Benefits of Residential Volunteering with Revitalise 

We need holidays. Every so often, we need an opportunity to escape our daily lives and the stress its routine brings along. We need a few days to experience something new, recharge and gain a fresh perspective. 

Think about a holiday you cherish the most, and we’re sure it tops your list because of how it made you feel – relaxed, inspired and refreshed.  

Unfortunately, for many disabled people, holidays are something they desperately need but cannot access. A significant barrier for them is inaccessibility of the mainstream travel offering and cost barriers. The situation is difficult for their carers – 44% say they do not get the necessary breaks. 

We at Revitalise ensure that people with disability and their carers can access the break they deserve. We have two purpose-built holiday centres, Jubilee Lodge in Chigwell, Essex and Sandpipers in Southport, which provide full-board hospitality, live entertainment, and a range of activities and excursions. These centres are fully equipped to cater to a wide range of disabilities, with expert nurses and staff for support. We have been creating these revitalising holidays for people with disability and their carers for the past 60 years.  

Volunteers are an integral part of our culture and vision. We run the largest residential volunteering programme of any charity in the UK. Around 2000 volunteers join us each year and donate over 4000 weeks of their time. We rely on volunteers to give their energy and love to our guests – and our guests so often tell us that it was the volunteers that made their holiday truly special: 

Volunteering with Revitalise is a unique opportunity. Our volunteers witness the uplifting effect of their support on our guests and the impact volunteering at Revitalise leaves on themselves. There are several reasons to choose Revitalise for your residential volunteering programme, the top ones (according to our past and current volunteers) being: 

Provide valuable social support to disabled people 

Volunteers provide companionship and support to our guests by chatting with them at mealtimes, enjoying evening entertainment with them or accompanying them on excursions. Volunteers also offer personal support to the guests, such as assisting with mobility, eating or drinking.  

Make new friends for life 

Read more about the experiences our residential volunteers had in the past at Meet our Volunteers. 

Free room and board in a holiday environment 

Residential volunteering at a Revitalise centre means volunteering at a resort. There’s excellent food, live entertainment and plenty of excursions. We cover all meals and accommodation, and you will only need to cover the cost of your transport to the centre.  

Counts towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award 

Revitalise is an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We welcome volunteers completing the residential placement of their Gold DofE Award. Our 7-night volunteering programme, from Sunday to Sunday, more than covers the 4-night residential requirement of the DofE and gives you plenty of time to fully integrate and enjoy the experience. Please note that the minimum age to volunteer at Revitalise is 16. 

Boost your CV for future jobs or university placements 

Volunteering at Revitalise is a great way to gain relevant and transferrable skills to help your studies and career prospects. Residential volunteering with Revitalise is not only for people aiming for a career in care or hospitality; a programme like this looks good on the CV, no matter the industry. 

Boost confidence and community spirit 

In a Revitalise volunteering survey, 9 out of 10 respondents agreed that volunteering with Revitalise left them feeling more confident and well-rounded and inspired them to play a greater part in society. 84% of the respondents agreed that the experience improved their understanding and attitude towards diverse nationalities and cultures. 92% mentioned they would like to come back and volunteer for us again. 

The best place to read more about volunteering with Revitalise is our website. You can also find non-residential volunteering opportunities at our centres, charity shops and central offices. Visit our volunteering page to explore the available resources and if you are interested, get in touch to start your journey. 

We’d love you to say, VolunteerMe!