prepared to commit to at least 12 months.
applications are sometimes accepted as
late as three months prior to departure and
positions for dive instructors, expedition
leaders or scientists might be offered,
for example. for more information about
greenforce programmes, see p132.
status: registered charity.
raleigh International
27 parsons green ln, london sw6 4hZ, uK
%+44 (0)20 7371 8585
fax +44 (0)20 7371 5852
[email protected]
http://www.raleigh.org.uk
every year about 300 volunteer staff work
with raleigh’s volunteers and local community
members on projects in three areas:
community, environment and adventure.
for more information on non-staff volunteer
placements, see p108. staff volunteers can
be field-based, in roles such as administrator,
communications officer, finance manager or
logistics manager. alternatively, project-based
roles include medics, interpreters, project
managers and builders. staff volunteers are
required to attend a selection weekend in the
uK to assess their suitability.
status: registered charity.
destinations: Costa rica, nicaragua, malaysia
and namibia.
eligibility: raleigh looks for volunteer staff who
are over 25 and can offer appropriate skills.development
placements
As you’ll see, development can mean
almost anything – this multidisciplinary
field can encompass digging latrines one
day and playing soccer with orphans the
next. But the common goal of all these
organisations is to alleviate difficult living
conditions through sustainable social
programmes and increasing the effective-
ness of healthcare and educational institu-
tions and infrastructure (that’s where the
latrines come in). The experiences offered
by very large organisations like Gap Year
for Grown Ups (opposite), who send thou-
sands abroad annually, are very different
from those offered by small outfits like the
Village Education Project (p128), which
sends only six volunteers abroad per year.UK Organisations
Cuba solidarity Campaign
c/o unite woodberry, 218 green lanes,
london n4 2hb, uK
%+44 (0)20 8800 0155fax +44 (0)20 8800 9844
[email protected]
http://www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk
CsC organises volunteers for International
work brigade camps near havana. british
volunteers (or brigadistas, as they are called)
work alongside Cubans and groups from
other countries. Volunteers carry out light
agricultural work (such as picking oranges
on a local cooperative farm) or construction
work. there is a full programme of activities,
including visits to factories, hospitals, trade
unions, schools and educational or political
events. a preparatory weekend takes place
four to six weeks before departure.
status: non-profit organisation.
timing & length of placements: the camps
last for three weeks and are run twice a year,
in summer and winter.
destinations: Cuba.
Costs: the trip costs around £950, which
includes flights, accommodation and food.
eligibility: applicants must be 18 or over.
groups or Individuals: both.
annual no. of Volunteers: 70
annual projects: 2
selection & Interview process: those interested
must complete an application form, send in
£100 deposit, two passport-sized photos and
become a member of the Cuba solidarity
Campaign (£20 waged/£8 unwaged).
In-country support: the trip is organised
in conjunction with ICap (Instituto Cubano
de amistad con los pueblos) who run the
programme in Cuba and provide full support.gap Year for grown ups
1st flr, 1 meadow rd, tunbridge wells,
Kent, tn1 2Yg, uK
%+44 (0)1892 701881
fax +44 (0)1892 523172
[email protected]
http://www.gapyearforgrownups.co.uk
gap Year for grown ups specialises in career
breaks and voluntary work for people over- they offer a range of placements covering
a range of paid and voluntary work, tailor-
made trips and language courses.
status: limited company.
timing & length of placements: departures
take place year-round for the majority of
projects, though some have limited departure
dates (to fit in with turtle breeding seasons etc).
programmes range in length from one week to
a year and all programmes can be tailored to
fit in with specific time lengths requested.
destinations: 40 countries worldwide,
covering africa, australasia, eastern europe,
the usa, Canada, Central america, south
america and asia.
Costs: projects vary in cost from £349
upwards, and cover all accommodation,
meals, on-site support and more. airfares are
not included.
eligibility: no specific skills are required; a
basic level of fitness is necessary.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers are allowed
to travel in pairs or small groups and will
usually work in small groups.
annual no. of Volunteers: 5000
annual projects: hundreds.
In-country support: there is a 24-hour
emergency phone number in the uK. full
support on-site is provided by english-
speaking staff.IVs gb (International Voluntary service)
thorn house, 5 rose st, edinburgh eh2 2pr,
scotland, uK
%+44 (0)131 243 2745
fax +44 (0)131 243 2747
[email protected]
http://ivsgb.org
IV s promotes peace and social justice
through volunteering. the projects focus on
conservation, inner-city children, orphanages,
community arts projects and people with
disabilities. some of our projects have a strong
study element on peace, human rights and
climate change. Volunteers join a team of six
to 20 volunteers who live and work together
on the project. IVs works on the principle that
the more understanding there is between
people, the less conflict there will be.
status: registered charity and limited
company.
timing & length of placements:
short-term projects are two to four weeks
long. long-term projects are two to 12
months. most of the short-term projects run
between april and october.
destinations: projects are located in over 70
countries in europe, asia, africa, the americas
and australia.
Costs: projects abroad cost £145 to £190 and
projects in britain cost £50 to £90. food and
accommodation are provided by the host.
Volunteers pay their travel costs.Conservation volunteering can help repair the effects of slash and burn agriculture, seen here in MadagascarPhoto: Azafady05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Development Placements