Costs: there is a £150 set-up fee. all other
costs are covered by the volunteer, except for
accommodation, which is generally provided.
eligibility: the minimum age is 18, however,
Ca prefers volunteers to be at least 21. there
are no specific denomination requirements.
specific skills may be required for some
placements. people with disabilities can
apply; acceptance is dependent on the
circumstances of the placement.
groups or Individuals: usually volunteers are
placed as individuals, however, couples and
friends can sometimes be accommodated.
annual no. of Volunteers: 20
annual projects: 15
partner programmes: 21
selection & Interview process: Christians
abroad requires a detailed application form,
face-to-face interviews in london, a reference
check and agreement to a code of practice.
the final decision then rests with the project
managers, who receive an interview report.
In-country support: all volunteers are given
uK staff emergency contacts and details
of local healthcare. day-to-day care is the
responsibility of the in-country project.
Church mission society
watlington rd, oxford, ox4 6bZ, uK
%+44 (0)1865 787400
fax +44 (0)1865 776375
[email protected]
http://www.cms-uk.org
Cms dates back to 1799 and works in over
60 countries around the globe. In 2010 it
integrated with the south american mission
society to form a new entity. placements
are in church-run projects and can include
administration, nursing, work as a hostel
warden or care-work in children’s homes.
Cms tries to match volunteers’ skills to
openings. one of Cms’s aims is to share a
love of god with all peoples.
status: Company limited by guarantee, with
charitable status.
timing & length of projects: placements are
year-round, short term (four months to two
years) or long term (five years plus).
destinations: sub-saharan africa, north
africa, middle east, Central asia, south and
southeast asia, latin america and europe.
Costs: Costs depend on location and length
of placement. Cms does not charge any
administration fees; all money is raised
and held by the individual. Cms provides
12 day residential training programme and
debriefing.
eligibility: applicants need to be committed
Christians who are actively involved in their
local church, with a minimum age of 18..
groups or Individuals: Volunteers can be
single, married, and with children. Cms looks
for an opportunity that suits the whole family.
annual no. of Volunteers: 30-40
annual projects: C ms has long-term
relationships with partner churches and is
involved in on-going community work rather
than a number of individual projects.
partner programmes: many.
selection & Interview process: applicants are
given a number of interviews and are subject
to medical and criminal records checks plus a
weekend residential selection conference.
In-country support: Volunteers are matched
with an in-country partner church and have
a nominated line manager. they also have
regular contact with Cms and procedures are
in place in case of emergency.jesuit Volunteer Community – britain
4th floor, swan buildings, 20 swan street,
manchester m4 5jw, uK
%+44 (0)1618 326888
fax +44 (0)1618 326958
[email protected]
http://www.jvcbritain.org
Volunteers are welcome in this Catholic
charity, which upholds and participates in
values of community, simple lifestyle, social
justice and spirituality. Volunteers live as
small communities in birmingham, glasgow,
liverpool and manchester, and are found
placements in local charities, ngos, schools
and faith-based or grass-roots organisations.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: the majority
of placements run from september to july.
there are also one-month ‘taster’ placements
available in august.
destinations: england and scotland.
Costs/pay: Volunteers are given free
accommodation and a travel allowance
within the uK. each week, £55 per volunteer
is deposited into a communal account to
cover living expenses like food and utility bills
(the remainder is divided up for personal
use). for the sake of equality, volunteers are
required not to access personal funds duringtheir placement. flights to and from the uK
are self-funding.
eligibility: while applications are assessed
without regard to gender, nationality, sexual
orientation or denomination, volunteers must
be willing to involve themselves in a Catholic
ethos and culture. Volunteers should be
‘young adults’ willing to learn and participate.
no specific experience is required but
applicants must list skills such as language,
art and cooking so that jVC can match them
with appropriate placements.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers work
individually but live in communities of
four or five.
annual no. of Volunteers: 20
annual projects: 30
partner programmes: jVC works with partner
jesuit volunteer programmes throughout
europe and the us, as well as with the uK
jesuit refugee service.
selection & Interview process: Initial
application is via the website. face-to-
face interviews are held for uK applicants
and telephone interviews are held with
international applicants. applicants must
provide three references and complete a
criminal records check.
In-country support: Inductions cover health
and safety training. each volunteer community
has a coordinator available at all times for
emergencies, as well as two ‘community
partners’ to provide consistent emotional,
practical and spiritual support. Volunteers are
also offered individual spiritual directors.Karuna trust
72 holloway rd, london n7 8jg, uK
%+44 (0)20 7700 3434
fax +44 (0)20 7700 3535
[email protected]
http://www.karuna.org
this buddhist charity is founded on the principle
of ‘compassionate action based on wisdom’.
they work with communities disadvantaged
because of their caste, gender or religion by
helping to educate them about their rights,
find educational opportunities and meet their
basic needs. Karuna can provide volunteers
with links to partner projects overseas for
independent placements. there are sometimes
opportunities for volunteers to work in Karuna’s
london office; such placements are most
suitable for buddhist applicants.status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: Varies with each
placement.
destinations: uK, India and bangladesh.
Costs: Volunteers must be entirely self-
funding.
eligibility: skills and experience required
depend on individual placements overseas.
groups or Individuals: usually individuals,
although it is possible to arrange placements
with a friend or partner.
annual no. of Volunteers: a handful.
annual projects: 36
partner programmes: Karuna works with 36
project partners, which in total run 250 projects.
selection & Interview process: this depends
on the requirements of the overseas project.
In-country support: Volunteers need to be
self-reliant. partner organisations provide
various levels of support.latin link
87 london street, reading rg1 4Qa, uK
%+44 (0)1189 577100
fax +44 (0)1189 577115
[email protected]
http://www.latinlink.org
latin link offers two separate volunteering
programmes. ‘step’ gives participants a
practical introduction to mission work in latin
america, with team placements working
alongside a local church community and
undertaking work such as construction or
running children’s holiday camps. ‘stride’
is for individuals, couples or families who
are teamed up with a Christian-run project;
placements can include project management,
publishing, engineering, music, arts, teaching
or urban outreach. projects for both placements
are designed to help volunteers develop their
faith and explore their Christian calling.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: step teams leave
mid-march for four to six months, and in july
and august for three to seven weeks. stride
placements run from six months to two years
and usually start in the autumn or new year.
destinations: argentina, bolivia, brazil, Cuba,
ecuador, honduras, guatemala, peru, Chile,
Colombia, Costa rica and nicaragua.
Costs: the spring step projects cost £2950;
summer step costs between £1750 and
£2150 depending on the length of the07: Religious Organisations:Development