Volunteer with our Pirate Crew!

The Pirate Castle relies heavily on our fantastic volunteer team and we encourage community engagement in all that we do. From back office administration, outreach and marketing, supporting our highly qualified paddlesport instructors on the water or gaining accreditations to skipper and crew our canal boats, we could not run our activities without them. A hearty "thank you" to you all!

Our friends at Water Aid UK recently featured our volunteers in Unchartered Waters, their new online resource for members. We're always looking for more volunteers to join our Pirate Crew, so if you want to learn more here's Hazel and Lorraine sharing their volunteer journeys with us.

All of our volunteers are enhanced DBS-checked and we offer training in First Aid, Disability Awareness and Safeguarding to promote best-practice and ensure that we provide first-class services. We are driven by the belief that the canal and our facilities should be accessible to everyone and involve our users, volunteers and partners in shaping activities as well as participating in them. If you're interested in volunteering with us, we'd love to hear from you!

Canal Boat Skippers and Crew:

We subsidise and run boat trips for external groups on our two canal boats. Every trip needs a fully qualified skipper and a member of trained crew. If you are interested in becoming a qualified canal boat skipper, we ask that you initially join us as a trainee crew member and help out on trips. Then, if you are able to stay on with us and commit to enough trips, we can arrange in-house training for the Certificate in Community Boat Management (CCBM).

The training is expensive and costs us over £400 per person, so we have to ensure that people will enjoy their role and are dedicated to it before accepting the commitment. Alternatively, you can simply stay with us as a volunteer crew member if you prefer - there will still be plenty of opportunities for learning about the boats and further development.

Paddle Activity Assistants:

We run youth and adult paddlesport sessions throughout the year and are looking for Paddle Activity Assistants to help our instructors supervise sessions. The Paddlesport Activity Assistant program is endorsed and recognised by British Canoeing for ages 14+ and we'll provide training and support to help you develop. Any aspiring coaches can also gain teaching hours and valuable experience by volunteering with us. For more information about British Canoeing's Paddle Activity Assitant program click here.

Leafleting:

We are always keen to spread the word about our charitable work and the range of activities we provide and have plenty of leaflets that need distributing in the surrounding area. If you have a spare afternoon and fancy some exercise, we’ll gladly send you off with a bag of leaflets and a map!

Events:

We regularly hold or participate in events and are always keen for a helping hand. Whether it is manning a stall, helping with food and refreshments, or shepherding people around the building, it's a great way to support and connect with the local community!

Skilled Specialists:

Maybe you are a handyperson who could help us with our electrics, plumbing, decorating, or various DIY jobs around our quirky castle? Or, you have other specialist skills such as working in marketing or design? If you would like to donate a little of your time and expertise, we would be very happy to hear from you.

To experience the canal life, call us on 020 7267 6605, or email us at info@thepiratecastle.org