As 2024 draws to a close, we’ve been “compiling” our annual volunteer statistics! Across the year 65 individual volunteers have selflessly supported a total of 290 young people. We’ve also repatriated 23 lost socks, 11 towels, 5 jumpers and 43 water bottles*.
From welcoming new staff to launching new initiatives including our Young Leaders Programme and expansion into Somerset, it’s certainly been a year of growth and development.
Our gallant team of volunteers contributed an incredible 9,183 hours, the equivalent of 387 days, across all of our programmes, including 310 mentoring sessions, 6 Challenge Events, 6 Adventure Programme camps and 37 day activities. Our Programme Volunteers were powered by (or bribed with) 690 biscuits, 167 mugs of tea, 24 cups of tea (day activities in village halls) and 124.5 jokes*. Our Mentoring Volunteers have faced 7 Escape Rooms, completed 18.25 treasure hunts, played 47 games of Uno (Volunteers 23 : 24 Mentors) and have spotted 112 yellow Minis (or the same yellow Mini 112 times)!* Our Challenge Event Volunteers have supported a total of 556 participants across 6 events, who in total have raised £237,364 for the Trust. They dished out 2,371 Jelly Babies, redirected 12 disorientated teams and ascended a total of 14,176 metres to reach their marshalling points*.
This year we’ve recruited and trained 43 new volunteers including 5 Young Leaders, 10 Mentoring Volunteers, 1 Trustee, 4 Challenge Event Volunteers and 23 Programme Volunteers, with many of these volunteers fulfilling more than one role. A further 65 volunteers returned this year to offer their ongoing support across our programmes, challenge events and our governance.
We were once again supported by a comparatively even split of male (42%) and female (58%) volunteers and a reassuring balance of new (39%) and returning (61%) volunteers.
And there’s not forgetting the hours our volunteers put in behind the scenes from organising volunteer socials and our Reel Adventures screening, running workshops at our Looking Ahead Pathway Days, accessing our face to face and online training sessions and supporting us at our volunteer training.
