This week’s feature from Tweeddale Volunteers focuses on volunteer opportunities for older teenagers – at Pentlands Activity Camps.

Wanted: volunteers age 16+... Want to spend your holidays in the great outdoors, learning new skills and having fun?

Pentlands Activity Camps offers multi-activity and specialist day camps for school age children during the holidays – based in the woods and fields of Netherurd and Broomlee, local outdoor centres.

Established in 2005, PAC offers older teenagers (S4+) and young adults the opportunity to develop work and life skills with children by volunteering as an assistant leader at one of our camps.

Your role would be to support a group leader to plan, organise and lead a variety of outdoor and indoor activities – anything from playing ‘kick the can’ to building dens in the woods, junk boat racing to capture the flag, rounders to baking. It’s a lot of fun and all you need is lots of energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to run about, get stuck in and make sure the children have a great time.

In return you get your lunch, and lots of cups of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. We also offer coaching and mentoring as well as references for job, gap year and UCAS applications. You can sign up for the Saltire award – after a week at PAC you’ll have clocked up 40 hours.

But the main thing about volunteering with us at PAC is the fun you will have. It’s a great way to spend a week of your holidays – being outdoors, making new friends, being part of a small staff team and getting to know lots of great children. And it’s a great opportunity if you are thinking of working with children or adults in the future – you can find out whether it’s for you.

PAC volunteers come back year on year and the majority of our staff have once been volunteer assistant leaders, and many came to PAC as children. That could be you. Interested? Then contact Lindsay Mann on 07718 933725 or email info@pentlandsactivitycamps.co.uk or check out our website to get a flavour of what we do www.pentlandsactivitycamps.co.uk