Employment Opportunities and Volunteering
Kia Ora from Wainui Park, New Zealand!
At Wainui we foster a culture that aims to enhance and build:
- Leadership development;
- International YMCA relationships;
- Development of the skills and abilities of young people;
- Co-operation, fun, learning;
- Environmental and Outdoor Education;
Consequently we employ on a seasonal basis a crew of volunteer outdoor 'instructors' - commonly known at Wainui Park as 'Programme Staff.' These staff work from September - Christmas and/or from January - late May each year.
There are also a few paid instructor positions which are in most cases given to ex-volunteer instructors - with some added responsibility and development opportunities thrown in.
Volunteer programme staff come from NZ, Australia, England, Canada, USA, Europe and a variety of other countries - bringing with them their own experiences, culture, values and skills. All of this makes Wainui a dynamic and ever-growing place to live and work.
All the instructors and other staff (Management, catering, caretaking and administration) work as one team - often being inter-changable in their roles. Most live on site.
Volunteer instructors who are commited for the season live on site in shared accommodation, and receive a small weekly expense allowance as well as training, meals, internet access, vehicle access and a ready-made group of like minded friends!
Where & What - in the world - is Wainui Park?
YMCA Wainui Park Outdoor Centre is located on the Banks Peninsula, 81 kilometres from Christchurch. The local environment consists of a combination of rural sheep, pastures on rolling green hills, and dense forest that is home to many native trees and birds. Flowing through the site is a gurgling stream that travels for 1km before reaching the edge of the seashore of Wainui Bay in Akaroa Harbour. YMCA Wainui Park Outdoor Centre provides accommodation, programming and optional meal catering for groups.
YMCA Wainui Park is split into three sites: Powell Village (sleeps 122, with an atmosphere similar to that of a traditional North American camp), Wainui Heights East and West (sleeps 88, a brand new conference centre which also accommodates school groups), and the Tent Site (grass areas with kitchen and washroom facilities, much like a trailer park without the trailers).
Groups choose either catered or self-catered. At the moment about 60% of our clients are catered for by Wainui staff.
Programmes offered at YMCA Wainui Park include Abseiling (Rappelling), Archery, Coasteering (an adventurous exploration of the ocean's coast), Compass/Orienteering, Initiatives, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Ropes Course (Low, High), Snorkelling, Raft Building, Flying Fox, Search & Rescue, Tyrolean Traverse, Day Hikes, Out-trips, Campfires and of course loads of games.
During the summer month of January, YMCA Wainui Park turns into a residential camp for children aged 9 to 17. During the school holiday periods the Wainui staff are key to everything to do with summer camp -from designing programme right through to cabin leaders (cabin counsellor). The same applies for a week in April, and a week in September.
Volunteer Programme Staff - what's in it for me?
YMCA Wainui Park is run by the Christchurch YMCA whose mission is "Building strong, young people, strong families and strong communities". The YMCA of Christchurch has an established history of hosting international staff. These people have become involved as the result of personal initiatives or referral from foreign outdoor centres, camps or agencies.
The benefits to the YMCA are:
- The introduction of a foreign culture is a significant component of the New Zealand camping experience;
- The international volunteer often brings skills to the outdoor centre/camp setting that are different from those available from local personnel.
The benefits to the volunteer are:
- Immersion into the New Zealand culture;
- Acquisition of new hard and soft skills;
- Opportunities to travel throughout New Zealand;
- Opportunities to work with others from all over the world;
- Opportunities to have real variety in day-to-day work: programme instruction for kids and adults, public relations, administration, maintenance etc.
Many of our volunteers - both Kiwi and International - use Wainui as the means to get practical experience post-tertiary study or as the practical component of a tertiary qualification.
Responsibilities of Programme Staff
During your season (late August - late May) your responsibilities will include:
- 'Linking" - acting as a host for client groups (liaise with management);
- Working as a member of the Wainui team to plan programmes;
- Maintaining all recreational gear and equipment;
- Delivering programmes to client groups;
- Contributing to the ongoing development of YMCA Wainui Park;
- Promotion of holiday camps (Held in September, January and April);
- Cleaning and general maintenance tasks when needed!
During the "Y camps" your responsibilities will include:
- Ensuring the well being of all campers within your care, including sharing a sleeping cabin with them;
- Providing a positive experience for campers through creative programming;
- Mentoring volunteer cabin counsellors.
