Residential volunteering programme
Residential volunteering programme
Jump into a world of challenge and adventure and join our residential volunteer programme
Interested in joining the residential programme as an activity instructor for Scout Adventures? If you’re aged 18+ and up for an exciting challenge, then this is your chance! Get practical, hands-on experience supporting young people and build friendships that last a lifetime.
We’re the Scouts and developing people is what we do! We’ve been doing it for over 100 years already, and developing the next generation of amazing activity instructors is what this programme is all about. As an overseas or UK Scout or Guide yourself you’ll understand the benefits of taking part in outdoor activities. It’s that spirit of adventure, and belief in the power of the outdoors to teach skills for life that led you to look at this programme today.
Ready to challenge yourself and make a difference?
Please note: To be eligible for this placement, applicants should have previous experience in scouting and/or working with young people, and be aged 30, or under, at the time the placement begins. Please note that this placement is designed for individual participants only, so partners, children or family members cannot be accommodated. If you have any questions about the programme, please email us at: [email protected] - due to the high number of applications, we are not currently taking applications from Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Algeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Palestinian Territories or Ethiopia. We will review this decision in the coming weeks.
Applications open now for September and January.
This programme offers you the chance to be part of our amazing team delivering unforgettable experiences to thousands of young people. You'll play a big part of our 2026/2027 story and have the opportunity to not only learn, but teach loads of new skills surrounded by our volunteering family.
You'll commit to, on average, 35 hours per week, with quieter weeks in the winter and busier weeks in the summer (spread across 5 days with evenings and weekends included) with up to 18 days off during the placement.
We welcome applications from the UK, Europe and all over the world. Applications are open for the following placements: September 2026 to September 2027 and January 2027 to November 2027.
To be eligible for this placement, applicants should have previous experience in scouting and/or working with young people, and be aged 30, or under, at the time the placement begins. Please note that this placement is designed for individual participants only, so partners, children or family members cannot be accommodated. Due to the high number of applications, we are not currently taking applications from Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Algeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Palestinian Territories or Ethiopia. We will review this decision in the coming weeks.
What’s in it for you?
At the end of this residential programme you’ll have an impressive CV packed with real instructing qualifications, extensive hands-on experience and will have worked with an amazing team of over 100 volunteers from across the UK and around the world!
| Induction | Full course in instructing skills, first aid, safeguarding, customer service and more. |
| Friends for Life | Make friends from around the world as you volunteer alongside other volunteers from over 30 different countries. |
| Instructing experience | Log hundreds of hours of hands-on experience instructing youth groups and learning all about centre operations. |
| Living | Live on-site with our residential volunteers from around the world, with all meals and uniform covered. |
| Stipend | Receive a weekly allowance of £45 plus reimbursement for direct costs. |
"Scout Adventures gave me the opportunity to learn new skills, gain work experience and helped me build confidence. But most important, it allowed me to meet the most amazing people I've ever met while doing what I love!"
Your journey to volunteering
Step 1: Applying
Ready to join the adventure? Start by filling out our online application form. You’ll need to include details of someone to write you a letter of recommendation—an adult (not a relative) who can provide a statement for your character and suitability to join our team. A scout leader, teacher, or sports coach would be perfect since they’ll understand the exciting volunteering role you're aiming for! Once we get your application and recommendation, we’ll give them a quick review. If all looks great, we’ll invite you to an online interview. It’s a 15-20 minute chat for us to learn more about you and for you to ask any questions. No prep needed, just find a quiet spot with a strong internet connection.
Need a hand? Get in touch with us on [email protected]
Please note: applications will be open until eight weeks before the placement starts, unless we fill all spaces.
Step 2: Arrival
All our Full-Time volunteers kick off with an initial training course, usually held at Gilwell Park. Once you’ve completed the application process, we’ll let you know your course dates. We’ll also help plan your travel arrangements — if you’re joining us from overseas and need a visa, this includes providing you with a Certificate of Sponsorship. You’ll usually arrive the weekend before training starts; we’ll sort out transport to pick you up from the airport, train or bus station.
