Placement Start / Finish 

Start Date: January 2024  

Length of placement – 9 or 12 months 

Please note that the minimum length of your stay with us is 9 months. The dates you finish dates can be flexible between the end of September 2024 and January 2025. 

Description of Paccar 

Paccar Scout camp is an Outdoor Activity centre open all year round. The site is around 60 acres made up of two large fields and around 44 acres of woodland. There are three buildings providing indoor accommodation, two large Camping Fields and 24 Woodland Camping Sites. There is a wide range of activities including: High Ropes Course, Twin Zipwires, Climbing Wall, Activity Tower with six separate activities, Rifle Range, Archery Range and around ten more smaller activities for children of different ages.  

 Paccar caters mostly for Scouts, Guides and other Youth Organisations who Camp at the Weekend, and during the season May to July there are School Groups coming for week long visits. The site also runs large events two or three times a year, there can be between 1,000 – 1,500 children attending. The site caters for children from age 6 to 18, the majority are in the age range 8 to 14. 

 During the Summer School Term (May to July) Paccar also hosts school groups for “residentials”. These are week long stays when school children get to experience the outdoors and activities, for some children it will be the first time they have experienced this. 

 Paccar Scout Camp is in a Rural location within walking distance of a large village. London is easily reached by train, approx. 30 minutes 

Volunteer Duties  

Duties are split in two:  

Working with young people: Running activity sessions for visiting children for which you will receive training. There are two different types of group who come: 

• Groups of school children. While they stay at Paccar in addition to running their activities you will be catering for them, sitting with them during mealtimes and entertaining them during the evening etc.  
• Scout & Guide Groups who come mainly at weekends for whom you will be running activities along with our established team of local volunteers  

Helping to maintain the site and prepare it for visiting groups. This also involves cleaning and general maintenance. 

Its important to note that a number of our adventurous activities involve working at height.

• You will do daily cleaning duties, serving in the shop, maintenance tasks such as painting, weeding, mending fences and anything else that needs doing.  This placement is incredibly flexible and volunteers must be prepared to use their own initiative and muck in! 

• The early part of the season will be mainly devoted to site preparation and training of volunteers.  Groups can book in at any time of the year but they are far fewer in the winter months. 

Holidays / Term Time 

Holidays/Term dates: 12 Month Placement (20 Days)– dates need to be agreed in advance with the manager.   Holiday will not be granted during peak periods, typically April – July, as well as other key weeks.  

Hours of Work 

Hours of Work: Volunteers will work around 40 hours per week averaged throughout the year with some evening and weekend activities, especially in the busy May – August season when school groups will be visiting. Most of the year you will be on duty at weekends and have days off during the week, during School season (May to July) you will mostly be on duty Monday to Friday and have the weekends off. This will vary from time to time. It is not usually possible to take annual leave in the busy period when schools are visiting however, hours can be negotiable and days off are flexible if plenty of notice is given for special requests. 

Accommodation & Food 

Volunteers will live in a bungalow on site with up to twelve volunteers in the summer.  It has a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom with bath and shower and a communal sitting room with internet access.  There are two twin bedrooms with bunk beds and two single bedrooms. There are also bedrooms in portacabins (two cabins both with two single rooms and a shared toilet/ shower room, and two cabins with single room and bathroom) available when the bungalow rooms are full. Volunteers will cook their own meals during the week, except during catered school visits, during which volunteers will eat with the visiting children.  

There is also a fully equipped kitchen in the ‘crew hut’ and volunteers will eat with the crew at weekends.  A group food allowance is provided of £25 per person, per week and volunteers do a weekly shopping trip for the whole group. Personal hygiene items are not included in this allowance and volunteers have to pay for their own items using their individual pocket money. 

Financial Allowance / Pocket Money 

 Financial Allowance: Volunteers will receive monthly payments of £240 towards the total expenses incurred in preparation for or in the course of their volunteering. This will be paid on a monthly basis.  

Transport Links 

The local village is within walking distance and there are good links to London locally (30 minute walk to station or 5 minute drive).  Train journey from Gerrard’s Cross to London approx. 30 minutes. A daily travelcard to London costs approximately £18 off peak and £12 with a railcard.  

Local Amenities, Medical and Banking Facilities 

Small Shops in the local village.  

A choice of pubs.  

Pharmacy 

Doctors 

Internet / E-mail / Phone access 

Access to Internet/E-mail: On site and free for volunteers to use 

Suitable Clothing 

Suitable clothing: Outdoor clothes – nothing too precious.  We supply you with t-shirts, sweatshirts, waterproofs, fleece etc.  Bring your own warm jacket (English summers can be quite cold at times!) and sturdy boots, e.g. waterproof hiking boots. Uniforms and work clothes are provided. 

Technical Requirements  

Although we will support you through the application process, you will need to meet the cost of your visa application fees, the UK government will also require you to pay a fixed fee for your healthcare while you are in the UK.

You will need to arrange your own visa in your home country. We will help and advise you in obtaining the visa. 

We will issue you with an invitation letter and a “Certificate of Sponsorship”.  

You are responsible for any visa fees payable in your home country, this includes the NHS Health Surcharge.  

You are also responsible for arranging and paying for your travel to and from the UK. 

You will need to obtain a Doctors Certificate confirming you are in Good Health 

You must arrange Health Insurance if you wish to travel during your placement.

Paccar Scout Camp do not charge a fee for Volunteer Placements. 

Summary 

Paccar is a fantastic centre where you will have lots of fun. We have an existing volunteer team of around 100 people who help to maintain the site and run activities on busy weekends. You will quickly become part of that team and have the chance to improve your English and learn about other cultures. Volunteering at Paccar is however hard work, great fun but hard work. You will need to enjoy the outdoors and working with children of all ages and to be committed.  

It is a requirement that all volunteers coming to Paccar must speak with one of our previous International Volunteers. For your own protection, we will not confirm your placement unless we receive confirmation from one of our previous International Volunteers that they have spoken to you and ensured you understand everything about the placement. 

We will put you in contact with some of our previous volunteers during the application process. 

What’s provided? 

• Links with previous volunteers prior to start of placement 
• Obtaining police checks (on arrival) 
• Advice on obtaining a Visa 
• Assistance on opening a UK Bank Account 
• Assistance registering with GP local to placement 
• Airport pickup on arrival (from London Airports) 
• Accommodation for the duration of stay 
• All food provided  
• Work Uniform 
• Living Allowance, paid monthly 
• Day to day support from a member of staff as your mentor 
• Focus on your personal volunteer learning and development, all training is provided free. 
• References (on request) 

What’s not included 

In addition to the above, volunteers will be required to pay for their own international flights, travel insurance and any visa costs. Paccar Scout Camp will assist you in making these arrangements. 

International Flights
Travel Insurance
Visa costs (if applicable)

Spending Money for days off/ holidays 

Accommodation and food during holiday periods 

How to Apply 

A link to the initial application form can be found below.

This form is open from 3rd April 2023 until 1st July 2023 for placements starting January 2024.  You must be available for video call interviews during early August 2023, exact dates TBC.