WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER WITH AN EXCITING CHRISTIAN ORGANISATION
WHO ARE ROCK UK?
Rock UK Adventure Centres are a Christian charity that has been running outdoor adventures for nearly 100 years. Lots of school groups, youth groups, churches and businesses visit our centres for exciting adventure activity weeks, day visits and weekends away. Our adventure activities include, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, archery and many more. We have 4 adventure centres across the UK and we run a volunteering programme at Frontier Centre, our centre in Northamptonshire. Volunteers are part of our Hospitality Team that ensure all of our guest receive a warm welcome and enjoy their stay with us.
Placements are for a minimum of 8 months to a maximum of 12 months and generally start in January and September, but we will try to be flexible where possible. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and are typically up to 28 years old. Open to residents of the UK, EU and non-EU countries.
LIVE IN A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY & GROW YOUR FAITH
As a Christian charity we want to encourage all volunteers to grow in their Christian faith. Volunteers are expected to be committed to the Rock UK Christian fellowship and will have regular Bible studies (in English) on centre as well as the opportunity to worship and get involved with a local church.
This is an amazing opportunity to offer your services to work as part of a busy hospitality team of Christian young people, to grow in faith and spiritual understanding and to experience different cultures and denominations. Living as part of a Christian community can be a lot of fun and fellowship with friends is an important part of the experience.
There is also the chance that our volunteers can go on a CPAS camp as a volunteer leader for a week somewhere in the UK. This is subject to availability and during the summer months only but is an excellent way to grow in faith and to have fun teaching kids about Christianity. Details about the CPAS camps can be found here: https://www.ventures.org.uk/.
WHAT WILL I BE DOING & WHERE WILL I LIVE?
Volunteers work as part of the Hospitality Team. Working around 37.5 hours a week. Accommodation is provided free of charge with a weekly allowance for meals and basic toiletries via an online shop. Laundry and cleaning facilities are provided. You will be living in shared accommodation with your own room. You can mix with your fellow volunteers and get to know our instructors who live onsite too. Friendships are created for life on our programme.
After induction and training we like to get our volunteers straight into action. After training you would typically be expected to:
- Clean & prepare the dining room for guests
- Carry out washing up duties
- Serve food to our guests
- Assist with building safety checks
- Assist with table plans and checking dietary requirements
- Welcome guests into the dining room and advise menu details
- Assist with cleaning and preparing the centre for our guests
- Assist the maintenance team with light maintenance duties
- Depending on your interests and abilities you may also have the opportunity to work with other departments for example; the centre’s administration team
HOLIDAYS, DAYS OFF & SIGHT SEEING
Volunteers will be given the opportunity to visit attractions around the UK during their stay. London, Oxford, Cambridge and Stratford-upon-Avon are within easy travelling distance. The UK has many popular tourist destinations you can go to on your days off. There are bus routes to access shopping areas and towns nearby, and we have bikes available to use to get to the local shops. Volunteers are also encouraged to arrange their own visits on days off and during holiday periods to get the most out of their experience. We encourage volunteers to explore together when they have the same days off as each other. Our centre team has lots of tips and ideas about what to see and do while you are with us.
Recent trips included a day visit to London where volunteers went to Trafalgar square and explored the city. They went to Oxford for the day and roamed the street where famous authors like Tolkien and CS Lewis walked. Another trip took them to the Peak District to experience some of England’s greatest views. They went up hills and across rivers. A day trip to the beach at Wells-Next-the-Sea to built sandcastles and dip their toes in the English Channel – then quickly remove them as it is very cold!
Sometimes volunteers are able to help out and take part in activities at the centre including climbing, abseiling, water sports and biking on the cycle trails. Fun activity days are arranged for the volunteers so they get to try the activities and it helps us too as our instructors can practice their skills during quiet periods.
IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH
English lessons may be provided, subject to volunteer-teacher availability, however this must not be the primary reason for volunteering with Rock UK. Volunteers are encouraged to speak English to each other even if they are from the same country. The more you practice the better your English will get. Our staff are always happy to help and explain the correct way to say a phrase or tell you the right word to use. Recent lessons include practical words that are needed in the dining room, but also how to use English in conversations such as: question words, verbs, comparatives and superlatives, how to use ‘over, under and through’ and many more practical words. There is always a lot of laughter during the lessons and we make learning fun but practical.
Applications are now open.
Applications are open for those wishing to start in September 2023 for 12 months. We are accepting applications until the end of April 2023, then shortlisting will begin. If we have not filled all the spaces available then we will continue to accept applications past this date.
For more information, and an application form, please email volunteers@rockuk.org.