Step 3: Initial training
Get ready for an exciting 5-day course with 30 to 40 participants! You’ll join a team of other volunteers, each led by a mentor (a returning volunteer) and a trainer (one of our permanent team members). This training is practical and hands-on, and you’ll be jumping right into all the action. At the end of the course, we’ll celebrate with a campfire and officially invest you into the Scout Adventures family.
See what training is all about
Step 4: Volunteering
Once you arrive at your designated adventure centre, your first few weeks will be packed with exciting training sessions for the activities you’ll be delivering and leading for young people. Got a special interest or skill? We’ll make sure you get the opportunity to shine! If you’re creative, you can even leave your mark on the centre during your free time. Previous volunteers have painted climbing walls, built team-building bases, and created vegetable gardens. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do!
Ready to apply? Here’s what you need to do:
Complete an application form and upload the following as PDFs or JPGs (the form contains instructions on how to do this):
• Membership confirmation from your National Scout/Guide Organisation (only required if you're a current Scout or Guide)
• Reference letter of recommendation (from your school/university or employer)
• A photo of you
• A short 2-minute video introducing yourself.
We need all of these to progress your application, so you can make a start getting these ready now, even before you start filling in the form. You must be over 18 when you apply for your visa (3 months before you start your training) and must have a good standard of English.
Find out about our adventure centres
There is a limited number of residential volunteering places available spread across five of our centres:
Broadstone Warren, East Sussex
Within the idyllic Weald area of outstanding natural beauty, Broadstone Warren is 400 acres of adventure in the Ashdown Forest close to the town of East Grinstead, just an hours train journey to central London. Find out more.
Fordell Firs, Edinburgh
A beautiful site on the outskirts of Edinburgh. With easy access to the fantastic cultural attractions of Scotland's capital city. Find out more.
Gilwell Park, London
Close to London but with the tranquillity of a woodland location, Gilwell Park is famous throughout the world for its Scouting heritage, beautiful setting and stunning range of activities. Find out more.
Great Tower, Lake District
In the heart of the Lake District, on the shores of Windermere, Great Tower is one of our most stunning locations. Close to the towns of Bowness, Windermere and just a short journey to Kendal. Find out more.
Youlbury, Oxford
A beautiful woodland centre. This is the world's oldest permanent Scout Camp and is just three miles from the historic city of Oxford. Find out more.
What is the role of a Scout Adventures Volunteer?
Your role would be as an Outdoor Activity Instructor, we will train you to deliver activity sessions to the young people who visit our centres.
Join one of our residential programmes and volunteer with Scout Adventures as an activity instructor. We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic people from all around the world to be part of the most important teams on centres. You can be sure of a challenge whilst volunteering with us; but we hope you also find your stay enjoyable, exciting and hugely rewarding.
Whilst your main role will be to help us deliver a variety of outdoor activities to our guests as well as welcoming them to our centres by volunteering in reception, sometimes helping out in the kitchen or shop and keeping our centres clean and tidy. Even cleaning bathrooms is an essential part of the job!
What are the benefits of Volunteering?
There are so many reasons and benefits why you should come and volunteer with Scout Adventures:
• Satisfaction in knowing that you are helping many young people have a life changing experience
• Making a positive contribution to young people’s lives - making a difference
• Appropriate training both at the start of your placement and throughout as needed
• Learn new skills
• Develop existing skills – Improve your English
• A full reference letter (on request) at the end of your placement to show future employers
• Live and volunteer in a multi-cultural environment
• Live in one of five amazing locations in the UK
• Opportunity to travel – visit other centres, cities and even explore Europe
• Have your own adventure
• Have an experience of a lifetime
• Try something new – discover different cultures, food, try activities you’ve never done before
• Make unforgettable memories
• Enrich your lives
• Make new friends
• We provide you with indoor living accommodation shared with another volunteer
• You will have the use of shared living space with TV, broadband, board games etc (this will vary from centre to centre)
• We’ll provide you with all your meals during your stay, both while at work and on your days off
• You’ll get 2 days off per week and can ask for more when the centres are quiet so that you can go site seeing or to visit family and friends
• We will organise and fund regular social events, at least once a month such as – Caving, Sailing, Bowling and Theatre Trips (these are just examples and each centre will organise different activities for you to enjoy depending on their location and facilities available).
