JLGB

Strengthening and Celebrating JLGB Adult Volunteers Case Study

The JLGB Adult Leaders Weekend has become an established annual event thanks to the continued support of the Uniformed Youth Fund, delivered through DCMS and Youth United. The weekend exists to recognise, equip, and inspire JLGB’s adult volunteers, while strengthening connections across the organisation. By investing in those who give their time to support young people, JLGB ensures high-quality, safe, and engaging provision nationwide.

In March 2025, JLGB hosted its Adult Leaders Weekend. The event brought together over 40 adult volunteers, alongside 80 young leaders taking part in a parallel leadership development programme.

Together, the weekend created a vibrant space for learning, reflection, and relationship-building, demonstrating JLGB’s commitment to valuing volunteers at every stage of their journey.

Crucially, the weekend remained free to attend for all JLGB adult volunteers due to grant funding. This ensured the opportunity was accessible regardless of financial circumstances and helped build a more inclusive and representative volunteer community across the organisation.

Throughout the weekend, volunteers took part in a wide range of practical and engaging sessions designed to build confidence and develop skills they could immediately take back to their local groups. Training covered topics such as managing challenging behaviour, security awareness, programme planning, safeguarding and incident reporting, running engaging sessions, uplifting young leaders, and using JLGB’s digital systems. Sessions were led by experienced volunteers and members of the JLGB professional team, combining expertise with real-world insight.

A strong emphasis was placed on peer learning and shared experience. Breakout discussions enabled volunteers to exchange ideas, share challenges, and learn from one another’s best practice, helping to strengthen consistency and quality across JLGB groups. Volunteers also contributed feedback and ideas to help shape future programmes and development pathways, ensuring their voices are central to JLGB’s ongoing growth.

Alongside training, the weekend prioritised wellbeing and community. Activities such as a yoga session, volunteer quiz, and bingo provided opportunities for relaxation, fun, and connection. Shared mealtimes with young leaders helped build stronger relationships and reinforced a sense of belonging within the JLGB family.

Looking ahead, JLGB plans to build on the success of the 2025 weekend by expanding interactive training, increasing opportunities for young leaders to co-deliver sessions, and developing follow-up resources and webinars to support volunteers throughout the year.