Spare time can mean different things to different people.  If you’re busy during the day at school, college or work your spare (or free) time may be as little as a couple of hours in the evening and a bit of time at the week-end.  It might be time you really look forward to as it gives you the chance to do the stuff you’re in to.  But if you can’t find a job or college place, or just don’t have much to do when you’re not in class or at work, spare time can be long dull periods of time.   Time where you might have little to do but watch endless repeats on TV or  alphabetically arrange your collection of CDs.  That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with spending some of your time chilling out watching TV or playing on your computer.  But do you really want to be known as someone who’s main interests are Noel Edmunds beard on Deal or no Deal or which are the best ways to defeat the king of the goblins?  If these are the only things you get up to you won’t have much stuff to talk about when you’re on that blind date with the person of your dreams.

Using some of your spare time wisely can bring lots of benefits.  It can help you to:
   

• Increase your confidence and ability to get on with new people.

• Meet a whole range of new people who share your interests and hopefully make some new mates.

• Try new activities and find new interests.

• Learn new skills and develop the ones you already have.

• Feel as though you’re doing something positive and worthwhile.

• Have loads of interesting stuff to talk about on that blind date!

 

You might want to get involved in something that ties in with what you do during the day at school, college or work. For example, if you’re taking a performing arts course you might decide to get involved with a local drama group at the week-end. Or you might decide that you want to increase your range of interests by doing something completely different from what you do during the day.  How about learning Salsa dancing or conserving your environment with the Wildlife Trust?  There’s absolutely no excuse for being bored as there are loads of things to do in Lincolnshire.  Some activities are free and although others may cost but they are often available to young people at reduced rates. 

To help you decide what you might want to do here are some of the sorts of things you could get involved in.

 

Volunteering

Volunteering is about donating your time, energy and enthusiasm to help others or support a worthwhile cause. It can be a great way for you to get up, get on, get off the couch and help your local community.  It’s also an excellent way to try out job areas you’d like to work in. For example, volunteering at a local animal shelter could be a good way of finding out if you’re suited to a career in working with animals.  

These days you can volunteer to do anything form working in a shop to dredging a canal.  But before you get carried away and set your heart on becoming a volunteer piranha tank cleaner there are a few points you’ll need to bear in mind:

• Do you have a clear, well thought-through idea about the sort of volunteering you would like to do? Or do you need to talk to someone about it?

 

• Is the type of volunteering you’re interested in realistic and available locally? After all there’s little point yearning to be a volunteer mountain rescuer if your nearest mountain is over 200 miles away!

• Could there be an age restriction on what you want to do?  For Health and Safety reasons some organisations may only accept volunteers aged over 16 or 18.

 

You may decide that you want to get stuck in and directly approach a charity or organisation about volunteering with them. Alternatively, you could volunteer through an organisation such as the Millennium Volunteers (you’ll need to be 16-24 to do this).  This way of volunteering would mean you get help finding a placement in the area you want to volunteer in.  It would also allow you to work towards a nationally recognised volunteering award.

You won’t be paid for volunteering but most organisations and charities will cover any expenses you incur.  This could mean that they pay your bus fare to and from home to your place of volunteering.  You might also be given your lunch and provided with drinks through out the day. You should be supplied with any special equipment or clothing you need.

It’s down to you to decide how much time you want to give to volunteering.  You could offer anything from a couple of hours a fortnight to a whole day every weekend.  You’ll need to think about all the other demands on your time before you decide how much time you can give.  Most organisations and charities will be looking for you to make a commitment to volunteer on a regular basis.  They’ll be relying on you to turn up on time and stay for the agreed length of time. 

 

Most organisations or charities will offer their volunteers some sort of training.  However, the amount of training you receive will depend on the type of volunteering you do.  If your volunteering involves handing out flyers at a local charity event you might receive half an hours training.  If your volunteering involves working in a charity shop you should expect to receive more in-depth and on-going training. Whatever you do you should receive some basic health and safety training.   Several  organisations and charities offer volunteers the opportunity to work towards recognised qualifications such as NVQ’s or other awards.

