In September 2008 we made a number of changes to the programme which make it much easier for young people to understand as well as find activities.
FAQs about the new Volunteering section
What if the volunteering activity doesn’t fit in to one of the categories?
The five categories are so broad, that it should fit in somewhere, as long as the activity matches with our definition of volunteering
What has happened to the programmes file? Where can we find these new programmes?
Young people are encouraged to create their own programme, with a blank programme planner on the website. We will have sample programmes to give leaders and young people ideas. Most of the old programmes are still available online whilst we develop a resource to replace the programmes file.
What if I have already booked for my DofE group to take part in a First Aid course for their Volunteering section?
We appreciate that courses which have been booked prior to these changes will have to count toward the Volunteering section, but we would encourage that from now onwards these courses are either booked for the Skills section or young people find a practical volunteering opportunity (up to a quarter of the time only may be training).
Non-practical volunteering will not be accepted from the beginning of the academic year 2009.
What if I have a good relationship with the local Police/Fire Services who have often provided us with courses for the Volunteering section?
Many of these courses could still count towards the Volunteering section, if they are adapted to involve three quarters practical volunteering. This could mean changing the content of the course by ensuring that the majority of the time the young people spend is passing on the knowledge they are gaining to the wider community. e.g. Raising awareness about fire safety or anti-social behaviour, checking smoke alarms or labelling property with security codes. Alternatively, these courses could be used for the Skills section under the Life Skills category.
How do I support some of the group with their own youth-led team volunteering project?
Anyone can be the supervisor for this project, it doesn’t have to be the DofE Leader, so you could either help find a suitable person or volunteer yourself. It would be a great idea to find an Assessor who is directly involved with their chosen activity, e.g. Headteacher if it were an anti-bullying project or local charity representative. The best way to support the project would be to ensure that all the young people involved are given a suitable role within the team, that they have a plan for the entire duration of the time required, with team meetings built in and that all members of the team regularly give up their time for the project.