Family volunteering is it for you

In short, there is no ‘type’ of family that decides to go on a volunteering vacation. They come in all shapes and sizes, ages, generation mixes, solo parents, gay parents, children with special needs, black and minority ethnic families and a whole range of different income groups. There are a few personality types that veer towards family volunteering trips, however, and these include having a desire to be active, learn something new and engage with different cultures.

One myth is that volunteering families are all hippy dippy types who live on some sort of mythical moral high ground – far from it. There are families who have done nothing but all inclusive vacations since the kids were born and have a sudden need for immersion in something other than a swimming pool. There are urban chic families who have spent every Easter in the Trois Vallées and decide, for various reasons, to go off piste and work on a horse rehabilitation project in South Africa. They may never have done a day of camping in their lives. And nearly half of volunteering families are with solo parents. The list is wide and varied.

Teamwork is central to a volunteering vacation. Not just when you get there, but also in planning the trip. It is not uncommon for a volunteer organisation to have a conference call with all the family members to explain what the project is all about, and reassure them regarding any concerns. When you get to the project itself, you are allocated daily tasks that contribute to ongoing research, conservation or rehabilitation of wildlife. And in most cases, you will be working as a family team.

Such potentially life changing trips can have a hugely positive impact on families, so you do need to consider whether you are a strong unit before heading out. If there is a fracture in the family unit, it would be a mistake to sign up for a volunteering trip as a way of healing the wounds. Family volunteering vacations are not family counselling sessions because, to be blunt, your role on these trips is to help others. However, in doing so, there is no doubt that you will have a very bonding and wonderful time as a family in the process.

Anyone who signs up to volunteer is special in our books. Children with special educational needs are more than welcome as long as the parents are happy that the facilities and ambience on site will cater for their children. Our responsible volunteering organisations will be open to all questions to assuage any concerns. Or indeed advise that, with a child’s particular needs, it might not be suitable.

At the present time, mobility needs can be difficult to cater for on volunteering trips, due to the fact that the terrain is often quite rough, but always double check with the volunteering organisations. Young people with cognitive special needs often love family volunteering vacations, as working with animals and in the outdoors have long been celebrated as having a positive impact for everyone, no matter what their needs are.

Anne Smellie, from Oyster Worldwide: “We have had a mother and son who had Down’s syndrome as well as cognitive issues. The boy was super friendly, loved animals but couldn’t talk very well. Working with the mum to see how we could make it work for them was a delight. The son volunteers with an animal shelter at home too, and his mum says that this is when he is at his happiest. They went to the elephant sanctuary in Thailand for a week, to see how he got on. He was so keen to be involved in everything, he just never wanted to stop!”

“We had a young girl who suffered from depression, she was about 10, and she was really struggling with socialisation, confidence and wasn’t making friends at school. She went with her family to the monkey rehabilitation centre in South Africa and when they arrived, the owner could tell that the daughter was really unsure about everything. So he gave her a baby monkey and said, “this is your responsibility, this is what you do… now go for it.” She just lit up during the two weeks that they were there. The mum was so grateful to the project and said that she had a new daughter at the end of it.”

Family volunteering vacations are also perfect for teenagers who have already flown the nest to go to college or university. They have adjusted to a new life but are still keen to be involved in family vacations in some way. You don’t all have to be there at the same time either, of course. Some members of the family could go out for a week and be joined by the older independent sibling for the second week, for example.

Many of our family volunteering organisations also run trips where young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award can complete their ‘residential’ requirements. During this section of the Award they are required to go and contribute to a community project of some sort for a week. Although they have to be independent of friends and family to complete this section, one option for families is to sign your son or daughter up for a week on a project so that they can get their ‘residency’, then the rest of the family can join him or her afterwards to work together. Always ensure that it is a Duke of Edinburgh approved project first, although many of them are.

Funnily enough, this is more often than not the question on adults’ lips rather than the children’s ones. Some adults really do struggle with the concept of a device detox break, usually because of work commitments. They often want their kids to switch off from modern day life but aren’t so good at it themselves. It is surprising how many adults want to know where the secret WiFi spot is at the project, but don’t want the children to have it. In fact, most places have very limited WiFi, so it really is time to let the devices go. However, there is always a way to get emergency help through the project. They are never totally off grid.