The following is a list of skills and characteristics you should have:
- a strong outdoor/leadership background
- an ability to lead and manage groups
- a desire improve your skills and a willingness to help others learn and develop
- a flexible approach to dealing with sudden change and working under stress
- a highly motivated team approach
- effective communication skills
- an open minded attitude towards all people and their beliefs
- sound judgment and awareness of Risk Management
- a valid drivers license
- a sense of humour
- cooking ability
- cleaning ability
- a willingness to share ideas
- a willingness to learn new practical skills
- energy
- ability to live with others in close proximity
- patience
- ...be disciplined and organised...!!!
Hours of Work
Your average work week will include 15 'sessions' averaging 2.5 hours each. The nature of camp life is such that your hours and level of busy-ness will vary from week to week depending on how many kids are at camp.
During Y run holiday camps your work will be based on the camp life of being on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Occasional weekends during your tenure you will be rostered to instruct in weekends, but this will enable you to take days off during the week.
When you work over and above the requested level you will accrue days off to be taken at another, less busy, time - OR alternatively be paid extra expenses to compensate.
Food / Accommodation
While working, you will live in a staff house where you will hang out, sleep and cook your meals with other members of the staff team. All staff get their own room but kitchen/bathroom facilities are shared. A food allowance is provided by the camp when we are not catering for a group - in these instances you will be cooked for as part of the catering service. The rest of the time, the staff team cook their own meals as in a "flatting" situation.
Also, programme staff who are able to obtain a working holiday visa or who are NZ citizens, and who work the required hours per week will receive a $100 per week honorarium. This is payable generally by direct debit to your bank account and is taxed. If you are from outside NZ, you will need to open a bank account when you arrive and obtain an IRD number (tax number). If you take time off then the allowance will be reduced accordingly. Usually you can claim tax paid back after leaving the country - so you can think of it as a compulsory savings scheme!
If gaining a working holiday visa is not a possibility then you will need to discuss your options with the Camp Manager before your engagement can be confirmed.
Other perks include: accommodation in Christchurch on days off, access to staff vehicle for transport, free internet use, free use of the climbing wall and fitness centre at the Christchurch Y, free use of all the Y equipment when available.
Additional Costs
It is expected that you will accept full financial responsibility for:
- Working holiday visa (if aplicable).
- Travel to and from Christchurch, New Zealand.
- Travel between Christchurch and Wainui and other parts of New Zealand except when on YMCA business - (some miles are paid for as part of your staff car perk).
- Travel and health insurance.
- Currency.
- Personal effects and clothing.
- Travel, accommodation, food and personal expenses incurred in New Zealand outside the programme's tenure.
- Food and accommodation costs outside programme tenure or when on time off, off site.
Things to do Before you Arrive
1. Purchase Plane Ticket
You need to arrive in Christchurch in time to start work on the first day of training (see below).
2. Acquire a working holiday visa
Contact a New Zealand Embassy or High Commission and apply for a working holiday visa. This is an option for anyone from Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Maylasia, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, UK, Uraguay. You must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years for this to apply and it lasts for one year.
3. Get immunizations (if you plan to travel elsewhere)
4. Acquire visa/Mastercard if you don't have one - it is a great idea to load your Credit card before arriving!
5. Acquire youth hostel card/ international student card -these can be handy for travelling but are not essential
6. Save up some money!
Things to Bring
- backpack
- warm sleeping bag (and bedding for your room).
- polypropylene (thermals) top and bottoms (DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM!)
- raingear
- waterproof watch
- appropriate hiking footwear
- full strap sandals (tevas, reefs)
- bathing suit (togs)
- flashlight
- sunnies
- water bottle
- clothing to suit ALL weather eventualities!
- alarm clock
- wooly hat/cap
- lots of warm socks
Optional (all of these things are available to buy in New Zealand without any problem)!
- tent or bivvy sack, stove, pots, thermarest
- climbing shoes and harness
- wetsuit - HIGHLY ADVISED
- life jacket/buoyancy aid
- Ipod or MP3 player
- laptop
- guitar, flute, harmonica, clarinet, saxophone, piano, bongos
- camera
- teddy bears, baby blankets
- journal
- books
- dry bag
- sun hat
- sun screen (no ozone)
Life at YMCA Wainui Park
When you first arrive at Wainui Park you will be immersed in an immense amount of learning. This period is fun - but also tiring and full on! During this time you will become familiar with activities you will be instructing at Wainui, and will incorporate some 'thrown in the deep end' instruction for some school groups and the holiday camp. The intention of this training period is to enable you to become competent in the instruction of all the activities, as well as to give you a good overview of all the other tasks you may or may not be asked to do. The Camp Manager will help you and other staff to the extent that by the end of the training period you will be able to function independently in all aspects of programme, and camp life.
