Volunteer Sailing Crew for Outdoor Activity Charity

Volunteers aged 18+ are at the heart of the award-winning sail training charity, Challenge Wales and although it is great to be part of changing young lives for the better, volunteering outdoors at sea can be challenging as well as fun.  But the Challenge Wales team are here to support you to provide you with a unique volunteering opportunity.

Volunteers crew Challenge Wales for voyages that last half a day, one day (usually), or for residential voyages which last from
2 - 10 days (but average around 5/6 days).  Voyages predominantly take place from Penarth Marina, near Cardiff Bay, but some voyages will go to West Wales, South Coast, North Wales, Ireland, Scotland and sometimes overseas.  Volunteers have the option to join any of our voyages for any duration.

To help the skipper of Challenge Wales to crew the boat and help the young people on-board to work as a team. All volunteers will be trained to be able to do the following:

Volunteers on-board will help with:

• Hoisting the sails and prepare the boat for sea

• Maintaining the boat

• Sailing the boat on day voyages and residentials

• Demonstrating different types of knots

• Motivating and inspiring young people on-board

• Passing on knowledge to other volunteers and guests on-board

• Helping with evaluation of young people coming aboard through surveys, outcome wheels, written reports, photographic evidence

• Undertaking some activities in the medium of Welsh (optional)

• Leading by example and demonstrate activities to young people including use of equipment on the boat, food preparation and cooking

• Leading by example and demonstrate educational activities including ocean literacy tasks, micro plastics survey, plankton trawl, litter picking

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Do you have or Could you be….

• A positive role model for young people

• Be organised and self-motivated

• Good English

• Enthusiasm, stamina and the capacity to engage with people at all levels

• Commitment to motivate and inspire disaffected young people to achieve their potential

• Commitment to Equal Opportunities Legislation and an understanding of, and commitment to work within the principles of diversity

• The ability to be tactful and sensitive in communication and to empathise with young people and the agencies and professionals who deal with them

• Willingness to undertake on-going training

• The ability to work on own initiative, with the minimum of supervision within a busy environment and ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload

• A good team player when working with trustees or other volunteers

• Demonstrate an empathy with and commitment to the work of Challenge Wales including sustainability and youth work

• Effective time management skills - Time and Tide waits for no-one

Desirable but not essential

• Sailing experience

• Maintenance experience

NOTE: All those wishing to become a volunteer crew person need to undertake a qualifying sailing trip as a paying guest. This provides an opportunity to experience the environment, meet the crew and for the crew to get to know you. After a successful qualifying trip, you will be invited for an induction (online or face-to-face), and we require 2 references and an enhanced disclosure and barring check (DBS) as part of our safer recruitment practices.  If you are volunteering for a
shore-side role, such as fundraising or maintenance then you do not need to undertake a qualifying trip.

TRAINING: Challenge Wales provides volunteer crew with a personal development programme and training. All volunteers are expected to attend at least 2 crew training days and 1 voyage a year to retain their volunteer status.

CREW FEE: Challenge Wales covers reasonable travel expenses to and from the port/marina where activities are taking place. Volunteers currently pay a crew fee of £10 per day however, if you are a Challenge Wales Member this reduces to £0 per day on young people's trips, which make up about 90% of our voyages. Crew Fee's are explained at the volunteer induction. Details of our membership scheme can be found on the Membership page of our website.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact us using the form below.