Volunteers

As a non-profit making community group we rely on volunteers to help us run our sessions. We are lucky to have some fantastic volunteers to help us regularly 🙂
If you would like to volunteer please contact us. Please consider you will need to enjoy the outdoors in all weathers!

Our policies are:

Volunteers : 18 years and over

  1. Volunteer expresses interest.
  2. Volunteer produces current DBS (current being within the last 3 years) or two referees.
  3. Volunteer can then volunteer, but must be under supervision of person/s DSB checked through Holly & Hawthorn.
  4. If volunteer does more than 3 sessions and is happy to commit to more then we can arrange to DBS check them through Holly & Hawthorn.

Volunteers : under 18 years old

NB: All volunteers under 18 remain under our supervision (by person/s DSB checked through Holly & Hawthorn) until they are 18 whether they have enhanced DSB or not.

  1. Volunteer expresses interest.
  2. Over 16’s follow the same process as adults producing current DBS (current being within the last 3 years) or two referees.
  3. If volunteer is under 16 – produce two references.

Notes

  • Volunteers must be 14 years or over.
  • If volunteer reaches age of 16 whilst still volunteering for us we will do DSB check for them.

Family Members Policy – School Holiday Provision

  1. Parent/grandparent/family member can stay with their child/ren attending a session for up to one whole session (expecting this to be in most cases the first session for child/ren) and a further two half sessions.   This excludes exceptional circumstances that can be discussed and agreed with the forest school leader.
  2. Parent/grandparent/family member will need to ensure you are always in sight of an adult who is DBS checked by Holly & Hawthorn.
  3. Parent/grandparent/family member must declare any personal medical or important information (e.g. dietary requirements) on an ’emergency form’.
  4. If Parent/grandparent/family member intends to come to more than 3 sessions they must produce current DBS (current being within the last 3 years) and will remain under supervision of person/s DSB checked through Holly & Hawthorn.
  5. If Parent/grandparent/family member has come to more than 3 sessions and wishes to continue to come to further sessions, they will be asked if they wish to be classed as volunteer. On accepting to be a volunteer we will then DBS family member through Holly & Hawthorn.

Volunteers with children

Volunteers are welcome to bring their children, however volunteers pay half price for their children.  There is also a limit on how many half price places each volunteer can have – we made it a maximum of two, any more are full price.

The committee made this decision in 2011 to avoid having a situation where we could not afford to run the session.

Committee

We have a volunteer committee that meets four times a year to discuss issues, plan ahead and review sessions.

  • Committee Members – elected April 2021 AGM
  • Kaye Watts – Chair/Forest School Leader/Child Protection
  • Ros Lavington – Secretary
  • Sharron Hiscox – Treasurer
  • Audrey Truan  – Child Protection
  • Jo Matthew – General Committee Member
  • Tom Makin – Website

If you would like to be considered for the committee – please contact us, with a short paragraph telling us why you’d like to be part of the committee and the skills you offer 🙂