Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

Gold Award Residential at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens Summer Fair. The Residential is a unique opportunity to take part in an events management based Residential and will be run by the Historic Royal Palaces team at Hillsborough Castle. The 5 day experience includes on site accommodation, breakfast, and a range of activities supporting the annual Summer Fair.

  22-26 August 2024

  £240

  [email protected] or 028 9069 9100

Belfast Activity Centre

Gold Award Residential at Ardaluin House in Newcastle. Activities will include; Climbing, Archery, Mourne walks, Bushcraft, Orienteering, Wet bouldering (depending on weather conditions), Canoeing and more.

  3-7 April 2024 or 28 October-1 November 2024

  £375 (payments can be made in instalments if requested)

  [email protected] or 0289 0600 132

Ganaway Activity Centre

Ganaway will be holding a Residential activity week where participants will have the opportunity to participate in outdoor pursuit and will also work alongside outdoor instructors delivering programmes to visiting groups of young people and adults.

  2-6 April 2024

  £295 (£100 deposit required on booking)

  To book contact Gareth Shields on 028 9186 1297 or book online.

There will be another Residential towards the end of August, dates TBC.

Habitat for Humanity Ireland

Opportunities for young people, aged 16-18. See Serve Speak Youth provides opportunities for young people aged 16- 18. It brings together young people from across Ireland to work alongside communities in need in Romania, allowing them to work together, build relationships, change perspectives, provide cross-cultural learning and an understanding that housing is critical in breaking the cycle of poverty.

  Compulsory training in February 2024. Late June and July 2024 for Romania trip

 Budget to take part is £1,800 pp (this includes a non-refundable deposit, all training,   travel, in-country expenses, a debrief and a minimum £750 donation towards Habitat’s work). Of the £1,800, volunteers are asked to make a minimum personal/parental contribution of £500 towards logistics costs.

  For further information, please click here, or contact: [email protected]

Ulster Wildlife
*FULLY BOOKED: NOW TAKING NAMES FOR A WAITING LIST ONLY*

The 2024 Binevenagh Youth Residential will take place once again at Magilligan Field Centre.

The residential is open to any young person who would like to learn more about local wildlife and the environment. Each participant will gain a Silver Wild Youth Award. If a young person wishes to attend as part of their Gold Award, they must first confirm the name of their Award Group back to me (i.e. who you are doing it through, e.g. school, youth organisations etc). The reason I need to ask this is we can only give a maximum of two places to young people from the same Award Group. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis and tend to go quickly.

  Dates: 5 – 9 August at Magilligan Field Centre

 £320

  To find out more and to book, contact [email protected] or 0781 606 5919. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis and tend to go quickly.

New Horizon

In 2024 there will be two Residential options available which may be suitable for the Residential section of your Gold Award- always check with your leader.

New Horizon is an annual week of Bible based teaching, worship and fellowship held on the Coleraine campus of Ulster University. There are up to 400 volunteers involved in various activities before, during and after the event.

Accommodation will be provided together with breakfast and an evening meal. All other meals are the participant’s own responsibility, however, in previous years use has been made of the University refectory which provides very good lunches at a reasonable price.

  Week 1 – Monday 29 July to Saturday 3 August (Site Set-up)

Week 2 – Sunday 4 to Saturday 10 August (Site Maintenance)

  £150

  Details and application form can be found here. As places are limited, we would advise an early application to avoid disappointment.

Crawfordsburn Scout Centre

  Northern Ireland Scout Council hold residentials at their Scout Centre in Crawfordsburn over the summer months.

  To find out more and to register interest, please contact them at 0289 185 3307 or [email protected].

Sail Training Ireland

Some of these opportunities may be suitable for the Residential section but you and your Leader must ensure it meets the requirements of the section.

  For more information contact [email protected]

Ulster Barbarians Wheelchair Rugby Club

Wheelchair rugby is an exciting and dynamic game played by disabled athletes. There is one Club in Northern Ireland, which meets at Wallace High School in Lisburn. They play in an all Ireland league involving four clubs, and have just joined the GB league where games are played in England.

  They need volunteers to assist at the regular training at Wallace High School, on Thursday nights 7-9pm. Volunteers assist in a number of ways:

The rugby wheelchairs have to be taken from a trailer into the games hall at the start of the session, and put back after it. Players have to be assisted from their day chairs into the rugby chairs, and back again. They also may require assistance getting gloves on and off and helping with preparation to play.

Chairs have to be kept serviceable, which means changing wheels and fixing punctures. Volunteers also get to assist with training sessions and often play to even out numbers. It is a fun game which anyone of any sporting inclination will enjoy and find challenging.

