Become a Volunteer
We have a wide range of volunteer, fundraising and trustee opportunities available to support the incredible work our organisation provides to deserving young children every year. Here are some of the positions below:
• Summer Camp Volunteers
• Fundraising
• Equipment
• Trustees / Management
• Corporate Support
Our volunteering team are energetic, enthusiastic and hard-working with a great sense of humour and fun – and most of all; incredibly generous with their spare time in order to ensure all these children have an incredible week!
We are always looking to add new members to our volunteer teams, whether that be to join the Charity Management Team who provide expertise and organisational support throughout the year, the fundraising team who ensure we cover the costs of the Summer Camp each year, or our fantastic group of over 60 Summer Camp volunteers who staff the children’s holidays every summer.
Summer Camp Volunteer
Are you looking for a rewarding volunteering role? Get in touch and talk it through! Camp Project Wales is a local children’s charity based in Halton, entirely managed, staffed and run by an extraordinary team of enthusiastic volunteers. Every summer we provide over 40 local young children with a free week-long holiday: jam-packed with activities ranging from horse riding to drumming sessions; snake-handling to swimming; magic shows; football; crafts and water fights!
What does the role involve?
As a Summer Camp Volunteer, you will join an experienced team of 40-50 volunteers caring for 40-50 children on camp. This is a residential role for 6 nights (Friday – Thursday), with the children on site for 5 of those nights.
Volunteering with children at CPW
Becoming a Summer Camp Volunteer with Camp Project Wales is an opportunity to make an amazing difference to local young people – helping provide respite and an incredibly positive experience to deserving children and families.
The children who visit us are aged between 10-12 years old and are nominated by their local schools in in the Halton area. They’re nominated for a variety of reasons – whether it’s financial difficulties; a recent bereavement or needing support with social skills – but without exception every child is in real need of a positive experience and a break from whatever challenges they are facing. those who’ve come back for the 25th time – and all of them play a vital role in making Camp Project Wales such a success!
Our volunteers come from all walks of life – covering all ages and from a huge range of backgrounds. Some already work with children – in education, foster care and support settings – whilst others are working with kids for the first time on camp. They range in age from our junior volunteers in their teens, up to those who are retired.
We have volunteers who use this experience as part of their DOE. We’ve got volunteers joining us for their first time on camp and those who’ve come back for the 25th time – and all of them play a vital role in making Camp Project Wales such a success!
Most volunteering roles will include:
• Running activities as part of a team – this could be indoor craft activities, sports games, walks, campfire songs, tuck shop and organising a talent show! We help our volunteers to play to their strengths and there’s plenty of support for new volunteers to get involved.
• Being a Village Head alongside other volunteers for a group of 10-12 children. You’ll care for these children throughout the week – ensuring they’re warm, dry, well fed and happy! Group leaders get to know the children well and are a vital part of the children’s support system on camp.
• Supporting children to join in new activities, make new friends and try new foods. Many of the children who visit us can be nervous and shy (especially at first) and need some gentle encouragement to have a go at new experiences.
• Be a big kid yourself! Our volunteers come back year after year because they have a great time on camp – being a bit daft; joining in the waterfights and running around like a big kid for the week!
There are also other roles available on camp which include cooking, and leadership.
Who can apply as a volunteer?
Volunteers can apply from age 16 onwards. We occasionally take junior volunteers a year or two younger than this, however this is discretionary so please get in touch with us to discuss this. You don’t have to have had previous experience working with children – many of our volunteers first worked with kids on camp.
However, many of the children visiting us are facing big challenges in their lives, so you’ll need plenty of empathy and understanding in order to support them effectively.
Applicants will need to complete a DBS check (previously known as a CRB) with Camp Project Wales and provide two references. You will also need to be based in the UK and able to travel to Halton before camp to complete DBS paper work and attend the volunteer’s training day.
* You will need to be able to attend the full week – camping on-site during the week.
What are the benefits of volunteering for Camp Project Wales?
Our volunteers have joined us (and kept coming back!) for reasons including:
• Gaining experience working with children as part of the process of applying for teacher training or other roles with children and young people such as social work and health care.
• Fulfilling the Duke of Edinburgh award residential requirement – taking part in a 6-night residential volunteering role.
• Learning new skills and building confidence – there are opportunities to organise and lead activities, cook for large groups, talk in front of small and large groups and take the lead for a specific role.
• To meet new people and make new friends – many of our volunteer team come back year after year because they made such great friends on camp and wanted to spend more time as a group. It can be a fairly intense week on camp and friendships are quickly made!.
• Giving back to the local community – supporting local children and families during a difficult time in their lives.
• Gaining new life experiences. You’ll be working with volunteers from a huge range of backgrounds, as well as children who’ve got big challenges going on in their day-to-day lives.
• To make a big difference to local children who are in real need of a positive experience. Volunteering with these children is incredibly rewarding and they remember their week away fondly for years to come.
What support is available for volunteers?
We have a high ratio of children to volunteers (roughly two children to one volunteer), enabling us to work in teams and small groups on camp to support both new and experienced volunteers.
The week has a Camp Leader team who are on-site all week and provide the main point of contact for any difficulties or concerns you may have during camp.
Our Member’s Representative is available all year round (including during camp) to help with any additional issues or queries from volunteers.
Free training is provided for all volunteers via an annual training day in July and on-site training during the Friday before the children arrive at camp.
All your meals and transport during the week will be provided. We are unable to provide travel expenses for getting to and from camp, however transport from Runcorn to camp and back again can be provided should you require it.
Volunteering is residential, with the volunteer team camping on site during the week. Many volunteers bring their own tents, however we are able to loan tents and camping equipment to volunteers without their own.
Other ways to Get Involved
Click the link image to visit our ‘EasyFundraising’ page and support Camp Project Wales. We are a small local charity which provides an annual action and adventure holiday under canvas for a large group of students from the Halton Borough.
