The Four Week Challenge – Making volunteering easy
An open ended volunteering commitment can be a scary thing. For parents and other potential volunteers who might not know much about Scouting, agreeing to volunteer in itself can be a huge leap. They’re unsure whether they will enjoy it; they may well feel out of their comfort zone and might be equally worried about letting the leader down.
That’s why the new Four Week Challenge, being piloted in some parts of the UK by the Regional Development Service, is such a proving such an interesting experiment. It is a time specific volunteering commitment for those interested in supporting young people, staggered, as the name suggests, over four weeks.
If they want to continue, then this is a great time to discuss the range of roles available, the training requirements and benefits. Equally, if they want to stop there, then leaders can present a certificate and thank the volunteer in an appropriate way. If they have had a good experience, there is a good chance they will volunteer again in the future.
New resources available
To support the Four Week Challenge, a new range of resources is available on the Scout Print Centre, including posters and special certificate. These can all be personalised with local details.
Practicalities
Whilst it’s all very well in theory, Chris, a Cub dad, offered to step forward, put the challenge to the test and have a go himself. Here’s what happened!
scouts.org.uk/news/2016/03/blog-take-the-four-week-challenge
scouts.org.uk/news/2016/03/the-four-week-challenge-weeks-three-and-four