During the Oct-Dec and Feb - May periods, primarily school groups visit the centre. As a programme staff you will link with teachers and provide instruction for the students accordingly. Programmes are based on a 2.5-hour session with 12 students and 1 teacher. On the average day there is one session in the morning and one session in the afternoon. Work usually finishes at 6pm and there is free time at night, provided that the school does not require evening programme. (Camplife is by it's very nature all over the place and nothing is necessarily guaranteed! Anything could happen - staff need to adapt accordingly or lose their minds!)
In late September, throughout January and during the Easter holidays, we offer week-long camps known as 'Y' camps. Kids are packed off by their parents in traditional camp style. You will be asked to fill the role of an activity instructor, cabin counsellor, or design and direct the actual programme. These camps are hard work but lots of fun.
Currently many schools cater their own meals so you may be invited to partake in these. Generally however, you will cook and eat with the programme staff. We will provide your grocery money and when Wainui Park is providing the catering, programme staff partake in that.
Wainui has a washing machine that is available for programme staff. A stereo is available for sanity's sake and for parties that you may hold on the weekends. In the evening, if not required for programming, it is your time to relax, kayak, play guiter or mouth organ, do laundry, wash dishes, vacuum or anything else you choose. On the weekends you have the option of staying at Wainui and exploring/relaxing in the peaceful valley setting or hiring the YMCA van (0.55/km including petrol) to go into Christchurch. Christchurch has much to offer in the way of entertainment. Pubs, festivals and outdoor pursuits are all present in abundance. The city YMCA is centrally located in a nice part of downtown, has accommodation, a nice cafe, a fitness centre, squash courts and a great climbing wall. The YMCA's facilities are available at a staff rate. The city library is excellent and contains many books, like most libraries do.
Here are some tidbits that are useful to know:
- September and April are cold at night, bring a warm sleeping bag and clothing.
- The best travel books are the most recent version of the Lonely Planet and Let's Go!
- Wainui gets three T.V. Channels -and they are not very good. Be prepared to talk a lot and read.
- Internet access in staff common room is available - so bring your laptop.
- If you don't like cleaning, don't apply.
Time Line - Application Dates and Details for September 2011
*FIRST INTAKE (8 positions)*
Applications due – Friday June 1st 2012
Notification of acceptance ASAP.
Volunteers apply for work visa ASAP.
Commencement date for Training - Monday 3rd September 2012
First school arrives – Monday 10th September 2012
Y - camp – Sunday 7th - Saturday 13th October 2012
Break up for Christmas - Friday 14th December 2012
Return after Christmas break - Thursday 3rd January 2013
Y Camp starts Wednesday 9th January 2013.
First intake season ends - Saturday 26th January 2013.
*SECOND INTAKE (5 positions)*
Applications due - Friday 26th October 2013
Notification of acceptance ASAP.
Volunteers apply for work visa ASAP.
Commencement date for staff training Thursday 3rd January 2013.
Contract Expires Friday 31st May 2013.
Volunteer Legalities
The Manager of YMCA Wainui Park reserves their right to terminate your involvement if during the life of tenure, you exhibit:
- programme negligence;
- behaviour contrary to the YMCA mission Statement and Code of Ethics;
- disregard rules as laid out by the Camp Manager;
- inaccuracies in your application / interview which deems you inappropriate for the work expected.
Application Procedures
To apply for the position you need to send the following ASAP.
1. Resume/CV including photograph.
2. Completed application form, which you can download as a pdf here.
3. A recently dated police check clearance letter from your country of origin.
4. Photocopy of your drivers licence (if you have one).
5. 2 x written references from previous employers.
Click here to download pdf application form.
Please indicate on your application if you wish to apply for the first or second half of the season. Staff who stay at camp for the entire season will be eligible to have their pay increased in the second half of the season, as negotiated with the Camp Manager.
Our mailing address is :
Attention: Andrew Hopper
YMCA Wainui Park
RD 2
Akaroa 7582, Banks Peninsula
New Zealand
Our phone number is: 64-3-304-8460
Our fax number is: 64-3-304-8784
Our e-mail address is: andrewh@ymcachch.org.nz