Explorers' education volunteers

Through local teams of trained and enthusiastic volunteers, we host school and group visits to the waterside, broadening learning through hands-on activities, workshops and events. We also deliver curriculum-based workshops within schools, providing resource-rich learning opportunities.

This can include:

• guided tours and lock demonstrations
• interactive activities that focus on particular topics
• water safety assemblies
• classroom workshops

What you will be doing

You’ll be both supporting and leading activities with young people. These may be indoors at either a Trust venue or the schools / uniformed groups venue or outside on the towpath, sharing one of our many wonderful locations.

The skills you need

• Previous experience of hands-on learning with children, or a strong desire to gain experience in this area
• The ability to enthuse young people through talks and activities
• Able to work within a team as well as deliver activities to an agreed format unsupervised
• Able and willing to lead groups in an outdoor environment

Learning in the great outdoors is at the heart of it

Our education volunteers help children discover the magic of the waterways through our Canal & River Explorers programme. Volunteers lead sessions for primary schools, cub scouts and brownie groups at waterside locations across England and Wales, as well as in schools and clubhouses too.

They show children how locks work, explain how a dragonfly larva hunts its prey, point out the rope marks under a bridge or just allow the children time to watch a coot feed its young. Through these visits our volunteers introduce a new generation of children to our canals and rivers - inspiring the enthusiasts of tomorrow.

Here's what schools taking part in Explorers activities say:

“I saw some canal boats go down the locks, it was so cool. When I went to see inside the canal boat I couldn't believe that six people could fit in the little room.”

Ottavia, Thistley Meadow School

“We could not praise the work and effort made by the volunteers highly enough. The visit to the local rivers and canals was perfectly timed and extensively explained to all children. We had a whole day out and walked a long way, but as well as being blessed with lovely weather; we were fascinated by the sights that Vicky had researched in depth to help explain. We would love to make this sort of educational visit a regular feature within our “Let's Explore” programme of study and would recommend the Canal & River Trust to any school looking to find out about the local waterways. Thanks Explorers!”

Adrian Smith, Freshford School