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.

Key points from one of our Youth Mentor Volunteers:

• Safeguarding is the top priority to keep the young people and the adult facilitators safe at all times.
• We always operate within a fixed set of simple rules and guidelines, including confidentiality.
• I have noticed a marked improvement in mood and outlook in the majority of the YPs that attend WF programmes.
• It often takes a few meetings to gain the YPs’ confidence and belief that you have their back and are on their side.
• Progress is rarely linear and sometimes YPs are in a bad space that requires gentle patience and empathy.
• Occasionally there are breakthrough moments when the barriers come down and a YP really opens up and talks freely about their underlying problems, concerns and fears.
• None of the YPs are “broken”, they’re usually just traumatised by events that overwhelm them.