Q2A
Got a question asking......
I want to volunteer abroad from March next year. Please could you give me the contact
details of the organisations which offer these opportunites and how much it would cost me
to do this. I want to do something to help other young people but also look good on my
CV.
Thanks
This is our reply.......
Hi Volunteering abroad, thanks for your enquiry about volunteering abroad.
There are lots and lots of different projects to get involved in all over the world so we're
confident you'll find one that suits you. We suggest that first of all you ask yourself some
basic questions which will help you to focus your search:
# Which country?
# How long for?
# How much do you want to spend?
# What kind of setting do you want to work in with young people e.g. school, orphanage?
# Do you want to work in some extra time to travel independently?
# Do you want to travel in an environmentally-friendly way?
The two best places to start looking for a project are:
# If you have access to the Internet: The Year Out Group website http://www.yearoutgroup.org/. You can search the site by country, project or
organisation. The organisations listed on this website work to Year Out Group's policies,
codes of practice, charters and guidelines which are all about helping young people to
have an enjoyable and safe trip
# If you've no Internet: The Gap-year Guide Book, pub. John Catt Educational Ltd.,
ISBN 978 1 904724 568. This book covers everything you need to think about when
planning your trip, and directories of organisations which offer projects abroad. You may
be able to look at a copy in your local InfoCentre for Young People, College House, 73
Breck Road, Poulton-le-Fylde. Telephone: 01253 893102. Also, your local library should
be able to get a copy for you, or you can buy it from good bookshops
We've had a look at some of the projects which are available this year to show you the
range of what's out there. The prices are mostly this year's so they'll probably have
increased by the time you're ready to go.
# Voluntary Service Overseas. Raise £900 yourself and VSO pay for and provide
everything else (training, flight, visas, accommodation, living allowance, medical checks,
injections etc.). Contact details: 317 Putney Bridge Road, London. SW15 2PN.
Telephone: (0)20 8780 7500. Website: http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/youth/youth-for-
development.asp#0. VSO aren't listed on Year Out Group's site but they are a long-
established organisation
# Latitude Global Volunteering. E.g. 4 months Community Care in NE India costs
£1,590 which you must raise yourself. Includes visa, accommodation, onward flight. Does
not include UK-India flight, living allowance, meals. Contact details: 44 Queen's Road,
Reading, Berkshire. RG1 4BB. Telephone: 0118 959 4914. Website:
http://www.lattitude.org.uk/Index_UK.aspx
# Project Trust. Age range: between 17 and 19.5 years old when you go overseas
and be in full-time secondary education. Eight or 12 month's duration in any one of 22
countries. There's a selection course in Scotland first. Cost: £4,660 which you must
raise yourself. Contact details: The Hebridean Centre, Isle of Coll, Argyll. PA78 6TE.
Telephone: 01879 230444. Website: http://www.projecttrust.org.uk/.
# Gapyear.com. E.g. community work with children in Kenya. £419 for first week,
£120 per week thereafter. Not much detail about what's included. Contact details:
telephone: 0845 344 7667. Website: http://www.gapyear.com/
# Bunac Working Adventures Worldwide. E.g. volunteering in Costa Rica for 2 or 3
months, £1,149 and £1,399 respectively. You need to pay for insurance, flights, police
check, spending money, inoculations. Contact details: telephone: 020 7251 3472.
Website: http://www.bunac.org/UK/
# Au Pair America may be another option you'd like to think about. You pay $500
and any airline fuel surcharges, and provide 45 hours per week childcare. In return you get
your flight, a 13 month visa, pocket money, 2 weeks paid vacation, study allowance, basic
insurance and a completion allowance. Contact details: 37A Queen's Gate, London. SW7
5HR. Telephone: 020-7581-7373. Website: http://www.aupairamerica.co.uk/program-
fees-au-pair-in-america.php. Au Pair America is not listed on the Year Out Groups
website but like VSO they are a long-established organisation
As well as information about the projects, you'll find travel advice as well, including how to
manage your money; tips on the right equipment to buy (rucksacks, sleeping bags,
torches universal sink plugs); how to pack your rucksack; what vaccinations you'll need for
which country; how to look after your health; and loads more. Also look at:
# The Foreign Office website http://www.fco.gov.uk for general travel advice
#Earthscan: http://www.earthscan.co.uk, for ethical travel
#'The Ethical Travel Guide', pub. Tourism Concern, ISBN 9781844073214
If you need to raise your own funds to finance your travel here are some of our ideas, but
you'll probably come up with lots of your own. You'll also find lots more on the websites
and books we've already mentioned:
# Sponsored event e.g. swim, leg wax, dog walk, bungee jump
# Car boot sale
# Jumble sale
# Offer to do odd jobs for friends, neighbours
# Organise an event e.g. a gig, fancy dress, karaoke night
If you have any special circumstances which would make it difficult for you to raise all the
money yourself, there are local charities which offer grants (these are not repayable) you
may want to consider applying to. When you've decided on your project, contact them
and see if your circumstances, and what you intend to do, fits their criteria. Here are
some examples:
# The Harris Charity, Mr Peter Metcalf FCA, The Secretary, The Harris Charity, c/o
Moore and Smalley, Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3HP.
Telephone: 01772 821021. Website: http://www.theharrischarity.co.uk
# The Bowland Charitable Trust, Activhouse, Philips Road, Blackburn. BB1 5TH.
Telephone: 01254 290433. No website
# The Shepherd Street Trust, P O Box 658, Longridge, Preston. PR3 2WJ.
Telephone: 01995 606253Website: http://www.shepherdstreettrust.co.uk
To do a wider search for possible grants you can use the following publications which
should be in the reference section of your local library:
# The Directory of Grant Making Trusts
# Educational Grants Directory
Depending on how much of your trip you have to organise and pay for yourself, you can
save money on travel costs with a discount travel card. The most appropriate ones for
you, depending on whether you're a student or not, would be:
# International Student Identity Card (ISIC), costs £9, £11 by mail order. Valid for
15 months from 1st September in any year. Apply to: STA Travel, telephone 0870 160 60
70, or online at http://www.isiccard.com
# International Youth Travel Card (IYTC), costs the same as the ISIC. Valid for 12
months. Apply to: STA Travel, telephone 0870 160 60 70, or online at
http://www.isiccard.com
We hope we've given you enough information to help you get started organising your
voluntary work. If you need more information pleas email us again, about this or anything
else. If we don't hear from you again we hope everything goes well for you.
Best wishes from q2a.
Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information in this answer is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. |
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