The Volunteering section is about helping others.  You can volunteer in a group or on your own.

How to get started with your Volunteering

  • First, find a local volunteer service, activity or placement and ask if they offer students volunteering opportunities for DofE. There are lots of examples on this page.
    • Approach charitable, community interest or not-for-profit organisations. Please avoid placements offered at commercial organisations and businesses. The spirit of DofE volunteering is to assist people, charities and community needs. Ask if not sure.
  • Ask an adult to be your Assessor. This will usually be the person in charge.
  • Talk to your Assessor about your activity by discussing start and finish dates, time commitment and goals.
  • Submit activity details for approval (don’t leave as “Draft”) on eDofE so that they can be checked before you start anything.
  • Keep evidence as a log of dates or diary as you do the activity.  You should also upload a few photos as evidence.

The rules for the Volunteering section

  • Your Volunteering …
    • must be unpaid
    • must last for the full 3 or 6 months, depending on the time frame you selected for your Award.
    • must not be a “job” or work placement for a commerical profit-making business. For example, working at a Vet or working for a commercial sports activity provider (e.g. the Surf School or a profit making dance school) are not allowed. Ask if not sure.
    • should be doing work for someone who needs help, a community or charity or non-profit enterprise.

Ideas for Volunteering

There are lots of ideas on the DofE website resource area: www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference/activities/volunteering/

These are some things that EC students have done:

  • Guernsey Music Service - you may be able to help with younger groups.
  • Scouts and Guides - if you are a member of these organisations, you may be able to volunteer with younger groups such as Beavers, Cubs, Rainbows or Brownies.
  • Sports clubs - most of the sports clubs are non-profit making, so you can volunteer with younger groups at your football, rugby, hockey or swimming club.
  • Churches and other community and faith organisations - EC students have volunteered at churches (e.g. working with children, helping on the sound desk or acting as altar servers), food banks and stewarding at community events.
  • Litter picking - the Clean Earth Trust run weekly beach litter cleans (www.cleanearthtrust.org/thebeachcleanproject). You can do a mixture of organised beach cleans and individual/small group litter picks if you wish.
  • School clubs - if you are involved with any school activities you could see if there are any opportunities to work with younger students.  EC students in the past have volunteered at chess clubs and in the library.
  • Charity shops - ask around as some charity shops only take over 16s.  In Guernsey the Citizens Advice shop will take volunteers from age 14.
  • Online opportunities - look at websites like zooniverse (www.zooniverse.org/) or missing maps (www.missingmaps.org/).

Volunteering should be for at least 1 hour per week for the required time period.  A SHORT intensive period of activity does NOT COUNT, even if it is a great activity e.g. helping at a kids holiday club or sports club for one week would NOT count for Volunteering. You will need to add regular hours after that to complete the proper timescale.

How to finish your Volunteering Section

  • Make sure you have completed the correct timescale, including adding any gaps for breaks and holidays so that your total time adds up to the total required to pass.
  • Get your evidence together to show your Assessor and upload it to eDofE.
  • You can now ask your Assessor to sign up your eDofE report card (which is in the Welcome Pack you received when you signed up). They should write a report on your participation, commitment, progress and achievement. Upload their report to edofe and mark as Assessor Report.
  • Alternatively, ask your assessor to use this website www.dofe.org/assessor to type in their report direct to your eDofE account. They will need your eDofE number.