Our Halloween Scareground is a community event for local children and families, with two sessions:
Gentle Ghouls (Quiet Session) – an earlier, calmer session aimed particularly at younger children and children with SEND.
Spooky Spirits (Main Scareground) – the later Halloween session, with lighting, sound, decorations and live characters.
We need a team of volunteers to help us set up, welcome families, keep the event running safely and bring the Scareground to life.
Volunteers will receive a short briefing before the event and will have a named Event Lead to go to if they need any help.
Welcome & Entrance Volunteers
Number needed: 1–2
The first friendly faces families will meet when they arrive.
Volunteers will:
- Welcome children and families.
- Explain how the Scareground works and where to start.
- Help manage the flow of people entering.
- Provide information about the Quiet Session where appropriate.
- Make visitors aware that they can leave the route at any time.
- Direct any questions or concerns to the Event Lead.
This role would suit someone who is friendly, confident speaking to people and happy interacting with families.
Scareground Stewards
Number needed: 2
Stewards will be positioned around the Scareground and help keep everything running smoothly.
Volunteers will:
- Help families follow the route.
- Keep walking routes and exits clear.
- Help prevent children entering cordoned-off play areas.
- Keep an eye on decorations, barriers and equipment.
- Help families who want to leave the Scareground early.
- Let the Event Lead know about any problems.
- Provide additional support during busy periods.
During the Quiet Session, stewards will also help families understand what is coming next and will have access to the event’s communication cards.
This role would particularly suit adult volunteers.
Trail Characters
Main Scareground only
Number needed: approximately 3–6
We would particularly love to involve local teenagers in bringing the evening Scareground to life.
Trail Characters will dress up and be positioned around the decorated areas of the Scareground. Depending on the character and location, they might pose, interact with visitors, move around their designated area or provide the occasional scare!
No acting experience is needed. Enthusiasm is considerably more important.
Characters will receive a briefing before the event and will be given a designated area or role.
For everyone’s safety, Trail Characters must:
- Stay within their allocated area unless asked to move by the Event Lead.
- Never touch or grab visitors.
- Never chase children.
- Never block the route or an exit.
- Adjust their interaction depending on the age and reaction of the child.
- Stop immediately if a child is frightened or asks them to stop.
- Follow instructions from the Event Lead and stewards.
The aim is fun Halloween scares, not genuinely terrifying small children!
Teenage volunteers will be supported by adult event volunteers throughout the session.
Treat Station Volunteers
Number needed: 1–2
Based at the end of the Scareground, these volunteers get arguably the most popular job of the night.
Volunteers will:
- Welcome children at the end of the route.
- Hand out sweet bags.
- Offer non-sweet alternatives where requested.
- Allow children to point or indicate their choice without requiring them to speak.
- Keep supplies organised and let the Event Lead know when anything needs restocking.
- Help keep the exit area moving during busy periods.
Set-Up & Decorating Team
Number needed: As many as we can persuade!
Before the event, volunteers will help transform the playground into the Halloween Scareground.
This may include:
- Putting up decorations and props.
- Setting up and checking the cordoned areas.
- Positioning signs and displays.
- Preparing the entrance and treat station.
- Setting out lighting and event materials.
- Filling sweet bags and preparing non-sweet treats.
- Checking the site before opening.
No decorating expertise required. If you can carry things, untangle fake cobwebs or follow instructions while surrounded by plastic skeletons, we can probably find you a job.
Arrival time: 11:00am onwards
Pack-Down Team
Number needed: 3–4
Once the final visitors have left, we’ll need help returning the playground to normal.
Volunteers will:
- Take down decorations and signage.
- Collect barriers and event equipment.
- Check the whole site for litter.
- Help pack reusable decorations for storage.
- Make sure the playground and surrounding paths are left clean and tidy.
Arrival time: 6:30pm onwards
General Volunteer
Number needed: 1–2 if available
A flexible role for volunteers happy to go wherever they’re needed.
This could include:
- Covering another volunteer for a short break.
- Restocking the treat station.
- Helping at the entrance during a busy period.
- Checking decorations and barriers.
- Supporting set-up or pack-down.
- Helping the Event Lead with unexpected jobs.
This is a particularly useful role for anyone who wants to help but doesn’t have a preference about what they do.
We want volunteering at the Scareground to be enjoyable too! Everyone will have a short briefing beforehand so you know where you’ll be, what you’ll be doing and who to speak to if you need anything.
Children attending the event will remain with their parent or accompanying adult, so volunteers can concentrate on their event role rather than being responsible for individual children.
If anything crops up during the event or you’re not sure what to do, just find the Event Lead or one of the other adult volunteers and we’ll help.
Most of all, we want everyone to enjoy being part of it. The Scareground is a community event, and giving even a small amount of your time will help us create a brilliant Halloween evening for local children and families.