What is the Bar ‘n’ Bus Gap Year?
The Gap Year is an opportunity for you to take a significant amount of time to serve young people within a local community, engage in an extensive youth work training programme, develop new skills, learn about yourself and grow in your faith.
Our gap year is run in partnership with the Salvation Army (Herts and Essex) who input into training and provide accommodation for our gappers.
How Does It Work?
Bar ‘n’ Bus delivers a range of community-based youth work programmes including detached youth work, schools engagements and outreach events. Our heart is to provide programmes for young people in the location of their choosing, rather than bringing them to our own venues. A large amount of our work takes place ‘on the street’ with youth work teams engaging young people in parks, high streets, and playgrounds, as well as utilising mobile youth vehicles for outreach sessions. We also provide a large amount of in-school support with a growing volunteer mentoring programme, bespoke group work and outreach programmes.
You will assist on programmes led by professional Youth Development Workers and supported by other students and volunteers.
One day per week, gap year students gather for training exploring youth work practice, faith development and issues relating to young people. Successful completion of the training programme throughout your year qualifies you as a JNC Level 3 Youth Support Worker, recognised nationally and approved by the National Youth Agency.
You will also join the wider Bar ‘n’ Bus team in our regular times of prayer, worship and reflection as part of the life of our charity.
The student house (owned by the Salvation Army) is located near our office in Hadleigh, Essex, on the site of the Salvation Army’s Hadleigh Farm training and community facility. The idyllic location is a truly inspirational space to work from, to meet and share together and use as a central base for our work which stretches across the south of Essex.
Living in the house gives you a great opportunity for exploring community living whilst gaining understanding of the responsibilities of independence. The house is also used for social team times with staff and other gappers periodically throughout the year.
Do I Get Paid?
This is a voluntary training role which gives you the opportunity to give your time to serve your community, grow in skills and obtain youth work qualifications and training. All expenses are covered for your work & training, and accommodation and food is also provided. You will receive a monthly ‘pocket-money allowance’ for additional expenditure (e.g. a personal phone!) the total of which is raised by yourself in your application.
How Much Does It Cost?
We want our gap year to be as accessible as possible which is why we cover the costs of accommodation, food and all training. However, we want students to have some money to spend as they please throughout the year, so we ask that you raise £1000 which will be paid back to you in monthly instalments throughout the year. Ideally this should be raised before you start, but we can assist in this fundraising throughout your year if necessary.
What Should I Expect to Gain from the programme?
Bar ‘n’ Bus is a Christian charity delivering professional youth work in a community context. This work is likely to take you out of your comfort zone as we engage and support hard-to-reach young people, building relationships to make transformational change.
Outcomes you should expect from this programme are:
- Direct, hands-on experience of professional youth and community work
- A nationally recognised qualification in Youth Work Practice
- The opportunity to make a significant difference the lives of young people
- Time to explore your faith and relationship with Jesus through study and worship whilst serving God’s Kingdom in your community
- Additional professional youth work training provided through Bar ‘n’ Bus
- A strong foundation if you were exploring a career in Youth Work.
What will Bar ‘n’ Bus Provide?
- All expenses of work, training and travel
- Accommodation and Food Costs
- Training costs
- Line-Management Supervision
- Regular team meetings with time for prayer and worship
- An awesome experience!
How to I apply?
You can download the full information document and application form below:
Gap Year Info and Role Profile
For more information *contact us*