What is the ratio of volunteers to residents?

This varies significantly between hostels and depends on factors such as the size of the property, the number of beds available, occupancy levels, and the operational needs of the hostel.

As an example, some of our smaller hostels may have a volunteer team of around 6 volunteers supporting approximately 92 resident beds. At the other end of the scale, some of our larger hostels may have volunteer teams of over 30 volunteers supporting hostels with around 300 resident beds.

Because each hostel is different, there is no single volunteer-to-resident ratio across LHA. However, volunteers generally form an important part of the hostel community and volunteer alongside staff to help create a welcoming, supportive, and well-run environment for residents and guests.

Regardless of the size of the hostel, volunteers often find that there are plenty of opportunities to meet both fellow volunteers and residents through shared accommodation, communal spaces, volunteering duties, and social activities.