Individual Employee Volunteering in North Wiltshire

The Company encourages staff to volunteer with projects that engage young people through sport. The volunteer wanted to help young people and have fun. The  venue selects at-risk young people for regular activities to address behaviour and build confidence in social skills, enabling them to join mainstream activities.

Company Type: Retail
Venue Type: Targeted Youth Club
Time Commitment: 1 year (approx 200 hrs)
Location: North Wiltshire

• Activity Type: Weekly therapeutic group work, including indoor and outdoor sports, puzzles, quizzes, barbeques, camping.
• Outcomes: The company benefited from the confidence and maturity the volunteer gained. He intended to attend one event for fun but found it so rewarding he continued volunteering all year. The venue gained a volunteer who the young people related to extremely well.
• Venue Profile: Based in North Wiltshire, the service uses professional staff and volunteers. They support young people with complex needs, including those with behavioural or mental health issues, those experiencing isolation due to poverty and deprivation or who are primary family carers.
• Process: The volunteer had been CRB checked, provided 2 references and attended the company induction training. He had previous experience of working with young people. He and the CSV Project Officer met with the venue and discussed his role and CSV wrote a risk assessment reflecting the volunteer’s involvement. The CSV Project Officer attended the first session until the volunteer felt confident in being a ‘positive peer’ i.e. not staff, but a role model, bridging the gap between staff and young people.
• Feedback:
  • "I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. It’s made me think about people as individuals and not about their backgrounds or where they live. I didn’t realise how rewarding it would be to help people. If anyone asked me again, I’d say definitely!"
  • “We’ve been very impressed with [the volunteer's] maturity and willingness. We wish him all the best and are sure he’ll succeed in anything he puts his mind to.”