Ideally volunteers will be physically strong and have good communication and interpersonal skills. Some training on lifting and dealing with wheelchairs will be given. Young people aged 16 years and above would be most suited to the role.

  Further information is available on the website or please contact either:

• Hugo Frew, Secretary on 0782 522 0947 or by email at [email protected]
• Sean Smyth, Chairman on 0773 191 11034 or by email at

Foyle Sailability

Foyle Sailability is a cross border voluntary organisation which aims to deliver opportunities for sailing and other water-based activities to people with disabilities from across the North West region of Ireland.

In the short-term, they are giving people with disabilities the chance to take to the water themselves, with expert help. In the longer-term, they want to offer the kind of support which enables those of us with disabilities to aspire towards the highest levels of sailing or water sport skills.

  Further information can be found on the website and if you would be interested in volunteering please contact Ken Curry on 0777 900 8459 or [email protected]

Good Morning Ballymena

  Good Morning Ballymena is a free friendly telephone service for adults 60 years and over who may feel lonely, who just want a regular friendly voice to talk to or simply just to listen to them or share a laugh or joke with. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9.30am – 12.30pm.

A new befriending service is also provided which includes visits to the home of the adults. DofE/JAI participants would be accompanied by an adult volunteer.

  If you would be interested in volunteering for Good Morning Ballymena or for further information please contact Debbie Chestnutt, Project Co-ordinator on 028 2564 0720 (between 8.30am-12.30pm) or email at [email protected]

Debbie would also be very happy to visit schools to talk to participants who are interested.

Volunteer Now

Volunteer Now works to support volunteering across Northern Ireland and can help you find the perfect place to volunteer as part of your DofE programme. They have launched a new volunteering opportunity search system, powered by Be Collective, a global company committed to supporting them to engage, connect and give in your community.

To find an opportunity, visit their website and use the search system to find a range of opportunities that will meet your needs.  If you are under 16 you will also be able to see the symbol identifying them as ‘Suitable for children 14+’ and you will be guaranteed that this organisation will support and encourage you through your role.

There are lots of opportunities across NI to choose from and by registering on the system you will have the opportunity to create your own social cv that enables you to record your hours, log any training undertaken and skills gained!

  If you would like further help, you can also email [email protected] or call on 028 9023 2020.

Special Olympics Volunteer Opportunities

Special Olympics Ireland provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with an intellectual disability giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Special Olympics Ireland has 11,000 athletes supported by over 18,000 registered volunteers across all of Ireland.

Special Olympics Ireland provide a wide range of volunteer opportunities to suit everybody.

  For more information visit their website or email [email protected] or call 028 9023 9023.

Ganaway Activity Centre

Ganaway Activity Centre is offering a volunteering package for DofE participants from the age of 14. This package offers the opportunity to undertake an activity for Volunteering section helping with outdoor pursuits with the aim of getting an outdoor qualification too.

  For further details please contact either Norman Rodgers or Gareth Shields at Ganaway Activity Centre on 028 9086 1297.

Volunteering with RSPB Northern Ireland

RSPB can offer opportunities at reserves in Belfast, Aghalee and Fermanagh. In addition they will facilitate projects carried out from home, schools, colleges and with the community.

To find out how you can volunteer for nature in Northern Ireland contact the volunteering team as below:

  Colin Graham (Volunteering Development Officer)
Tel: 028 90 491547
Email: [email protected]

  Suzanne Irvine (Volunteer Coordinator)
Tel: 028 90 491547
Email: [email protected]

Volunteering for Children in Crossfire

Volunteering for Children in Crossfire is a very worthwhile and rewarding thing to do, and volunteers play an important part in helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable young children. All of our voluntary work is based in the local community in Ireland and the UK.

Those who undertake voluntary work also benefit a great deal from the experience: learning and developing a wide range of transferable skills, and working with and meeting a variety of people within the local community and beyond. It’s also a lot of fun!

We are always delighted to work with new volunteers, and warmly welcome people of all ages and backgrounds. There are a number of areas in which people can get involved in the local community:

• Help at fundraising events such as supermarket collections, flag days, church collections, and other events throughout the year.
• Creating awareness: speak at schools and churches in your area to raise awareness of the charity.
• Volunteer in our office: help us with administration and a variety of work in our office in Derry City, or volunteer with us over a longer period (up to several months) on an internship and get a more in-depth experience of the charity sector.

  If you would like to find out more about Children in Crossfire, our work and volunteering opportunities, then please contact Ursula on 02871 269898, or email [email protected].