Volunteer

Volunteer

Volunteer with Cheshire Young Carers

What magic could you bring?

Your time, skills and enthusiasm could make a real difference to a young carer.

Volunteering with Cheshire Young Carers is a rewarding way to build new skills, gain experience and, most importantly, give young carers opportunities to have fun, make friends and simply enjoy being young.

With personalised training and ongoing support, we’ll help you find a volunteering role that works for you. Whether you can give us a few hours every couple of weeks or a few days during the school holidays, your time can make a difference.

You could help a young carer to:

• Discover new hobbies, interests and opportunities
• Make friends and build confidence
• Enjoy experiences they might not otherwise have access to
• Take a well-deserved break from their caring responsibilities
• Make memories that last a lifetime

And you might discover a few things along the way too — new skills, new experiences, new friendships and the satisfaction and joy of knowing you’ve made a difference.

Volunteering Opportunities

Our current volunteering roles are activity-based and directly involved in supporting young carers through sessions, trips, events and activities.

There are lots of ways to get involved and no experience is needed – we’ll provide all the training and support you need.

Fortnightly Evening Sessions

We run regular two-hour activity sessions for young carers in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, Winsford and Crewe. These sessions give young people the chance to relax, have fun, try new things, spend time with their peers and take a much-needed break from their caring responsibilities.

Volunteers work alongside our staff team to help run activities, engage with young people and create a fun, welcoming and supportive environment.

If you’re available every other week between 6pm and 9pm, we’d love to hear from you and we’re hoping to expand into more locations in the future too!

Time commitment: Around 3 hours every other week

After-School Club Sessions

After a busy school day, young carers need somewhere they can relax and have fun.

Our after-school club sessions provide a safe and welcoming space where young carers can spend time with other young carers in their school, build friendships and enjoy activities together. It’s also a chance to take a short break from their caring responsibilities.

Volunteers work alongside our staff team, getting involved in activities, playing games, doing crafts, chatting with young people and enjoying the sessions together.

We’re continuing to expand our after-school clubs, which run immediately after the school day. Session times vary from school to school, so if you’re usually available between around 3pm and 5pm and would be able to support a local school every couple of weeks, we’d love to hear from you.

Time commitment: Around 1.5 hours every other week

School Holiday Activity Programmes

School holidays are for fun, adventure and making memories — and that’s exactly what our programmes are all about! Young carers are given the chance to take a break from their caring responsibilities, try new things, get out and about and enjoy some amazing days with friends. Whether it’s an adrenaline-fuelled adventure or a chilled out day at the park, there’s always something to enjoy!

As a volunteer, you’ll join us on our trips and activities, spending time with young carers, getting involved and enjoying the day together. You’ll be part of the fun, helping young carers make the most of their time away from their caring responsibilities.

Recent trips have included Alton Towers, Grosvenor Park, Manchester, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Blue Planet Aquarium, the cinema, bowling and Boulder Hut Climbing Centre — so there’s plenty to choose from and hopefully a day out you’ll enjoy too!

Time commitment: Volunteer for as much or as little as you can — from a single day to up to 5 days a week during school holidays.

Residentials

Our residential trips are a great opportunity for young people to build strong friendships, grow in confidence and independence, build on skills such as leadership and communication and make incredible memories with other young carers.

Recent residentials have included Gulliver’s World, London and Disneyland Paris, as well as shorter overnight stays at amazing local activity centres. These trips give young carers the opportunity to visit and experience new places, try new activities and enjoy adventures they may not otherwise get the chance to have.

Volunteers join our staff team on these trips, helping make the experience fun, safe and memorable.

If you have experience with Guides, Scouts, youth work or similar residential settings, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. Most importantly, you’ll need to enjoy spending time with young people and be ready for a fun-filled adventure!

Our residentials are consistently rated among the most impactful experiences we offer and volunteers play an important part in making these experiences possible.

Time commitment: 2 days or more, including overnight stays. Usually held during school holidays.

Don’t see a role that feels right for you? Get in touch anyway. We’re always happy to explore opportunities around your skills, interests and availability.

Love gaming? Passionate about beauty? A keen artist, sports enthusiast or musician? If you’ve got a hobby or specialist skill you’d love to share, we’d be excited to explore creating a one-off workshop or activity for young carers with you.

Ready to bring some magic?

You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to have the time, enthusiasm and willingness to make a difference.

Whether you want to volunteer regularly, help during the school holidays, share a particular skill or simply find out more, we’d love to hear from you.

Ready to get involved?

Complete our online volunteer application form