkrun on Sunday mornings?

One of my DD’s helped at the older people’s group at church, she’s autistic so not everything was suitable but she knew many of the participants already and was obsessed with tea anyway. My other dd helped with afterschool sport club at the primary school next door, she was already getting her sports coach qualification as part of gcse pe so it was killing two birds with one stone.

No idea where you live but at my church we have a Saturday morning coffee morning each week and we would happily have a 14/15 year old to make drinks and carry over for those unable to carry their own (due to sticks and walkers) but you may need to stay on site due to safeguarding considerations, our normal helpers are not DBS checked to work with children and not first aid for epilepsy trained (I am but I don’t work Saturdays)

Mine volunteered at the local cemetery, washing headstones, weeding and sweeping up leaves. He had to do it solo because the group that used to do it no longer functioned. There was a shed with all the tools that he had access to. He'd cycle over and spend an hour each weekend. He rather enjoyed it, with his headphones in, as long as the weather was nice!

The DofE website has a list of volunteering ideas, including online activities like "charity awareness" which can be done at home in your own time. There's one for a whale charity mentioned this year and also hidden disabilities. Litter picking is another one that can be arranged to suit his time.
The DofE website has links to organisions like Barnardos etc that in theory understand the DofE volunteering requirements. Some ideas are for older teens though so check that.
Other popular ideas here are:

• Helping with school sports teams
• Tidying up and helping individual teachers. Practical subjects like HFTT, tech etc need volunteers
• parkrun
• after school childcare (they're often non-profit)
• care homes
• charity shops (although they usually want 3-4 hour slots, so he could do this monthly)

https://www.dofe.org/do/volunteering/

Mine helped a friend nearby who runs a riding school - mucking out, helping the young kids saddle up and mount etc.

If scouts already know him them volunteering with one of the scouting sections would be an option. He's 14 so assume he'll be going to explorers soon. He can do young leaders with scouts if he wants, to volunteer all they had to do is module A, which is safeguarding. But if he wanted to he could do the whole course.

DD used scouts volunteering for both her Bronze and Gold DfE (yes she skipped sliver). She completed her young leaders training so earned her young leaders belt as well.

DS is also doing young leaders but has shown no interest in doing his DfE.

Mine did cleaning and cooking at church - so took a few people's cleaning rota shifts off them and also helped with cooking for community meals and regular church meals. A food bank might be an option? Parkrun as easy to get regular shifts and not super taxing but opportunities for socialising.

If he’s in scouts, can’t he volunteer at Cubs or Beavers?

Sorry no time to read the full thread so sorry if already mentioned but lots of kids volunteer at parkrun for DofE. There are lots of roles and the Race Directors are usually really good at finding something for everyone whatever their circumstances.

Volunteered at a library!

His school also don't have a library... they don't have quite a lot of stuff...

Unfortunately my music is in a different place to his music! His is just a 1:1 lesson, the other side of town. I walk him there and he takes himself home while I go on to my group, or he goes to the library and hangs out there.

You've taken me back, I did Sunday School for my Bronze!

He's still going to Sunday School occasionally as a participant, but there might be something else he can do at church.

DS1 helped coach younger players at his sports club. DS2 volunteered at the local town library.

I did not even know there was a junior parkrun near us - thanks for the suggestion - it's in a different park which is probably why it hadn't clicked.

Young leader with beavers or squirrels would be the obvious choice - both mine did that.

Mine did a local football academy for little ones. It was on the sports courts at their school. The lady who ran it was fabulous and had multiple DoE helpers on each 10 week course. They put the cones out, gave out the bibs, collected the balls. encouraged and helped with the games.

We've got lots of farm farms, not so much city near us!
We do have some wildlife reserves though so that's a good shout.

I suspect he will be in Scouts for longer than the usual time - he's not been going a year yet (he had a break after Cubs because the end of Cubs was a bit of a disaster for him), so he can't be a young leader yet, and even then I'm not quite sure he'd manage any leading. I think he could do drinks etc. for the Beavers and maybe work up to helping to lead games.

I looked at food banks as he likes food shopping, supermarkets etc. but you have to be 18 for both of our local ones.
We have such a small church but he could definitely do something there, however.

Mine volunteered at a local care home and she and two friends also doing DoE ended up sorting out a large-ish patch of garden with pot plants, digging beds, edging and so on. There was someone to guide them on what needed doing and they trabsformed the place over a number of weeks.

Those who mentioned litterpicking @bonnemaman1990 @Chiefangel @rugbychick1 @Meadowfinch did you get that signed off by someone external or just submit photos/time sheet?

Way back in the day I volunteered at a local animal rescue centre. It was OK, bit a lot more cleaning up poo and a lot less playing with animals then teenage me was hoping for