Our volunteers are vital to our success as an organisation. Whether it’s through mentorship at our activities, raising awareness of our cause in the communities we serve or supporting in our shop. We are so grateful for their dedication and commitment to transforming complex lives through adventure.
The benefits of volunteering can touch all areas of life – from the sense of purpose that comes with being involved and making a difference, improved cognitive function and increased social interaction.
Meaningful occupation and contribution to society are both necessary for a persons overall wellbeing. Volunteering provides a sense of achievement and, whatever a persons age, there is a sense of purpose and improved quality of life gained through volunteering. It can provide increased confidence and and a sense of achievement, too.
Volunteering provides physical, cognitive and social activity regardless of age. For those who are retired, engaging in volunteering for as little as an hour each week can access what is known as the latent benefits of work (social interaction, daily time structure, social status and meaningful contributions to society) that are otherwise lost when retiring from a paid job. And students also report that volunteering improves physical health, their skillset and career opportunities.
Volunteering provides the opportunity to have fun and make new friends. Fundamentally it is a social activity – not only do volunteers form social relationships with each other and Adventure Therapy but they also interact with members of the community.
Giving time and energy to others can benefit psychologically, cognitively, socially and physically. Volunteering is good for everyone involved, regardless of age and provides the opportunity to have fun and make new friends.
Volunteering at Activities
It’s been proven that particular benefits can be attributed to volunteering in an outdoor setting. This includes increased time in natural surroundings and physical exercise, which is unique to those volunteering outside and has a particular impact on the mental health of our volunteers. Research indicates that contact with nature in volunteering has positive benefits for both mental and physical health, including reduced stress levels. Furthermore, it has been found that hands-on interaction with nature through volunteering can help individuals suffering from mental illness to reintegrate into society.
A study into the mood effects of exercise found that those who did so in an outdoor setting experienced greater improvements in mood, attributed by participants to the restorative and calming effect of time spent in green spaces.
Volunteering at our activities may include mentorship, where you come alongside a person through a shoulder-to-shoulder approach, where taking part helps through co-regulation. You may be helping with equipment, assisting our instructors and support staff or simply (and vitally) just being there in a non-judgmental space, to listen.
If you have a passion for walking and hiking you could enrol as one of our volunteer walk leaders. We will ask you to complete a straightforward online learning module which will help you to plan routes, take the right equipment and guide our beneficiaries along the way. And of course, we’ll be there to help you along your Adventure Therapy Volunteer Walk Leader journey, too.
If you are volunteering at our activities, as part of your induction, we will complete a DBS.
Volunteering in our shop
Our charity shop in Ilfracombe offers a range of pre-loved donated stock, including clothing, bric-a-brac and books. Our shop is managed by our Retail Coordinator but volunteers are vital to its success. Our friendly team serves customers, sorts stock and prices goods before they are put out for sale. Our charity shop is a place where you can meet new people, make friends in the local community and raise vital funds to support our cause.
You can commit as much time as you wish, from a couple of hours each week to a day or more, depending on the time you have available.
Volunteering in Fundraising and Events
There are many ways you can support us by raising awareness of our cause in the communities we serve. From joining (or starting) a Friends of Adventure Therapy fundraising group, public speaking to local groups about our work or by supporting at events, you will be making an incredible difference by letting people know about our work and raising funds to enable it to continue.
Volunteering in Marketing
If you have a talent for design you could help us to achieve our mission by creating visual masterpieces! From leaflets to banners or our website and social media, you can help to spread the word about our charity, who we help and how we make a positive difference in challenging and complex lives.
For all our volunteer roles, please complete our registration form, below, to discover more.
