Over the course of February half term, young people on our YAT Adventure Programme took part in a series of Activity Days. Whether they were participating in an animal care day, learning survival skills in the woods or getting creative doing some art or cookery, it was great to see young people and volunteers enjoying themselves and getting involved.
Following the days we asked some of our volunteers why they choose to volunteer, their thoughts on our Activity Days and what keeps them coming back!
“I am so pleased that I am able to volunteer with Youth Adventure Trust. Its purpose, the people and the passion is really uplifting and positive to be part of.” Lisa, Programme Volunteer
For some young people these days are an opportunity to gain further confidence. For others, they are able to try something new or overcome a challenging situation, and in doing so build resilience and feel proud to have pushed themselves.
“The Activity Days are so important for the young people. They help them to keep in touch with the programme and show the young people new activities and skills which will help with resilience and social skills.” Mac, Programme Volunteer
One of the major factors for the days being such a success are our wonderful volunteers who generously give up their time to support our young people. They help us to ensure the days run smoothly and are always a much appreciated additional pair of hands. But beyond that, it’s clear to see that our volunteers are a key part of the young people’s journey through the YAT programmes, and the impact they can have on individuals is huge. There were many moments on the Activity Days where the encouragement and patience from a volunteer allowed young people to be themselves without judgement, and to take the next steps on their developmental journey. They motivated them to try something new, to not give up when they were challenged and to continue to push the boundaries of what they thought they could achieve.
“Activity Days offer the young people new experiences, chances to work towards their aims, often the chance to work as a team and sometimes take them out of their comfort zone and build resilience.” Sophie, Programme Volunteer
We were lucky to have a real range of volunteers join us in February, all from different backgrounds and with varying levels of experience and confidence. For some it was their first time volunteering with us whereas others are well accustomed to our programmes, and a few have even followed specific groups of young people throughout their journey with us.
“I have been with YAT for a couple of years and decided very early on that I wanted to progress through the programme with the same stream and join them on every camp and Activity Day. I found that this helped me to create a bond with the young people, one for which I am so honoured to have and I have been able to share changes in their lives as the programme progresses.” Mac, Programme Volunteer
It’s clear that our volunteers enjoy their time helping on our programmes as much as the young people do; they too are given an opportunity to gain confidence, to try something new or to build their resilience and feel proud they’ve pushed themselves out of their comfort zones.
“I have really been blessed to be a part of the YAT programme and I hope that I can be a part of it for many years to come.” Mac, Programme Volunteer
“I love volunteering with YAT, the days I spend with young people on the programme are often the highlight of my year.” Sophie, Programme Volunteer
If you feel inspired to get involved and would like to find out more then please visit the Volunteering pages of our website.