Duke of E volunteering whilst in lockdown?

[SpicyChickpeas]

Is anyones DC doing DOE?

How are they volunteering during lockdown? Need ideas.

Someone in my village has done litter picking - their mum bought a proper litter picker contraption so they don't have to risk touching discarded rubbish by hand, and I think they sent photos of them litter picking to a parish councillor to 'sign off' as proof.

There’s some online volunteering options - transcribing old pamphlets for library collections and the like.

See if your local council has a volunteer hub. You may be able to subscribe to a newsletter roundup of local opportunities. In my area there are many Covid-related opportunities, including at test sites, vaccination centres and food banks. There are also homebased activities such as telephone/penpal befriending for isolated people.

Maybe also look at Citizen Science opportunities: e.g. www.zooniverse.org/

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4BZZdHm64S051q2lnZ1Nr7p/citizen-science

I run DofE at my school. There are lots of online volunteering options. See this website for some ideas, ranging from zoo research, social media and fundraising, to talking to isolated elderly.

www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference/activities/

Link didn't work? Look up 'dofe with a difference' activities

dofe.org/dofewithadifference/activities

Girlguiding and Scouting groups are operating online, that’s an option for volunteering if you found a group in your local area.

I read the title and thought 'surely he's too old'.

My DS was doing dofe in first lockdown.
He made cakes and wrote letters to an elderly neighbour who was shielding. This is someone we knew already.
Could you contact a local care home and have them make contact with a resident? Letters, stories etc to someone who maybe doesnt have a lot of contact with anyone else.

watching with interest as we have the same issue!

Our school said they could do volunteer work within the home, as long as it wasn't part of their usual chores. My daughter decided to organise all the kitchen cupboards and laundry room. I have a friend who is a professional declutterer to assess it (via photos) as you can't certify your own child's work. She wrote it up so well that the DofE teacher said it should be her skill! I'm sure there was a release from the DofE powers that be about it.

My sons school have just offered this and he has said yes he would like to do it. I have been thinking about possible volunteering opportunities for him during lockdown so I'm glad I found this and will watch with interest.

Mapathon ? Befriending an older person for chats, doing their shopping? Volunteering at COVID centres?

My daughter is entering tidal wave data online, via one of the schemes suggested above.

@squashyhat

I read the title and thought 'surely he's too old'.

DS had done 4.5 months of volunteering when it all shut down in March. They won't have him back to finish. I hope he's right when he says he has 3 yrs to finish. :(

DS was volunteering at his local rugby club so that was curtailed last March and hasn't restarted. No help from the school - just the demands for money and info about the expedition would probably be from the school playing field, probably no overnight camp, etc. I'm assuming it's all be cancelled as we haven't heard anything for of couple months now.

Giggling at the idea of decluttering. DS hasn't put his clothes away for 3 months, I just dump the clean stuff in the corner of his room and extract the full washing basket every week or so. It's amazing how different kids are

@YeOldeTrout

DS had done 4.5 months of volunteering when it all shut down in March. They won't have him back to finish. I hope he's right when he says he has 3 yrs to finish. :(

He has until he turns 25 to finish the award.

My DD is doing this and volunteering online with the brownies, it was very hard to get anything.

@Smoothbananagram

My daughter is entering tidal wave data online, via one of the schemes suggested above.

Is that with citizen science? My DD would definitely be interested in that. She was ok for bronze, but needs something for silver.

BTO Garden Birdwatch (not RSPB) - this collects data weekly. Can also be supplemented by improving bird habitats, putting up boxes, sharing info locally on birds. I have several DofE participants doing this and it’s working well.

Also have several doing litter picking.

Fundraising for a charity

Google the National Archives. DS volunteered for them for 3 years transcribing scanned WW1 Naval records online. Was useful for his uni personal statement as he applied for History

I think so @MechantGourmet. It was through the zooniverse site that is linked above.