Volunteering

The Leicestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club welcomes anyone who is the age of 16 or older who wants to volunteer with us.

You do not need to be an archaeologist to join us. YAC volunteers come from all walks of life. To be a YAC volunteer you need enthusiasm for working with young people and the ability to be a good role model, an enthusiasm for archaeology, and the ability to work in a team. Oh, and some time to spare!

We provide a great environment in which volunteers can develop team working, communication, organisation and facilitation skills while pursuing their interest in archaeology. As a YAC volunteer, you learn how to manage groups of young people, how to communicate well with people with a wide range of ages and abilities, how to safely plan and deliver exciting learning experiences; you develop your understanding of learning styles and abilities, health and safety, child protection and, last but not least, archaeology!

If you are interested in becoming a YAC volunteer, please read the information below and get in contact with us. We will arrange a meeting to explain what’s involved in the application process and in being a volunteer, and so that you can find out whether you will be comfortable working with us.

Following the meeting, if we are happy to go ahead, we will invite you to come along for a trial session so that you can see if it’s for you, and we, our members and the rest of our team can see if you are for us. If we decide we are happy to welcome you to our team, then we will submit you application form to YAC HQ straight away so that they can process your references and criminal record disclosure.

What does a YAC Assistant do?

YAC Assistants work within a team of people providing regular archaeology activities for 8-16 year olds.

What tasks and activities does this involve?

Working with the YAC Leader and other Assistants to support and supervise 8-16 year old YAC members during activity sessions.
Following current Young Archaeologists’ Club policies and procedures.
Helping the Leader with administration and finances.
Helping the Leader to design and deliver an inclusive and accessible programme that meets the needs and aspirations of YAC members.
Helping the Leader to ensure the health, safety and welfare of everyone in the club.
Helping the Leader to ensure that branch sessions are run within the terms of YAC’s insurance.
Other specific duties agreed with the Leader and with their support and supervision; this could be, for example, looking after financial accounts, or undertaking risk assessments.

What will you gain by being a YAC Assistant?

Being a YAC Assistant can be great fun, and can get you closer to some brilliant local archaeology. You’ll have the chance to get better at:

managing groups of young people
working in a team
communicating with people of all ages and abilities
planning and delivering safe, exciting learning experiences

and to develop your understanding of:

learning styles and abilities
health and safety
child protection, and
(last but not least) archaeology!

What are the requirements for becoming a YAC Assistant?

YAC Assistants must agree to undergo a criminal record check every three years. They must be at least 16 years old. YAC Assistants come from a wide range of backgrounds and have many and varied skills, including:

Enthusiasm for working with young people, and the ability to be a good role model.
Enthusiasm for archaeology.
The ability to work in a team.
The ability to follow the instructions and guidance of the YAC Leader.

What support do YAC Assistants get?

Young Archaeologists’ Club policies, procedures and guidance are all available online in the Leaders’ Handbook. Leicestershire YAC Assistants should go to one of you Branch Leaders in the first instance for support or with questions, but are also very welcome to approach YAC HQ. YAC Assistants can join YAC’s email network and Facebook group, where you can discuss any issues with other YAC volunteers. YAC organises face-to-face and online training sessions on a range of topics as funding allows, and we will circulate information about these as they arise.

How much time does being a YAC Assistant take up, and when?

The Leicestershire YAC typically meets once a month (except August), usually for two or three hours on a Saturday or Sunday. Sometimes we run whole-day events and if special opportunities arise we occasional put on extra events in addition to our monthly meetings (this is usually during the summer months when there is more opportunities to be outdoors).

In addition to these activity sessions, YAC Assistants may also spend time planning activities, taking care of branch administration, communicating with our branch team and with YAC HQ. We estimate that YAC Assistants give an average of five or six hours a month each, but this will vary depending on how tasks are organised.

Who supports and supervises YAC Assistants?

Leicestershire YAC Assistants are supervised by our Branch Leaders. YAC Assistants can also ask YAC HQ for advice and help on yac@yac-uk.org or 01904 671 417.

How do I apply?

Applications to volunteer with Leicestershire YAC are only processed with the agreement of our Branch Leaders to whom you are applying. If you have not done so already, contact us to see if we are recruiting.

Our Leaders will certainly want to meet you, and will likely invite you along to observe a session. If you and the Leader decide to go ahead, then you will need to send an application form in to YAC HQ.

We take Child Protection seriously and ask all volunteers to go through a formal application process, which includes providing two references and undergoing an enhanced criminal record check. This is a standard procedure for most organisations that work with children and helps us ensure the safety of everyone involved. Once you have submitted your application form, one of our Leaders and YAC staff will guide you through the rest of the process.

The criminal record checking process differs slightly for each country of the UK. When the CBA receives your application, we will send out the appropriate paperwork to you, which you will need to complete with your one of our Branch Leaders. Our DBS* checks in England and Wales are completed online using an umbrella body called Mayflower. If you are a member of the Disclosure and Barring Service’s Update Scheme (in England and Wales), or the PVG Scheme (in Scotland), then we will ask for your permission to request an Update.

*DBS is the ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ which processes and issue Disclosure Certificates in England and Wales. For more information, please visit www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview