Professional and Skilled

Organisations and opportunities:

  • Aviva provide placements working with children or conservation for a period of between 4 – 6 weeks in South Africa, costs vary.
  • Concern enable willing volunteers the opportunity to undertake global challenges in a variety of locations including the Himalayas, China, Peru and Europe. Challenges last 2 – 4 weeks, and costs vary.
  • Africa & Asia Venture is a specialist gap year organisation and a founding member of the Year Out Group. They offer a wide variety of opportunities including; teaching, coaching sport, conservation work and construction projects in Africa and Asia. Typical placement length is 5 – 6 months and costs vary depending on location.
  • Africa Trust offer placements working with disadvantaged children in the UK, Ghana, Morocco and the Cameroon. Placement lengths vary between 3 – 6 months, some last longer and costs vary depending on time and location.
  • BUNAC provide voluntary placements ranging between 6 – 12 months in North America, Australasia and South Africa. Placements enable volunteers the opportunity to help in conservation, teaching and general working holidays. Costs vary depending on location.
  • www.csv.org.uk/Volunteer/Full-time CSV’s full-time volunteers participate for 4-12 months in the UK helping to change the lives of people in need, facing new challenges, making new friends, and developing essential personal and workplace skills.
  • www.iaeste.org.uk Provides course-related summer placements abroad for science, engineering and applied arts students
  • www.ivsgb.org Hundreds of voluntary projects of various lengths in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia.
  • Leonard Cheshire Disability works with over 250 independently managed disability organisations in 54 countries. Their programmes support people with disabilities and push disability up political and development agendas.
  • Responsible Travel since 2001, have been handpicking inspiring holidays from all over the globe to give their customers a fantastic experience and make a real difference to local people and the environment.
  • www.springboard.org.uk/volunteering/ Springboard for Children’s full-time volunteers commit to working 35 hours per week, from September to the following August, working one-to-one with children between the ages of 6-11 years, helping them to learn to read and write.
  • www.unaexchange.org Supports community development through volunteering in more than 70 countries.
  • www.volunteers-abroad.com Volunteer placements worldwide, providing unique travel and work experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds.
  • www.volunteerafrica.org An International 'not for profit' organisation that is run by a team of volunteers spread around the world.
  • www.worldvolunteerweb.org Supports the volunteer community by serving as a global clearing house for information and resources linked to volunteering.
  • www.workingabroad.com The international networking service for volunteers, workers and travellers. It's involved in projects in over 150 countries worldwide.
  • www.volunteer.org.nz New Zealand based, it offers voluntary work in community projects throughout the developing world, supporting the work of local community organisations.

Help and practical advice for students and volunteers abroad:

  • www.findagap.com A comprehensive gap-year directory of gap-year ideas, gap-year travel destinations, gap-year jobs, gap-year placements and expeditions, backpacking information & much more.
  • Gap Year Review.co.uk Gap Year Review is an independent website that provides you with objective reviews of all of the big gap year companies so you know before you go.
  • www.gapwork.com/gap-year-educator Free gap-year magazine that will guide you through your gap-year options.
  • Monetos provide practical advice and insight into living and studying in Europe, including living costs, insurance, what to do when visiting a doctor abroad, socialising, finding accommodation and local customs.
  • Tourism Concern is the only UK organisation campaigning on exploitation in the global tourism industry.
  • Travelling & Living Overseas Travel advice and tips for British travellers on staying safe abroad and what help the FCO can provide if something goes wrong.
  • Volunteering England works to support and increase the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England.
  • www.yearoutgroup.org A website packed with information and guidance on taking a gap-year or career break.

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