in Kenya; working with orphans in malawi,
among others. each project partnership has
been established to ensure the work teams do
is genuinely beneficial, and funds are provided
to make sure they are sustained. status:
limited company
timing & length of placements: three-month
combined expeditions depart from january to
april every year. four- to eight-week projects
or expeditions run in july and august.
destinations: south america (peru, bolivia,
ecuador, Chile and brazil) and africa
(swaziland, mozambique, south africa,
botswana, Zambia, Kenya and tanzania).
Costs: from £1600 for a four-week project,
to £4950 for a three-week combined project
and expedition. all expenses are included
on the ground. flights and insurance are not
included.
eligibility: no restrictions, however, typical age
is between 18 and 24.
groups or Individuals: led group expeditions.
annual no. of Volunteers: 180-200
partner programmes: eight projects, all long-
term partnerships.
selection & Interview process: after you
decide on an expedition programme, apply
via online applications to start the booking
process.
In-country support: teams have project and
expedition leaders with them, as well as an
extensive local project and expedition support
network.
raleigh International
3rd fl, 207 waterloo rd, london se 1 8xd, uK
%+44 (0)20 7183 1270
fax +44 (0)20 7504 8094
[email protected]
http://www.raleigh.org.uk
raleigh International is an international charity
committed to the personal development of
young people. through its programmes in the
uK and overseas, it works with young people
from all backgrounds and nationalities to
enable them to make a positive contribution
and achieve personal and social development.
Volunteers work in small groups alongside
local communities to deliver three types
of project: community, environmental and
adventure projects. the five-week programme
offers a choice of either a community or
environmental project and a team-based
adventure challenge.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of placements: there are
usually nine to 10 programmes throughout
the year, including summer. participants and
volunteer staff choose from five-week or
10-week programmes. It’s recommend you
apply six to 12 months in advance to allow
time for fundraising and a placement on
your chosen programme. however, if you
wish to join a programme that leaves in less
than six months, the organisation will try to
accommodate you.
destinations: Costa rica, nicaragua, malaysia
and namibia.
Costs: as a registered charity, the programme
is completely dependent on fundraising
activities to cover costs. the fundraising target
for 10-week participants is £2995 and for five-
week participants it’s £1750. the fundraising
target for staff volunteers for 13 weeks is
£1950 and for seven weeks, £1350. this
includes all training, food, accommodation
and in-country support.
eligibility: open to those aged 17 to 24.
groups or Individuals: Individuals.
annual no. of Volunteers: 700
annual projects: 45
partner programmes: 15
selection & Interview process: after
completing an application and being
selected, participants reserve their place
with a £200 deposit that goes toward the
fundraising target.
In-country support: raleigh has an extensive
in-country support system, including
medical professionals, 24-hour radio
communications, in-country volunteer staff
and a comprehensive emergency and
evacuation plan.sporting opportunities
the Clock house, station approach, marlow,
buckinghamshire, sl 7 1nt, uK
%+44 (0)20 8123 8702
fax +44 (0)16 2848 1065
[email protected]
http://www.sportingopportunities.com
sporting opportunities offers sporty people
the chance to join sports coaching volunteer
projects in africa, asia and south america,
coaching disadvantaged children. perfect
for gap years, career breaks or volunteer
holidays. projects available in football,
soccer, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball,swimming, athletics, basketball, tennis,
baseball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball and
more.
status: limited company.
timing & length of placements: departures
take place every month of the year. most
volunteers join projects lasting from four to 12
weeks, although other durations are possible.
destinations: south africa, ghana, India,
ecuador and argentina.
Costs: Costs start from £995 for four weeks.
each additional week is £145. this includes
all accommodation, food, airport pick-
up, training and induction, support and a
donation to the project you work on. fees
do not include flights, travel insurance,
vaccinations, visas and personal spending
money
eligibility: applicants should be between 18
and 35.
groups or Individuals: groups and individuals
are accepted on projects. there are also two-
week sports and cultural tours for schools,
colleges and university teams.
annual no. of Volunteers: 500
annual projects: 50
selection & Interview process: applications
can be made online or over the phone.
Criminal records bureau checks are made
for some applicants who will be working with
children. references are also required.
In-country support: 24-hour uK and in-
country support is available through project
managers and in-country coordinators. our
resident in-country staff live nearby and are
on call to make sure you are safe, secure and
really enjoying your experience abroad. full
travel advice and inductions are provided pre-
departure and during the project.Youth for development
Carlton house, 27a Carlton drive, putney,
london, sw15 2bs, uK
%+44 (0)20 8780 7500
fax +44 (0)20 8780 7207
[email protected]
http://www.vso.org.uk
as the other youth-oriented programme of
the Voluntary service overseas (Vso), Youth
for development (Yfd) provides an opportunity
for young people to work with Vso partners
and contribute towards the achievement of
Vso’s development goals. see p95 for more
information on Yfd.North American
Organisations
amigos de las américas
5618 star ln, houston, texas 77057, usa
%+1 800 231 7796, +1 713 782 5290
fax +1 713 782 9267
[email protected]
http://www.amigoslink.org
for over 40 years, amigos de las américas has
run community service projects involving more
than 20,000 youth volunteers and thousands
of communities in latin america. through
its programmes, high-school and college-
aged volunteers jump in to lend a hand on
collaborative projects working with a vigorous
network of pan-american partner agencies
and local host communities. these same
volunteers often return to lead programmes in
latin america as project staff. amigos aims to
be a youth-led organisation in which creativity,
initiative and multicultural understanding are
highly valued.
status: non-governmental organisation.
timing & length of placements: Volunteers
spend five to eight weeks living and working
in one of nine latin american countries.
project dates vary from year to year between
the months of june and august (five-,
six- and eight-week projects all have set
dates, although these vary from summer to
summer).
destinations: nine different countries in
latin america: brazil; Costa rica; dominican
republic; honduras; mexico; nicaragua;
panama; paraguay and uruguay.
Costs: Volunteers pay us$3000 as a
participation fee, which goes directly towards
training, equipment, transportation and
support costs. the fee includes international
airfares from miami or houston, all project-
related expenses, materials, in-country
lodging, transportation and meals. It also
includes international medical insurance, staff
training and a 24-hour on-call emergency
system.
eligibility: participants must be 16 or older by
1 september of the year of service, and at
least a sophomore in high school. they must
also have at least two years of spanish or
portuguese or an equivalent fluency level.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers travel to and
from their countries as a group.
annual no. of Volunteers: about 750.05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Options for the Under 30s