We are a charity that harnesses the transformative power of play and exercise to help vulnerable children recover from complex trauma. Our goal is to nurture the confidence of every child we work with and develop valuable life skills.

What You'll Do: 

As a volunteer, you will support our children at Solidarity Sports projects during school holidays. In practice this may be running through playgrounds with our children, supporting them as they try bouldering for the first time, ice-skating, and many more fun activities. Volunteers will build a positive, trusting relationship with our children, and help them feel special and valued at all times during our projects.

 

During the summer holidays, from 28th Jul - 22nd Aug 2025 (Monday-Friday 10am-4pm), we are going to be located in a secondary school and will hold a variety of fun activities, from tennis to drama to arts and crafts! From 26th-29th Aug 2025 (Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm), we will bring our children to various venues across London.

 

We have projects every school holiday, in Christmas, Easter, Summer, and Half-Terms, Monday to Friday, from approximately 10am-4pm.

 

For this project, you will be assigned to a bubble group which is according to children’s ages (e.g. green bubble for the youngest children), and you will support that bubble throughout the day. We ask that you bring your ENERGY, passion and enthusiasm to volunteering! Please also take initiative to help out with various tasks.

 

Your team leader will assign you 1-2 children as partners for the day. We maintain a good ratio of 1 adult : 2 children so we can give our children as much attention and care as possible. We ask that you bring your ENERGY, passion and enthusiasm to volunteering! Please also take initiative to help out with various tasks.

 

Location: A secondary school in West London. The volunteer coordinator will contact you with details of meeting point in due course.

Reimbursement: Travel is reimbursed up to £15 and lunch up to £4.50 with receipts provided.

Person specification: You MUST have a passion for working with children. Our children have been through a lot in their short lives; it is vital we listen and give them a safe and fun space to express themselves. We want to create a happy, loving environment for them.

Requirements: All volunteers will be DBS checked before volunteering. We will help you obtain an enhanced DBS check for free. If you have lived in the UK for less than 3 months you will have to obtain an equivalent background/criminal check from your previous country of residence. 

Flexibility:

This is a very flexible commitment – you can do 1 day in this week, 2 days, or all 5 days if you’re keen!

We do ask however that volunteers commit to the 10am-4pm time slot, as you will be paired with two children during this project, and if you are not able to stay for that amount of time there will not be enough volunteers to adequately supervise the children (there should be at 1 volunteer:2 children ratio at all times). 

Onboarding: After signing up, we will organise a quick 30-minute call with you to discuss volunteering logistics and your motivations. We will also help you get an enhanced DBS check for free if you don’t already have one.

 

Start date details: Mon-Fri 28th July - 29th August (except 25th August bank holiday)

 

Why You'll Love It: 
This is the perfect opportunity to give back to the community while having fun. Our volunteers and staff enjoy the fun activities as much as our children! 
What You'll Learn: 
You will gain hands-on experience by applying key psychological theories (e.g. trauma recovery, attachment) to real-world situations, and develop a better understanding of how they influence children's emotional and social development. You will also learn to be empathetic and sensitive in supporting our children, who have experienced significant adversity.
What We're Looking For: 
You MUST have a passion for working with children. Our children have been through a lot in their short lives; it is vital we listen and give them a safe and fun space to express themselves. We want to create a happy, loving environment for them.
Summary
Volunteering
Mental Health
Young People
Sports
Social Care
Poverty
London
0 Weeks Minimum
6 Hours / Week
Skills you will develop: 
Active listening
Cultural Awareness
Motivating Others
Empathy
Languages you should know: 
English
Requirements: 
DBS check
Over 18
Phone Interview
Training

Similar Opportunities

 
Liberty Drop In
A Way Out Charity
Min. 4 Weeks Minimum weeks
Liberty Drop In
Volunteering
Addiction, Mental Health, Poverty, Crisis Support, Homelessness

Liberty Service supports women who are at risk or have experienced multiple disadvantages (including addiction, homelessness and mental ill health), this opportunity will entail supporting the Liberty team in their daily drop ins.

 
Family Engagement Volunteer
Zarach
Min. 0 Weeks Minimum weeks
Family Engagement Volunteer
Volunteering
Young People, Social Care, Poverty, Education, Families

Zarach is on a mission to end child bed poverty, giving children the opportunity to engage at school and a chance to break the future cycle of poverty.

 
South Tees Hospitals Involvement Bank
South Tees Hospitals NHS
Min. 0 Weeks Minimum weeks
South Tees Hospitals Involvement Bank
Volunteering

The Involvement Bank at South Tees Hospitals is open to our patients, their carers, family members and the local people we serve. The Involvement Bank is voluntary: once you have signed up, you can get involved as little or as much as you like.

Related Articles

Volun-tees
Hannah Barstow - Psychology Graduate
Volun-tees
What Volunteering Reveals About You to Employers
Volun-tees
MAKE A DIFFERENCE Interior Design Project - The Salvation Army