How long do the holidays last?
Where are the holidays?
Who volunteers to go on the holidays?
Why volunteer on a Sense holiday?
What kind of person do I need to be a volunteer?
What is expected of volunteers?
What time off will I get?
Where will I sleep?
What will it cost me?
Which holidays can I apply for?
How long do the holidays last?
Holidays generally last for about a week and take place through the summer months, mostly during the school break.
Where are the holidays?
Our holidays take place in England and Wales. Holiday group sizes vary and venues range from outdoor activity centres to cottages, farms, barns, villas, lodges and, for the first time this year, a camping holiday. The majority are self-catering.
Who volunteers to go on the holiday?
Holiday leaders and volunteers typically come from all sorts of backgrounds. All leaders and volunteers must 18 or over at the start of the holiday.
Most of the group will have met before the holiday. Volunteers and leaders get together on the volunteer preparation day to start getting to know one another and to begin planning the holiday together. This is when you start to get a real taste of what you will be getting up to on your holiday.
Why volunteer on a Sense holiday?
Because it is a totally unique experience! All Sense holiday volunteers get the opportunity to:
- meet new people, visit new places and try new activities
- explore different ways of communicating
- be part of a team
- face new challenges
- learn new skills supported by their holiday leaders
- have fun (even while working hard!)
- have a unique holiday
What kind of person do I need to be a volunteer?
You don't need to have done anything similar before. The volunteer preparation day and volunteer manual together make sure that volunteers have all the skills they need before their holiday begins.
What we are looking for most of all are volunteers who are committed to the holiday and who have the enthusiasm and drive to make it work.
All sorts of skills and qualities can be important on Sense holidays. If you are:
- 18 or over at the start of the holiday
- able to work well in a team
- open-minded
- willing to learn new skills
- responsible
- have a caring personality
- someone who has plenty of stamina!
- able to be patient and tolerant
- have good interpersonal skills
- can respect everyone's differences
- have a good sense of humour
- believe in equal rights for all individuals regardless of disability
Then you're the sort of peron we're looking for.
What is expected of volunteers?
Ultimately, the role of a volunteer is to enable deafblind holidaymakers to enjoy all aspects of the holiday, and to ensure the holiday runs as smoothly as possible.
During the holiday volunteers are expected to:
- enable holidaymakers to take part in the activities available on the holiday
- spend lots of time with the particular holidaymaker their leader has 'linked' them with
- to develop good communication and understanding with holidaymakers
- support holidaymakers in all aspects of their daily routines
- be responsible for holidaymaker's personal belongings
- help with domestic duties
- be prepared to do a night duty if required
- if a named driver, to take turns in driving the minibus, safely and responsibly
- ask for help whenever you need it
- and above all, to support the Holiday Leader and other volunteers in the holiday group.
What time off will I get?
This very much depends on your holiday. The deafblind holidaymakers need someone there for them 24 hours a day, so it is a matter of swapping people around to make sure everyone gets a break.
Sometimes you will get scheduled mornings off, or the odd evening. But if you ever need half hour's time out, your leader will always do their best to make sure you get it.
Where will I sleep?
When you arrive at the venue on the first day, your leader(s) will sort out who is sleeping where. Usually you will be sharing with another volunteer, and occasionally there are dormitories.
What will it cost me?
Nothing! We will pay all your accommodation and feed you three meals a day. All you will need is a very small amount of cash on the holiday for your off-duty time. Unfortunately, we will only be able to pay travel expenses to the holiday venue for students, the unwaged or anyone who would otherwise be prevented from volunteering on a holiday.
There is a section on the application form where you can tell us if you will be claiming your travel expenses.
Which holidays can I apply for?
To keep everyone's costs down, we ask volunteers to apply for holidays that are nearest their home.
Of course, if you do pay your own expenses and don't mind travelling, then you can apply to go anywhere you want!
For further information, please contact the holidays team.
