People who want to combine volunteering with discovering England and Wales are being offered a free holiday as part of YHA's Working Holiday programme.

The youth hostelling charity, YHA (England and Wales), is offering up to five nights' free accommodation at 40 of its properties throughout England and Wales in exchange for volunteers' time to help them get Youth Hostels ship-shape for spring 2017.

Volunteers aged over 16 are needed from now until 23 March 2017 to assist in a wide variety of tasks, including painting, cleaning, researching and writing visitor guides, gardening and dry stone walling at both rural and city centre Youth Hostels.

As a thank you, YHA is offering volunteers free accommodation during their working holiday as well a generous contribution to travelling expenses. Working Holidays are available at Youth Hostels throughout the UK, including the Lake District, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Manchester, Liverpool, York and North Yorkshire.

Katie Smith, YHA (England and Wales) Volunteering Business Partner, said: “Because YHA is a charity, the time and help given to us by volunteers is essential to ensure the Youth Hostel network and YHA can continue to operate and make a difference to the lives of so many young people each year. We love hosting volunteers on Working Holidays. As well as seeing the Youth Hostel change we get to see them making new friends and developing their skills. It's always a fun week.”

YHA's Working Holiday programme offers a unique volunteering experience for individuals who want to contribute to the youth hostelling charity, make new friends, try something different, explore, learn a new skill or simply use for valuable work experience for a CV. Working Holidays with YHA (England and Wales) are also a fantastic opportunity for Duke of Edinburgh students to earn their gold award.

Working Holidays are available at the following Youth Hostels:

YHA Wye Valley (Herefordshire)                   31 October - 3 November

                                                                 19 February - 23 February

YHA Berwick upon Tweed                             31 October - 4 November

YHA Penzance (Cornwall)                             7 November - 10 November

YHA Dufton (Cumbria)                                  7 November - 11 November

YHA Whitby (North Yorkshire)                       7 November - 11 November

YHA Hawkshead (Cumbria)                           7 November - 11 November

YHA Street (Somerset)                                 14 November  - 17 November

YHA Lands' End (Cornwall)                            14 November  - 18 November

YHA Buttermere (Cumbria)                           14 November  - 18 November

YHA Coniston Holly How (Cumbria)                14 November  - 18 November

YHA Liverpool (Merseyside)                          20 November  - 25 November

YHA Ambleside (Cumbria)                            21 November  - 25 November

YHA Manchester                                          28 November - 2 December

YHA Grasmere (Cumbria)                            28 November - 2 December

YHA Dalby Forest (Yorkshire)                       28 November - 2 December

YHA Ilam Hall (Derbyshire)                          5 December - 7 December

YHA Helvellyn (Cumbria)                             5 December – 9 December

YHA York                                                   5 December – 9 December

YHA Borrowdale (Cumbria)                          9 December – 13 December

YHA Langdale (Cumbria)                             12 December – 16 December

YHA Slaidburn (Lancashire)                         12 December – 16 December

YHA Mankinholes (Lancashire)                     16 December – 20 January

YHA Ambleside (Cumbria)                           9 January – 13 January

YHA Keswick (Cumbria)                              16 January – 20 January

YHA Helmsley (Yorkshire)                           23 January – 27 January

YHA Honister Hause (Cumbria)                    23 January – 27 January

YHA Malham (Yorkshire)                             23 January – 27 January

YHA Hawes (Yorkshire)                               30 January – 3 February

YHA Windermere (Cumbria)                        30 January – 3 February

YHA Beverley Friary (Yorkshire)                  6 February – 10 February

YAH Eskdale (Cumbria)                              6 February – 10 February

YHA Haworth (Yorkshire)                            13 February – 17 February

YHA Grinton Lodge (Yorkshire)                    20 February – 24 February

YHA Coniston Holly How                              20 February – 26 February

YHA Wasdale (Cumbria)                              27 February – 3 March

YHA Langdon Beck (Durham)                       27 February – 3 March

YHA Boggle Hole (Yorkshire)                        27 February – 3 March

YHA Ennerdale & Black Sail (Cumbria)          13 March – 17 March

YHA Patterdale (Cumbria)                            13 March – 17 March

YHA Cheddar (Somerset)                             20 March – 23 March

If you want to find out more about YHA Working Holidays call YHA's volunteering team on 01629 592562 or email the manager at katiesmith@yha.org.uk

For details of all working holiday opportunities available, please visit: https://jobs.yha.org.uk/volunteer/