 

Volunteering is a great way to do something worthwhile and enjoyable that makes you feel good about your self and raises your self-esteem.  It also help you develop new skills, gain experience and looks great on your CV or application forms.

 

Youth Activity Groups

 If you like the idea of being part of an organised group and want to get stuck in and try a range of activities then how about joining a group such as a cadet force, the guides, the scouts or Young Farmers?  Joining this type of group will give you the chance to meet new people and try all sorts of exciting and adventurous activities you may not normally have the chance to do. You may also work towards nationally recognised awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

 

This is a particularly good option if you’re someone who likes structure and routine. It can help you develop good decision making, leadership and teamwork skills.

Most of these groups meet on a weekly basis usually on an evening.  You may have to pay weekly '‘subs’ at each meeting but this won’t usually be too much.

 

It’s likely that your local youth centre will organise activities and events. Examples of things you could do include adventurous activities, DJ workshops, arts & crafts and a variety of sporting activities.   These are usually subsidised which means they aren’t too expensive and are well worth checking out.  Youth centres can also be a good place to meet up with your mates for a game of pool or a coffee and a chat. The youth service also gives young people the chance to speak out on the issues that affect them through the ongoing development of Youth Councils. 

 

Sports and Outdoor Activities

If you want to get active and fit there are lots of different sports and outdoor activities you could take up.  The possibilities are almost limitless with anything from archery to football to rock climbing on offer. There are teams and groups for almost any sport or outdoor activity you can think of.  Some will be local but for others you’ll probably need to travel a bit further afield.   Joining an organised team or group is a great way to get fit, meet new people, relieve stress and work through any tension or anger.   It’s often easier to stay motivated and enthusiastic if you have other people to share your interest with. 

 

New members are usually welcome and many clubs have special sessions for beginners. Some teams and groups will have rules about how old you need to be to join them for example, if you’re under 16 you might need your parent/carer’s permission to undertake some of the more risky or extreme activities.  Most activities will take place in the evening and at the weekend. Some organisations will support young people through sports leadership and coaching awards.
During holiday periods many local groups and clubs run sport summer schools during the day.

 

Don’t be put off if you like the idea of getting active but don’t fancy joining an established group or club.  How about organising a weekly five-a-side kick around with your mates or persuading a family member to go jogging with you at the weekend? If you’d rather do something a bit less energetic Lincolnshire is full of really nice places to go rambling. However, your personal safety is really important so think carefully before you go walking on your own in isolated places.  There are several rambling groups you could join if you like the idea of some company whilst you walk.

 

If you’re a bit of a solitary sole when it comes to keeping fit how about looking into joining the gym at your local leisure centre? Most leisure centres also have a pool if you fancy the idea of going for a regular swim. For some sports you’ll have to buy special equipment (for example waterproof clothing for caving or studded boots for football).  This means that they can work out to be far more expensive than others.  You need to make sure that the sport you choose is the right one for you before you spend a whole load of cash on it. We’d suggest you check to see if it would be possible to hire or borrow someone else’s equipment the first few times you do the sport.

 

Arty and Creative Activities

If you’re a creative or musical person how about putting your talents to good use by joining a local drama group or band? These types of groups are always on the look out for fresh talent. Alternatively if drawing or painting is your speciality how about joining a local art club? During holiday periods creative summer schools, activities or workshops are held in community settings such as libraries, museums and community centres.   It might be that during term time your school runs this sort of activities at lunchtime or after school.  Or how about learning a foreign language?  Being able to speak a second language is a really useful skill especially if you plan to travel widely or work abroad.  If you’re over 16 you could take an adult education class.  It’s possible to take this type of class in anything from archaeology to Spanish.  Some of these courses lead to a recognised qualification but others are purely for pleasure. 

 

It’s not always that easy to find something that looks interesting enough to make you want to get off the sofa.  But the more open minded and willing to give new things a try you are the more likely it is that you’ll find something worth pursuing.  So why not have a look and see exactly what’s on offer?