We are proud to work in partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award, the world’s leading achievement award for young people.
Thinking of volunteering with Barnardo's?
Barnardo’s are an Approved Activity Provider for the volunteering section of the DofE Award. This means all of our volunteering opportunities are pre-approved to meet the requirements of the Volunteering section of any Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award.
If you are doing your DofE with your school, college or youth group, Barnardo’s is a high-quality volunteering provider, which can offer a wide range of roles and additional benefits.
About our volunteering roles
If you are 14+, you can volunteer in one of our 600+ retail shops, supporting the team to raise vital funds for children, young people and families across the UK. In our retail shops you can get involved with styling displays and dressing mannequins, identifying hidden treasurers to be sold on our eBay shop and of course, serving our customers. There is something for everyone!
We have a wide range of other roles that are suited to volunteers aged 18+, including Children’s Activity Support Group Helpers, Befrienders, Independent Visitors, Gardeners and Office Support – to name just a few. These roles are best suited to Silver & Gold participants due to the time commitment required.
Benefits of volunteering with Barnardo’s
You will meet new people every day and have some fun for a good cause. You will also get to enhance your CV and learn skills that will boost your job prospects; including increased confidence, teamwork and problem-solving.
Our volunteer roles have other benefits such as feeling like you are making a difference, improving your health and wellbeing, and a chance to contribute to a worthwhile children’s charity. All volunteers also have access to our internal vacancy list.
What next?
We have provided some examples above of the types of role that suit each DofE Award level, but if you click find a volunteering opportunity below, you can see all the volunteering opportunities we have available near you, and apply online via our quick and easy application for.
We accept references from schoolteachers, sports coaches and other group leaders. If you are struggling to think of anyone to be a referee, please email [email protected] and we can support you with this.
On your application, please let us know that you are a DofE participant and what level of the Award you are completing. Once you have applied, the local manager, who will also be your assessor, will be in touch to start your volunteer journey with us here at Barnardo’s.