WHY VOLUNTEER with Jumbulance for your holiday?
The Jumbulance Trust offers fun, social, and unforgettable charity volunteer trips. Our many volunteers, speak of truly rewarding and life changing experiences. If you are seeking an opportunity to support others to create meaningful memories, look at our available spots below and get in touch.
Our passengers include people of all ages and abilities. Our Jumbulance adventures go as far and wide as England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and into Europe – including trips to Disneyland® Paris, Germany, Austria, Holland and (our founding trip) Lourdes.
Volunteering Opportunities
Why Volunteer?
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You can play a vital role in making others’ wishes come true.
Learn new Skills
Jumbulance trips can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. You’ll gain valuable care experience and develop skills that can benefit future careers.
HAVE FUN!
A Jumbulance holiday is filled with fun and laughter from start to finish. Build lifelong connections and make lasting friendships.
A Volunteer's Story
Anne Marie, from Devon, first experienced a Jumbulance trip as a younger woman on a trip to Lourdes – and found it an unforgettable and deeply moving experience. Years later, she decided to volunteer again – and as a keen skier booked herself on an adventure taking disabled travellers to Niderau in Austria.
“I can be a naturally reserved person – or so I thought; not the first person in the room to immediately introduce myself or be the extrovert. I also had some assumptions about the disabled and sick people I would be accompanying – which were quickly erased!
“Right away, we found ourselves bonding on the journey. We made fast friends, and the atmosphere was pure joy, laughs, and I found myself getting stuck in right away. And – to my surprise – I had no desire to get on the slopes myself; instead dressed in my snowsuit supporting our travellers on the lower parts of the mountain to have their personal best experience!”
“I feel like I’ve found my ‘tribe’.”
“I connected with people who had a range of impairments and additional needs, but – as anyone who has spent time with a disabled friend, relative, or volunteered with disabled people – it really is society which is disabling. With the right support in terms of equipment and accessibility – everyone can bring adventure into their lives.
“I learned so much about myself – and realised I enjoy being empathetic, connecting and helping others. To some friends’ surprise – my annual holidays now are Jumbulance trips, and I can’t wait to go on the next one! We’re off to a festival next, and I feel like I’ve found my ‘tribe’.”
Volunteering Q&A
ANYONE can volunteer! As long as you generally fit and healthy and willing to work hard absolutely anyone can help out. You would need to be ‘DBS’ (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked, however, which we can administer for you
Volunteers need to be over 16 but there’s no upper limit as long as you are reasonably able.
Volunteering to help someone who needs extra help is rewarding and while hard work and sometimes emotional, it’s a lot of fun and a great way to make friends and put something back into the community. For those seeking a career in the care sector or nursing it is not only tremendous experience for the future but can often form part of your education targets.
None at all. You will not be expected to do anything medical unless you are volunteering as a trained nurse or doctor. As a carer you just need patience, empathy and a good sense of humour. If you are a first time or relative novice volunteer you will only be given something to do well within your capabilities and comfort, and there’s always someone with lots of experience, or medical skills if needed, to assist and support you
Just to work hard, laugh, care, laugh, push a wheelchair or two, make tea, laugh, and make a difference to people who want to experience a holiday and make friends.
Cost for volunteers depends upon the particular trip but in almost all cases we do ask for an amount to cover accommodation and basic costs, but its always subsidised by the group or the trust to some extent and where possible we’ll help if we can, or help you find some funding. Many volunteers fundraise (using JustGiving for example) to pay for their ‘fare’
Again, this varies from trip to trip but in most cases the fare covers half board in a hotel or other accommodation, all travel, most entry into attractions and trips etc. and generally meals and drinks on the journey.
Generally the job involves caring for someone on a relatively one to one basis, with help and support as needed. Pushing wheelchairs, perhaps helping to transfer someone from wheelchair to seat or bed, it might involve feeding someone and also possibly personal care too. But no one insists you do this – its only if and when you feel comfortable to help in this way.
In a word, YES! Absolutely, definitely! For many participants this is their only holiday. It might be their first or it might be their last. For younger people it might be their first time outside of the UK or their first time away from parents. It might be the first visit to a beach or shopping centre or anything. It is immeasurable the difference some fun and laughter can make to someone who has a lonely life at home for the rest of the year. You will make travel possible.