Wilderness Volunteers
“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human.
No one has made it through life without someone else’s help. “
No one has made it through life without someone else’s help. “
Heather French Henry
Volunteers from Essex & Suffolk Water at our Community Allotments.
Volunteers from ECC working at our Mann Wood, 92 acre ancient woodland.
Volunteers working at our Allotments and Community Garden
Our Volunteer Roles:
Working with Young People & Adults to change lives…
Our award-winning TurnAround programme works with some of the most vulnerable teens and young adults in our community, helping them to overcome their challenges and take control of their lives through a mixture of challenging wilderness adventures and one-to-one youth mentoring support. Our Youth Mentors are paired with a participant for the duration of the nine-month programme and provide a positive adult role model to draw support from. Our volunteer mentors receive regular supervision and have their own one-to-one support throughout the programme.
Youth Mentors are asked to provide one hour of their time per week to engage with their participant, and can do this when and where they choose and is most convenient for mentor and participant. Sessions could include grabbing a coffee or going on a run, it is whatever suits you!
Our group therapy programmes support young people and adults facing mental health challenges, victims of, and witnesses to, domestic violence and teenagers that are struggling to engage with school. We use our nature-based therapy practice to take them out into nature and help them grow, giving them the social and mental tools and strategies they need to improve their lives.
Facilitated by our expert therapists, these programmes run one day a week for 6, 8 or 10 weeks and rely on volunteers to help support the sessions. You will be involved with setting up equipment, supporting activities and taking part in the conversations before working with the therapists to review the programme. This is the perfect place to make a difference.
Our amazing education team brings learning to life outdoors. With a 42-acre outdoor classroom here in Chatham Green and a new Forest School programme in Great Leighs, we work with over 8,000 children a year from schools and other settings across the county, delivering Learning Outside The Classroom-accredited education that connects them with nature and fosters a deep appreciation of the environment around them
Our education team relies on volunteers to support activities such as pond dipping and bug hunting and work together to provide the most memorable outdoor educational experiences possible. This is the perfect place to inspire the next generation.
Venture into the Highlands with our Treun programme to provide an immersive experience in wild and remote settings that utilises the power of the outdoors and a therapeutic grounding to allow young people to connect with themselves, their peers and the environment as they build resilience and capacity for navigating their next stages in life.
Facilitated by our expert Scotland Project Officer, volunteers help to support 5-7 day trails into the beautiful Scottish Highlands with a range of facilitated activities and outdoor skills such as putting up tents and wild cooking. This is the perfect place to truly go wild…
Rolling up your sleeves for nature and people…
Our Down-To-Earth Community Allotment and Garden support vulnerable adults through the power of gardening. Every week we come together and build community, social skills and self-esteem through a semi-guided gardening session, where we grow our own plants, look after this beautiful space and take the time to talk, allowing us to connect with nature and each other.
Facilitated by our expert Horticultural Facilitator, volunteers join some of our weekly sessions to help us to look after the garden and ensure that our participants have the best possible experience at our sites.
With two stunning sites, an allotment and a community garden, there is always plenty of site maintenance work to be done at the Wilderness Foundation.
Volunteers help our site team to maintain paths and equipment, complete vital habitat management work and build and repair structures such as our wood stores and safari tent. We need your help to keep the sites perfect for supporting people and nature.
Using your skills to support our work…
We have a diverse Board of 12 Trustees from various backgrounds within the corporate and charity sector; each bringing their own expertise and knowledge to help further the Foundation’s growth. The Board is made up of quarterly board meetings and also sub-committees for Governance, Environment, Finance & GP, Social Benefit and Scotland.
Preferably from a commercial background, we welcome applications from those with a strong understanding and track record of financial management, strategy and governance. Experience of fundraising would be an added bonus.
The Wilderness Foundation relies on strong organisation and marketing to communicate our message as a charity and reach a wider audience of supporters and clients.
If you can bring energy to support the administration side of our projects or have any kind of experience in marketing, we would love to hear from you!
Without the kind donations from our supporters, both public and corporate, the Wilderness Foundation would not be able to do our vital work of reaching young people and adults struggling with their mental health.
If you can bring fundraising experience or new ideas to further our fundraising efforts, we would love to hear from you!
Visually appealing marketing and compelling storytelling are vital to extending our reach among supporters and clients.
We are looking for ad-hoc help from experienced videographers or photographers to help us create engaging content for social media, website and marketing materials.
What we look for from our Wilderness Volunteers:
Wilderness Foundation UK seeks volunteers who are reliable, consistent, and respectful, fostering trust and continuity in our programme delivery. Our volunteers embrace a positive, collaborative spirit, bringing energy and enjoyment to their roles, and honour our Leave No Trace ethics to help preserve the precious natural spaces in which we work.
Those supporting young people through mentoring, help build resilience while working closely with our team in pre‑ and post‑session briefings; adhering to health & safety, and safeguarding protocols including DBS checks and relevant training. We work with some of the most vulnerable young people and adults in our community and our volunteers work alongside us to be positive role models, show empathy and bring fun and energy to our sessions.
Teamwork is at the heart of what we do, and our volunteers are able to advocate for young people and the environment, maintain records where needed, and be exemplary models of wellbeing, personal growth, and environmental stewardship through their conduct as Wilderness Volunteers.
Our award winning volunteers are vital to running our programmes, including:
- Helping troubled young people turn their lives around
- Working outdoors to help preserve wild spaces
- Working on fundraising and public awareness campaigns
- Gaining the satisfaction of contributing to the wellbeing of people and the planet
Most volunteer opportunities are in and around Essex and the London area but some volunteering roles can be done remotely.
Volunteer Quotes
“It is great to find a charity that provides real value to a wide selection of society. It makes me proud to look back on how much the ESW team achieved. Having a real “before and after” project outcome that fits the company just an hour event provides great motivation.”
“We were glad to help your valued foundation and it was great to get out of the office to see the great work you and your team do. I’m sure I will be up there again soon with my son’s Beavers group.”
“I look forward to attending WF’s events as I always learn something new about people and find it very rewarding. I respect the people that work at the WF: they are committed to improving YP’s lives and are great to work with!”
How to Apply
To register your interest in a volunteer position, please download and complete the Volunteer Application Form.
Completed forms should be returned to our Volunteer Coordinator via email info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk