Volunteer

Volunteering’s not just about giving back – it goes both ways. It improves your wellbeing, gives you skills for the future, and helps you make new friends (and memories).

Make all the difference.

Help the Young People in Cottingham steps up and dream big.

Join the 160,000 volunteers like you, enabling more than 450,000 young people each year to build #SkillsForLife.

Share your skills.
Gain new ones.

Shape young people’s lives for the better

Week by week, our volunteers empower over 100 young people in Cottingham to learn new skills, make new friends and stand on their own two feet. They’re our everyday heroes. They shape young people’s lives for the better, and find out a whole lot about themselves in the process, too.

That’s where you come in.

You don’t need to be Bear Grylls to join us. You don’t need to have been a Scout when you were younger. You don’t even need to know how to put up a tent.  Our door is open to people of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds, and we’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand. We’re talking about tea makers, tidy-uppers and skill sharers. We’re talking about mini bus drivers and first aiders. We’re talking about students who want to boost their CV, and parents who volunteer so they can spend more time together as a family.

Sounds fun? Worthwhile? It is.

Step up.
Play your part.

All our activities are run by volunteers, who might join us because they want to: 

  • Make friends and meet people 
  • Try new things and challenge yourself 
  • Get outdoors and get stuck in 
  • Positively impact your community 
  • Create vital opportunities for young people 
  • Make memories that’ll last a lifetime 

All end up making a huge difference to young people’s lives – gifting them with skills for life, and learning a whole lot about themselves along the way.

Keeping our members safe

The safety of our young people is our top priority. Our safeguarding practices are regularly review by the NSPCC to give parents and carers peace of mind that they can trust their young people in our care. This mean there are some things we ask you to complete before you start volunteering with young people regularly.

DBS

We will need to complete a background check, known as a DBS check. These will then need renewing every 5 years.

References

We require at least 2 character references to vouch for you. Our adult membership system will allow you to add up to 5 referees to speed up the process, but at least on of the returned references must be from someone who has known your for at least 5 years and one must be someone with no connection to Scouting.

Learning

Learning forms the roots of your volunteer experience, as part of your core learning we expect the completion of Safe Scouting which will equip you with the Safeguarding and Safety knowledge you require. This will need to be completed within 6 months of joining.

Yellow card

The yellow card is our safeguarding bible, with the do’s and don’ts of behaving around our members. It is expected that any volunteer reads and follows the rules within the yellow card. You will be presented with a physical copy when you join us, but if you want to have a read now, you can find it at https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/young-people-first-yellow-card/

They won’t remember you unlocked the meeting place every Thursday.

They remember this.

Volunteering is #GoodForYou

Volunteering can be a brilliant way to boost your mental wellbeing. It’s a great feeling knowing you’re helping young people get skills for life, and you might even learn a lot about yourself along the way. 

What to expect:

  • A warm welcome
  • Easy access to learning and resources online
  • Friendly ongoing support from local volunteers
  • Flexibility to get involved in a way that works for you

No two weeks are the same, but the impact you make is always great.

Scouts Member Benefits

As a volunteer, unlock a range of discounts and more. Look out for the ‘Member offers’ banners across our Supporters page.

Volunteer now!

Start the volunteer journey now, simply fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch.