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).

Church doesn’t have to be Sunday school. Could he help with the coffee or the flowers or the music? Or if you’re quite high/liturgical there is probably someone who sorts out the candles and robes and stuff who might like a helper.

Our local animal rescue centre won't take kids without the parents, and they only allow them to walk dogs (and only then if a dog that can cope with kids actually needs walking, at the time you go), or cuddle cats (and again it can get oversubscribed) so you could go once a week but only get to do anything every two or three times.
We used to take both DCs 2-3 years ago but it just got a bit frustrating when you couldn't do anything.

@CompleteMere he does like giving out drinks...

Sorry I did say "just dump your ideas!" and now I'm explaining why some won't work. However it has helped others to adapt their ideas (e.g. I had no idea we had a Junior Parkrun) so perhaps I should keep on explaining!

My daughter did it through our local Parish Council so she could produce a time sheet. She normally did it on a Saturday morning in the local park.

My DS skipped bronze and did direct entry silver - his volunteering was hit by the first Covid lockdown just a few weeks after he started so he had to pivot and find an alternative. He ended up tending gardens for elderly people in my parent’s church - cutting grass, weeding and cleaning out low level guttering/drains and windowsills. It was the best thing for him and he loved it. DH drove him over each week and just sat in the car while he did the work. He couldn’t interact with the old people as they were isolating but they waved through the window and it really brightened their day. 6 years on, he’s now at uni and helps do garden tidy-ups for elderly people in his church there - really useful skills and he loves knowing he is making a valuable contribution to people’s lives. (They also all invite him in for a wee cuppa and a bun when he’s done and he loves that too!)

Perhaps there are some people in your church who could use some assistance in that way - esp at this time of year? We just had a guy from the church authorise it and that was accepted. Lots of photos etc and he kept a detailed diary of all the visits he made and what he did.

Another vote for junior parkrun, we always have D of E and a waitlist !

Mine had both been through Scouts and volunteered with Beavers as Young Leaders
Fairly established volunteer route.

If he spends time at the library after his music lesson, perhaps there's something he could do there?
Or is there some weeding he could do outside the church, or a lonely member of the congregation he could chat to on the phone once a week?

My daughter helped the local church with various fundraising things (coffee mornings, making Christmas wreaths to sell). Super easy as we live next door.

education.rspca.org.uk/learningprogrammes/dofe/activity-packages

THere are options for remote volunteering - one of mine did a project with a local archive that wanted to update its digital resources by uploading photos and descriptions. That has closed but I see that there are some similar projects on here - one is transcribing early C20th legers onto a museum/archive website (Snail Scribe archive) on this website https://www.zooniverse.org/

There is some flexibility but they won’t let him stay longer in scouts than 6 months after he turns 14.

Ds volunteered at our little village library

Interact club? That’s what DS is doing

My daughter volunteered at a cat rescue. Downside - cleaning litter trays, upside - cuddling kittens!

I know someone who did part of his D of E volunteering at a farm. I think that he got a bit more than he bargained for, with lessons in driving a JCB and watching a Caesarean section on his first day, but he learnt a lot!

I've also had a few SEN (usually autistic) students on the farm where I now work, more to fulfil placement hours than D of E, but they all seem to enjoy it so far.

My understanding is they can be flexible on this with SEN.

Volunteering at church can't be playing / singing the music I seem to recall. But could be the sound desk.

Barcode scanning for the local park run

Litter picking - we live near the beach so she’s done organised beach cleans, she’s also done local parks too.

Scouts move up by age not how long they have been there. Although there is a little flexibility in this.

He could most certainly do young leaders, they start off just helping with the groups. So say doing crafts with beavers, they could help get out supplies/tidy up afterwards. Certainly helping with drinks and snacks and anything else the leaders need an extra hand with. They don't normally do running games until they have been there a while and if he wasn't interested in doing his full young leaders belt he could just do his volunteering by helping out. As I said earlier the only compulsory training for young leaders to volunteer is Module A which is safeguarding.

DS helped the younger age group at the local cricket nets.

Well after conservations with the GSL and DS it's a firm No to Beavers and yes to staying in Scouts a bit longer. GSL is the Beaver leader and before she was DS Beaver leader, the District Commissioner (?) was his Beaver leader and GSL knows he's going to be OK with it.

I'm surprised by this as it poses safeguarding issues I thought?

Re volunteering, mine and people we know have done Beavers and Cubs, Rainbows and Brownies, parkrun/junior parkrun, litter picking/beach clean (local eco group have the equipment and sign them off), sports coaching and a playing chess in a old people's home! Oh and there's a local cafe run by volunteers.

It's worth remembering that not all volunteering needs to be out and about or face to face. Even parkrun need social media posts sorting or kits and tokens organising