Youth group leader

Looking for a volunteering opportunity? See the latest Scotland wide volunteering opportunities at Volunteer Scotland. We also regularly update our website with the latest opportunities within West Lothian. To find the right opportunity for you, use keywords and your postcode (e.g. EH48 1AX) to refine your search.

Girlguiding Scotland is the leading charity for girls and young women in Scotland, with over 35,000 girls supported by 9,000 amazing volunteers. Girlguiding helps members discover their full potential by having fun and enjoying new adventures. At the heart of guiding are our regular group sessions, called unit meetings. These are run by volunteer teams of adult leaders, helpers, and young leaders. Leaders have responsibility in running the unit, managing the volunteer team, and planning the activities for girls. You’ll be supported to complete our required Leadership qualification and receive training on everything from admin and finance to child safety.

Unit meetings are split by our 4 main sections, defined by age range. It’s up to you what section you’d rather work with, and you can attend a variety of meetings to find the right fit for you:

• Rainbows are aged 4-7 and focus on fun, friendship and adventure.
• Brownies are aged 7-10 and focus on fun, adventure, and even first nights away!
• Guides run for those aged 10-14 and is a relaxed, safe space for young members to develop their interests and take on new challenges.
• Rangers are aged 14-18, and are supported to be independent, take the lead on activities, and explore UK and international adventure!

If you're not ready to start the leadership qualification or you want something more flexible, register your interest in the same way and a senior volunteer will get in touch to chat about other ways to volunteer.

Want to get involved? Your enquiry will be shared with senior volunteers in your area, who will aim to contact you within 7 days. You will then be asked to sign up for a virtual welcome session with Girlguiding Scotland. You will be asked to complete the PVG process, provide 2 referees’ details and complete online safeguarding training. The senior volunteer will then put you in touch with a local unit to arrange getting started with our young members.

Experience required

We are looking for individuals who are:

• Enthusiastic and willing to learn.
• Friendly and welcoming; our units are a safe, inclusive space for our young members to express and challenge themselves.
• A good communicator; you’ll be working with a volunteer team, young members, as well as communicating with parents and carers.
• Reliable and have regular availability – The groups can't run without our amazing volunteer leaders but there is the possibility of being able to share the responsibility between the team.

There are groups throughout Scotland with travel links. There is a map on the enquiry form that will help you find a unit local to you, and you’ll also have the chance to talk about the various locations with the local volunteer team.

Travel expenses

Volunteering shouldn’t cost you anything, and reasonable expenses can be claimed by all Girlguiding Scotland volunteers.

Support

What do we offer?

• You’ll receive all relevant training, including safeguarding.
• You'll also have access to a wide range of resources and our e-learning platform for additional trainings that interest you.
• You’ll have support from a mentor throughout your Leadership Development Programme qualification.
• You’ll gain and develop new skills which can support your CV.
• You’ll have a great support network from your fellow volunteers, locally and nationally.

Restrictions

All our adult leaders are required to be 18+. A PVG is required for all volunteers, but this is no cost to you. We require all leaders to be women, but we have lots of other volunteer roles that are open to anyone.

Availability

You can volunteer as regularly as you are able to! Most units meet weekly during term time, with meetings lasting between 1 hour – 2 hours per week. In addition to weekly meetings, leaders will also set aside time to complete planning and admin tasks.

Volunteers (aged 18-25) taking part in this opportunity are eligible to claim Saltire Awards hours for their activity.