Case Studies
If you're interested in volunteering for YHA and would like to know more about what you can expect, read our recent case studies below..
Anna Cook - Do it 4 Real volunteer at YHA Edale in 2008
I volunteered at a Do It 4 Real Camp for my residential section of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. I knew I wanted to help out at a summer camp or do something adventurous where I would learn a lot and have fun! This camp definitely gave me that! YHA gave me the opportunity to learn basic first aid and most importantly how to 'get down' with some of the most amazing songs ever written (including my favourite; 'Boom Chika Boom)! The training week was great as I got to know the people that I would be working with and they are a group of amazing people who I know will be friends for a long time. Therefore before getting to Edale I was excited to see them again and get stuck into camp. I have volunteered before, but this has got to be one of the best experiences so far. This is definitely a must for anyone who enjoys helping great things happen and who just needs an excuse to act silly in the name of entertainment!
Sue Donnelly - Volunteer Counsellor at YHA Hawkshead in August 2007
I first heard about being a Volunteer Counsellor for Do it 4 Real Summer Camps at a Volunteer Warden weekend. I had been struggling to find a suitable vacancy and felt that I had something to offer YHA’s Camps as a parent and an older adult role model. The whole ethos of the Camps appeals to me – gets kids outdoors etc and as a single mum it was the only way I could afford holidays when my daughter was young.
The knowledge that I could work with children from all backgrounds 24/7 was really vital to me as I wanted to change careers. It gave me the confidence to know that I could communicate with young people of all ages and backgrounds and motivate them to step outside their comfort zones.
As a direct result of my volunteering for YHA I have gone on to train as a foster parent. I don’t know if will definitely be a career option for me, it’s early days.
I would definitely recommend volunteering for Do it 4 Real to other people. I loved every minute – from waking early to get the young ones up for breakfast, to late nights ensuring all the right people were in their rooms. The best bits were:
- Watching someone discover a real talent for canoeing
- Seeing two truly inspiring young men from troubled backgrounds realise they could be positive role models to younger people and encourage them to behave and work as a team
- Listening to stories of young people’s lives and know that for just one week they had a real laugh and made new friends
- Hearing young people say ‘see you next year!’ to all their newly made friends!
Sue Donnelly (pictured left) with fellow counsellor Shauna Marshall. Photo - YouthAid Lewisham
Shauna Marshall - Volunteer Counsellor at YHA Hawkshead and Langdale
I heard about YHA Do it 4 Real from YouthAid Lewisham, which is a club that I have joined. The thing that attracted me about volunteering for YHA was the activities and the training. I went to two different Do it 4 Real Camps at Langdale and Hawkshead. At Langdale they were all onsite activities and at Hawkshead the activities were all offsite.
What I gained from both camps was experience and being a role model for young people. I brought motivation and teamwork experience to YHA.
I would definitely recommend this experience to other people, which I have started to do.
My thoughts about YHA are that it is really fun, the Hostels are really nice and comfortable, the activities are enjoyable and interesting – also the staff are really nice. It was fun doing it for real!
Quoc Truong - Volunteer Counsellor at YHA Coalport and YHA Langdale in August 2007
I first heard about YHA’s Volunteer Counsellor positions through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Extra newsletter. Having captured my interest I decided to find out more from the YHA website. What appealed to me most was the chance to stay at idyllic locations across the UK, where I have never been and being a keen mountaineer I was particularly glad that I could be in the Lake District for a couple of weeks.
The Summer Camps were great because I was able to participate in a range of enjoyable activities such as climbing, ghyll scrambling and quad biking and at the end of the week I think I probably had as much fun as the young people!
I had previously worked with young people, assisting with a safe cycling course and a student run youth residential called Kidz Kamp. This helped me prepare for the YHA Camps as I know what to expect and had some practical skills to deal with problems.
Having to work with such a large number of children has helped me to develop my confidence when presenting myself in front of big crowds and when making presentations. I also learnt to adapt to situations quickly, as there were occasions where children came back early and I had to think of activities to keep them entertained.
I have made a lot of friends from all around the UK and across the world, many of who I am in regular contact with today. I had such a great time volunteering with YHA last year that I decided I wanted to work there again this year. The benefit of previously volunteering for me is that I have been offered a job as a paid member of staff this year. I am also looking into other opportunities to volunteer with YHA in future. I can honestly say that I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience whilst volunteering for YHA. At times it was a lot of hard work but this was by far outweighed by the great times I had and I would highly recommend others to look into volunteering for YHA.
Quoc (pictured top right) and fellow counsellors at Do it 4 Real
