Duke of Edinburgh's award - volunteering, any suggestions?

[Merguez]

Ds (nearly 15) is doing his bronze award and has just told me he needs to get 3 months' experience volunteering for a charity or community group.

He wants to work in a charity shop 'because its easy'. I think he'll get bored to death as all the ones near us are manned by sweet elderly ladies.

He is shy and needs a bit of help getting organised - anyone got any good ideas or experience they can share please?

Oh, and all this volunteering needs to done either on a saturday afternoon or Sunday as he has a heavy schedule the rest of the week.

Thanks.

There was a boy who volunteered with my son's football team. Another boy helped with the tots soccer school at weekends.

I've just had loads of requests to help in my brownie pack. The school must have got hold of my brownie email address and handed it out. Sadly I already have 3 girls who are in guiding helping so can't take anymore.

DD looked up the list of options and chose litter picking.
Similar situation in that she is really short of time and a rural location.
She organised it through the Parish Council,set her own times and agenda,obvs took photos as evidence. Cramming the bags in our wheelie bin.
Used to take the dog and DH or I and actually really enjoyed it.
Made a huge difference to the village and now she has stopped the village it's self has started it's own regular womble group.

god knows what dd is going to do

I wish she'd never asked to do the bloody thing tbh

Another good place to look is any local museums, art galleries, heritage sites. They always need volunteers and it might look good on a Uni application too.

How about fundraising for a local or national charity ? Plan, organise and run a couple of local fundraising events such as a cake sale, sponsored walk/ swim/ run/ dog walk etc.

Or do a food collection for a local food bank.

Helps develop organisational and PR skills and if he does it with a friend it is more fun.

Many charities have a community fundraiser who will be pleased to offer advice, posters, balloons etc.

My son, same age helps at Beavers and loves it, but it is with his old beaver leaders so he is at home. He has friends who volunteer in charity shops, do food bank collections, spend time at a day centre, and help with conservation corps.

Do the folk running the DofE group have ideas? They must know where all the kids go.