of leave). applications are taken year-round
but departures are limited to february and
august. apply three months in advance of
departure. six-week medical electives are
also available in India and sri lanka.
destinations: Include China, India, romania
and sri lanka.
Costs: the six-month package costs £2750,
which accounts for everything, including
international flights. the medical elective cost
is £2000, all-inclusive.
eligibility: applicants must be aged 17 to 25.
groups or Individuals: Individuals.
annual no. of Volunteers: up to 60.
annual projects: 12 to 15 projects, twice a year.
partner programmes: 12
selection & Interview process: after
applications are received, applicants are
invited to attend an information day in
dundee, scotland.
In-country support: there are local english-
speaking representatives in the cities nearest
to volunteer locations.
madventurer
the old smithy, Corbridge,
northumberland, ne45 5Qd, uK
%+44 (0)845 121 1996
[email protected]
http://www.madventurer.com
madventurer combines volunteering activities
in urban and rural areas of the developing
world with a travel adventure. You choose
how long you want to volunteer and how long
you want to travel to create a customised
experience. projects range from building
schools and teaching in rural communities to
coaching sports and working on conservation
initiatives. there are also opportunities
for individuals to work in specialist fields,
including medicine, journalism and in
orphanages. some adventure travel
opportunities include travelling the entire
length of africa or visiting the mountain
gorillas of Central africa.
status: private limited company.
timing & length of placements: You need
to apply between three and nine months in
advance of travel but late applications can
sometimes be accommodated. projects last
anything from two weeks to 12 months and
run year-round. adventure travel components
last from 15 to 77 days.
destinations: australia, brazil, Costa rica,
ghana, guatemala, India, Kenya, peru,
tanzania, thailand, togo, trinidad & tobago
and uganda.
Costs: a two-week volunteering project costs
from £690, five weeks cost from £980 and
12 weeks from £1830, including all food and
accommodation overseas, a donation to
the communities that you’ll be supporting,
full-time overseas project support crew and
in-country travel (international flights, visas,
insurance and personal kit are not included).
eligibility: open to those aged 17 and over.
groups or Individuals: Individuals and groups
may apply; project work takes place in groups
of five to 12 people.
annual no. of Volunteers: 1000
annual projects: 100
partner programmes: ‘sportventurer’ coaching
projects, ‘gap jobs’ work experience
placements and ‘Careerbreaker’ projects.
selection & Interview process: You can
book over the phone or online through the
madventurer website.
In-country support: Volunteers on rural projects
will have full-time crew members looking after
their needs 24 hours a day. those on urban
placements receive support from a full-time
crew member at a regional hQ.outreach International
bartlett’s farm, hayes rd,
Compton dundon, somerset ta11 6pf , uK
%/fax +44 (0)1458 274957
[email protected]
http://www.outreachinternational.co.uk
outreach International specialises in sending
committed volunteers to a wide variety of
small grass-roots projects overseas. most
of the programmes involve conservation,
education and social issues. dale hurd, who
went to Cambodia, says ‘sitting here, back
in the freezing english spring, I look at my
hundreds of photographs and dream I’m
back in Cambodia in phnom penh, dripping
in sweat, dodging motodops, blinded by
the radiant smiles of the enchanting Khmer
people. living in phnom penh was vibrant,
at times frightening, sometimes depressing,
but always fascinating. the drive to school,
perched on the back of a motodop, at first
cowering as we weaved – apparently at
whim – across the traffic lanes, but later
relaxed and chatty, was a revelation of street
life: banana sellers with frames of green
bananas; families eating breakfast on low
plastic tables on the pavement; smallpink-and-black pigs trembling in bamboo
cages on the back of motor bikes.’
status: not-for-profit limited company.
timing & length of placements: projects are
one to six months long, with departures in
january, april, june and september. You
should apply at least three months before,
although last-minute applications may
receive any empty places.
destinations: pacific coast of mexico, ecuador,
the galápagos Islands, sri lanka, Costa rica
nepal, Kenya and Cambodia.
Costs: refer to the costs page on the outreach
International website.
eligibility: the minimum age is 18 and many
volunteers are on their gap year, however,
we also have many older career break
volunteers. Volunteers must be fit, healthy
and pass a criminal records check.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers always
work in pairs to maximise cultural integration
and minimise cultural impact on the host
community. however, approximately 15
volunteers are in the country at any one time.
outreach International projects are all located
in the same geographical area, so meeting
up with other volunteers is easy. You’re also
welcome to apply with a friend or partner.
annual no. of Volunteers: 100
annual projects: 50
selection & Interview process: an effort is
made to meet all potential volunteers in
bristol, london or derby.
In-country support: there is a full-time
coordinator in every country, providing
comprehensive support. all volunteers
have unlimited health insurance, a 24-hour
emergency line and full air evacuation
in emergencies.
project trust
the hebridean Centre, Isle of Coll,
argyll, pa78 6te , uK
%+44 (0)1879 230444
fax +44 (0)1879 230357
[email protected]
http://www.projecttrust.org.uk
project trust aims to provide young people
with an opportunity to understand an
overseas community through a full year of
immersion and project work. opportunities
exist in teaching, journalism, social care,
outdoor education and development.
status: educational charity.timing & length of placements: project trust
currently runs a 12-month programme that
departs during august and an eight-month
programme that departs in either december
or january.
destinations: twenty destinations, including
honduras, dominican republic, jamaica,
guyana, Chile, peru, bolivia, senegal,
namibia, south africa, swaziland, rwanda,
lesotho, uganda, India, sri lanka, China,
Cambodia, malaysia, thailand, hong Kong,
japan, mauritius and rodrigues Island.
Costs/pay: the fee of £4950 for the 12-month
programme and £4350 for the eight-month
programme covers flights, insurance, training,
accomodation and food.
eligibility: project trust works with young
people who are between the ages of 17 and
19 during their placement overseas.
groups or Individuals: Individuals.
annual no. of Volunteers: 260
annual projects: 120
selection & Interview process: after submitting
an application volunteers attend a five-day
selection course on the hebridean Island of
Coll. those who are successful attend a five-
day briefing and training course specifically
for their country group.
In-country support: there are in-country
representatives on hand for emergencies.Quest overseas
15 a Cambridge grove, hove,
east sussex bn3 3eduK
%+44 (0)1273 777206
fax +44 (0)1273 204928
[email protected]
http://www.questoverseas.com
specialising in gap-year projects and
expeditions, Quest overseas has been
sending teams to south america and
africa since 1996. three-month combined
expeditions depart between january and
april, and include time spent working on
one of its long-term project partnerships,
followed by an expedition such as trekking,
scuba diving, jungle exploration or ice
climbing. In south america, it also includes
a language-training phase. Its shorter trips
in july and august (four to six weeks) are
either just a project or an expedition. projects
include working with children in a shanty
town in lima, peru; caring for wild animals
in the bolivian amazon; building sand dams05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Options for the Under 30s