There are around 100 agencies in Britain that place volunteers abroad on work projects. At the end of this information sheet are details of websites and directories that can help you find an opportunity that is right for you. Volunteering overseas can be an extremely rewarding experience, but is not something that should be entered into lightly. Below are some of the things you need to think about before parting with any money.
Practical points to consider
• Length of time is a critical factor, as projects vary from short-term placements of a few weeks to longer-term projects of two years or more.
• Most organisations will ask you to pay an administration fee for arranging the trip for you.
• It is important to check whether the project provides for travel, accommodation, food and pocket money.
• Most projects ask for people with particular skills or experience.
• Many agencies are small and will place a limited number of volunteers.
• Some organisations are aimed at those of a particular religious creed.
• Applications to do overseas voluntary work should be made well in advance.
Emergency/Relief Work
In the wake of a national disaster such as war or flood, the international community often responds by providing emergency aid. The aid provided attempts to meet basic human need - safe water, food security, shelter and medical care. Experienced relief organisations respond in these situations and they rarely require extra emergency staff. Relief workers are highly qualified, specialists in their professional fields and have overseas experience. Inexperienced personnel are not needed in emergency situations. Local staff may be recruited as needed and there is no need for unskilled foreigners.
Raising the money
Unless you have savings or will be doing paid work overseas, you are likely to have to raise some or all of your own expenses before you go. Some agencies suggest ways of raising money. You don't necessarily have to be put off an overseas placement simply by the cost; if it is what you really want to do, there are ways of raising the money.
If you have endless time and patience, you can look in the 'Directory of Grant Making Trusts' that should be available in the reference section of the library. You may find organisations listed which can help you, although many do not offer funding to individuals. Be selective, or you will spend more money contacting them than you might receive in a grant!
Local contacts may work better: you could contact the local branch of the Lions, Rotary Club or Round Table. If there is a local paper where you live, they might do a short article about your trip. Free local newspapers would also be worth approaching. Often a local approach like this can be far more fruitful than approaching larger organisations. Check for books on ideas for fundraising; you could organise a club night, a dinner, sponsored walk or swim. Some organisations may suggest ways to fundraise, and by many it’s considered to be part of the whole experience.
Checking out Organisations
It is important that you check out any organisation thoroughly before handing over any money or leaving the country. Ask if you can be put in touch with people who have been on their projects before. If possible, try to speak to someone who has volunteered with them in person rather than trusting testimonials. Look at insurance very carefully: will you need your own travel insurance, does their insurance cover you for the kind of work that you will be doing, what would happen if you needed to get back to the UK? Think carefully about the kind of work that you will be doing: is there a genuine need for volunteers to do this, or has the opportunity been created as an adventure holiday? Spend some time researching the country that you want to go to, check out the political situation, climate etc.
Finding voluntary work overseas
The Overseas Directory
www.timebank.org.uk
Timebank has set up a free online directory of organisations looking for volunteers to work abroad. You can search by category and find details of organisations with a brief explanation of their work and a list of the areas they have operate in.
Other resources
Information on agencies that place volunteers abroad can also be obtained from the directories listed below. Copies of these directories should be obtainable from:
• Your local public library
• A careers library
• Any major book store
• Direct from the publisher
International Directory of Voluntary Work
Ed: Victoria Pybus, £11.95 (9th Edition)
Vacation Work
9 Park End Street
Oxford OX1 1HJ
Tel: 01865 241978
Website: www.vacationwork.co.uk
A thorough guide to short-term and long-term voluntary work overseas. Includes a section on the agencies that operate within the major global regions. Details whether agencies provide for travel, accommodation, expenses etc. Also explains age and skill requirements.
By the same publisher:
World Volunteers
Fabio Ausenda and Erin McCloskey, £10.99
Concentrates exclusively on opportunities for volunteers in the developing world, with contact details for over 150 organisations.
Directory of Work & Study in Developing Countries
Toby Milner, £9.99 (3rd edition)
A handbook on opportunities in over 400 organisations in over 100 countries.
Kibbutz Volunteer
Ed. Victoria Pybus. £10.99.
A guide listing full details of 200 Kibbutzim.
Other publications
World Service Enquiry 2005 Guide to Volunteering and Working for Development
An annual free guide, available for a £5 donation and a 68p stamped, self-addressed envelope from:
World Service Enquiry
Room 237,
Bon Marché Centre
241 Ferndale Road,
London SW9 8BJ
Tel. 020 7346 5950.
Website: www.wse.org.uk
Worldwide Volunteering
An A – Z directory of projects for young people in over 950 organisations, in the UK and 200 other countries.
£17.99, 4th Edition (2004)
How to Books Ltd,
3 Newtec Place
Magdalen Road
Oxford OX4 1RE.
Tel: 01865 793806.
Website: www.howtobooks.co.uk.
email: info@howtobooks.co.uk
Returned Volunteer Action (RVA) is an organisation for serving and returned overseas development workers. It gives returned volunteers the opportunity to share their experiences with those considering overseas voluntary work. Their introductory pack consists of two booklets:
• Thinking about volunteering overseas
• Volunteering and Overseas Development: A Guide to Opportunities
These are available for £3.50 plus a 56p stamped, self-addressed envelope, from:
Returned Volunteer Action (RVA)
1 Amwell Street
London EC1R 1TH
Tel: 020 7278 0804
The Virgin Guide to Volunteering
Rebecca Hardy, £12.99
Covers volunteering in the UK too, but at least three quarters of the book is about overseas volunteering opportunities.
http://www.virgin.com/books
The Internet
Last reviewed: May 2006
For more information, please contact
Volunteering England Information Service
Information@volunteeringengland.org
Freephone/textphone: 0800 028 3304 (10.30am -12.30pm and 2-4pm Monday to Friday)
www.volunteering.org.uk/
Volunteering England
Regent’s Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London N1 9RL
- Access all of Volunteering England’s Information Sheets
- For more information on managing volunteers, please visit
The Good Practice Bank
