Volunteer with us

Help a Young Person Discover What They're Capable Of

Volunteering with Basecamp isn't just about giving your time.

It's about sharing adventures, building confidence and helping young people discover what's possible.

Volunteer With Us
A smiling woman with long braided hair inside a cave, wearing an orange helmet with a headlamp, red jacket, and purple gloves, crawling through a narrow tunnel.

Why volunteer?

We are a people-oriented organisation and our staff & volunteers are the backbone of what we do. We want staff and volunteers to feel seen, heard and valued for the work they do. As a result of volunteering with us, you could:

  • Make a real difference to the lives of young people

  • Experience new activities and adventures

  • Meet new likeminded people and make new friends, on Adventure Trips and at our Staff & Volunteer Adventure Socials

  • Develop confidence from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone (yes, what we do applies to adults to!)

  • Gain access to high-quality training in the industry, such as Restorative Practice and Coaching & Mentoring, which provides professional development & experience for other areas of your career

  • Develop skills in a wide-range of areas, such as facilitating group sessions, bushcraft and social emotional self-awareness

  • Improve your physical and mental wellbeing

Group of children and a woman, dressed in outdoor hiking gear, standing on a mountain summit with scenic green valleys, hills, and a lake in the background. They are smiling and posing around a summit marker.

MEET Gilly

“Volunteering with Basecamp is honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I show up ready to give it my all, yet I come away with so much more than I ever anticipated. Walking alongside the young people as they take on the great outdoors - the highs, the challenges, the moments of doubt and the bursts of confidence - has been incredible. I’ve seen so much vulnerability, courage and resilience in all the young people taking part and learnt so much from them.”

- Gilly, Programme Volunteer

Read Gilly's Story

The roles

We’re currently accepting applications for the following two roles for the upcoming 2026/27 academic year.

  • Two boys outdoors near a lake and mountains, one giving a thumbs-up, in a cloudy landscape.

    Programme Volunteer

    You'll spend three unforgettable days supporting young people as they hike, kayak, reflect, laugh, challenge themselves and discover confidence they didn't know they had.

    Learn More
  • A woman wearing glasses, a yellow beanie, a dark hoodie, and sneakers kneeling on grass and looking through a camera mounted on a tripod outdoors in a park during golden hour.

    Videography Volunteer

    Capture life-changing moments while immersing yourself in a host of adventure activities. Use your footage to create an end of programme wrap-up film featuring the stars of our programme: Our Young People.

    Learn More

application process

  1. Apply Online.

  2. Attend an informal interview (30 mins) with our Volunteer Coordinator, Anna.

  3. Provide character references, complete a DBS check and sign up to 2 x Adventure Trips.

  4. Attend a Training & Induction Day in Leeds; sign key policies, get added to our communication channels and receive your volunteer kit.

  5. Begin the adventure!

If you have any questions or want to learn a little more about either of our roles then please get in touch with Anna, by phone on 07498 415838 or email at anna@basecamp.org.uk.

Apply
A person rock climbing on a gray stone cliffside, wearing a yellow helmet, purple sunglasses, and a teal jacket, smiling and holding onto the rock with gloves.

FAQ’s

  • No, not necessarily. Any experience you do have is helpful but a keen attitude and an open-minded approach is what we are looking for. Plus, we'll give you lots of training and support .

  • Our first Residential Trip, in October, takes place in Malham. The remaining residentials from December to June will take place in various locations in the Lake District including Borrowdale, Windermere and Penrith.

  • We ask volunteers to commit to two Adventure Trips a year. They take place between October and June and last for 3 days, mid-week, in term-time.

    Some of our current volunteers work part-time and arrange their hours around this. Others get volunteering leave, take annual leave or are retired/studying.

  • All meals are included with the exception of lunch on the first day and any snacks you may want to bring.

    Accommodation is also provided, and will consist of shared same-sex dorm rooms or tent camping.

  • Yes, we offer to make a contribution towards the cost of mileage for all volunteers. Here's a few guidelines taken from our policy:

    • Claims may be made for journeys from home to our residentials and volunteer training. Mileage can be reclaimed at a rate of 25p per mile.

    • Only the driver is eligible to claim for the journey.

    • Claiming mileage expenses is optional.

    To ensure the cost effectiveness of our programmes we undertake to staff our residential trips with locally based volunteers as far as is possible. However, want to ensure our residentials are staffed with the right number of volunteers with the right mix of skills, so volunteers do not strictly need to be based in the Leeds area.

    To avoid confusion, the maximum claim for a residential or volunteer training is £50 for a return journey.

    These upper limits cover travel on public transport, car hire costs (inclusive of fuel) and mileage claims.

  • Yes, of course. You are under no obligation to keep volunteering for us if it isn’t for you. We ask that you speak with a member of our team before stopping to discuss what you feel would improve your time as a volunteer.

  • Not at all although we welcome any and all outdoor experience. Our activity facilitators have all the necessary qualifications required to host all of our outdoor activities, allowing you to be an active participant focused on having fun and supporting our young people.

A man smiling outdoors, wearing a yellow helmet, a red life jacket, a blue waterproof jacket, and holding a paddle near a body of water with trees and rocks in the background.
A person rock climbing on an outdoor cliff, wearing an orange helmet, purple sunglasses, and a blue jacket, smiling at the camera.
Group of people wearing red and green jackets and hats, standing on a rocky shoreline by a lake and listening to a person giving a talk, with trees and hills in the background.
A group of five people smiling outdoors on a sunny day, wearing sunglasses and casual sportswear, with trees and a blue sky in the background.
A group of ten people standing outdoors on a grassy field, smiling and with arms around each other, with trees and clouds in the background.
A young boy and a woman are outdoors, working together to secure a small iguana on a large blue plastic barrel with a rope. The woman is kneeling on the ground, and the boy is standing on the barrel. In the background, several other people are social
A group of young people sitting outdoors on the grass, possibly participating in a meditation or mindfulness activity, with tents and trees in the background on a sunny day.
Group of people sitting around a fire pit outdoors, with a tent and trees in the background, on a cloudy day.
Group of six women smiling outdoors in sunlight with trees in the background.

Ready for your next adventure?

Become A Volunteer

Every young person needs someone to believe in them before they believe in themselves.

Get In Touch