In my master’s thesis, I focus on the support and assistance received by volunteers at summer camps organised by member organisations of the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth (SAFY). In the first part, I present nongovernmental organisations and volunteer work, as well as their history in Slovenia. I then focus on the importance of volunteers for organisations as well as for the volunteers themselves and the beneficiaries. I divide volunteering into formal and informal categories, and later delve more deeply into working with volunteers in formal volunteer organisations. I focus on the ways in which organisations can ensure the best possible conditions for recruiting and retaining volunteers. In the methodological section, I present the research and the process of conducting fourteen interviews with summer camp volunteers from various member organisations of SAFY. In the empirical section, I present findings that show that working at summer camps is demanding and exhausting. The empirical and theoretical knowledge that volunteers acquire through the organisation, as well as through their studies and employment, proves to be important in understanding the demands of the work itself. In addition to the training and information they receive, the bonds they form with other volunteers and the support they offer one another are also important. I also focus on some of the volunteers’ wishes and needs regarding additional training, the organization’s responsiveness to volunteer feedback, and what the organization could improve to make the experience more enjoyable for both new and experienced volunteers. Non-governmental organisations working in the field of volunteering fill gaps where government social assistance fails to reach people. Since most NGOs, including SAFY, face challenges in recruiting a sufficient number of volunteers, it is important to foster an environment within the organisation that provides enough assistance and support to ensure volunteers remain with the organisation for as long as possible. In this way, we help maintain high-quality and meaningful social welfare service programs. Social workers often serve as mentors in guiding and organizing volunteer activities. With their knowledge and working methods, they can make a significant contribution to improving services for both volunteers and service users.
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