• Full uniform consisting of 3 different jackets, 3 t-shirts and 2 pairs of trousers
• Bedding – but no towels!
• Laundry facilities
• Full accident insurance cover
What placements are available?
We have the following placements running in 2026/2027: September 2026 to September 2027 and January 2027 to November 2027. Applications typically are open until eight weeks before the start date - we may reopen applications later, but this is not guaranteed. The placement starts with an initial training course which takes place at Gilwell Park and lasts for around 5 days. On this course you will learn things such as delivery skills, first aid, health and safety and guest services. On completion of this course you will move to your allocated centre and your training will continue in the many different activities that we offer such as high ropes, archery, backwoods cooking and much more! You will be assessed in a number of the activities to make sure you are competent to deliver them to our guests and to help you to progress. Our centres start to get busy around April time, the busiest period being from June to September.
What staff are at the centres?
Although each centre is slightly different, they will all have an Centre Manager - the main person in charge and who ensures the smooth running of the centre. Every centre has Lead Instructors – the numbers vary depending on the size of the centre – these are the people you will mainly work with on a day-to-day basis. There will be other staff on centres too that you will have regular contact with such as Customer Experience Coordinator, Deputy Manager, seasonal and freelance instructors, as well as maintenance staff, local volunteers and service teams who all help to ensure the centres run smoothly.
What language is spoken?
You must be able to communicate effectively in English. This will enable you to fully participate in our volunteer programme. If you think your English is not good enough at this time then please let us know and we can defer your application until a later date.
What type of person are we looking for?
To be eligible for this placement, applicants should have previous experience in scouting and/or working with young people, and be aged 30 or under at the time the placement begins. Please note that this placement is designed for individual participants only, so partners, children, or family members cannot be accommodated.
We’re looking for enthusiastic people who are ready to make the most of the experience. Ideal applicants will be keen to:
- Support and help others
- Learn new skills and gain experience
- Be friendly and build new friendships
- Work hard and contribute to the team
- And most importantly, have fun along the way!
What do I need regarding Visa & Passports?
If you do not hold a UK passport you will be required to apply and pay for the following:
• Tier 5 Charity Workers visa. This will cost you approximately £319
• Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa application, this will cost you approximately £1035 - this is only paid if your placement is for more than 6 months
• TB test certificate – not all countries require this so you will need to check, the cost of this varies from country to country too so you’ll need to check on this as well.
Some nationalities are also able to apply for a visa under the cheaper Youth Mobility Scheme. Find out more here
What do I need to do about arriving and departing the UK?
You are also responsible for arranging your own transport to and from the UK. We will collect you from airports on set arrival days and take you to Gilwell Park for your initial training. Further details regarding this will be sent to you nearer the time.
Will I be insured?
All members of staff are insured against all accidents when on duty. However we do not provide sickness insurance or for accidents when off duty. If you have to pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge when applying for your visa then you will be covered for everything apart from dental treatment and eye tests. You should arrange insurance for routine dental treatment, sickness (if no Immigration Health Surcharge paid), travel to and from the UK and your luggage and personal possessions (both en-route and whilst in the UK). If you do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge you are strongly advised to take out travel insurance for the duration of your stay.
Will I receive weekly expenses?
How much money you will need will depend on how you’d like to spend your days off and evenings. We provide all of you accommodation and catering needs. We will give you a weekly stipend (small living allowance) (£45 for International volunteers and £35 for UK volunteers).
If you have any other questions, please email it to: [email protected]