Gap years abroad: Volunteering

Volunteering can give you an opportunity to develop specific skills and gain practical work experience in areas such as:

• conservation, environment and agriculture;
• development and construction projects;
• social, health and community work.

To research availability of volunteering opportunities, use online databases, such as WorldWide Volunteering (WWV) and volunteers wanted. You can stipulate an area of the world you are interested in, when you want to start, how long you want to stay, how much money you can contribute or raise, and the types of work or causes that interest you.

When thinking about volunteering abroad, you might want to research the ethical stance of organisations you are interested in. For example, how far is the local community involved in the work and how beneficial is the project to the local area? For ideas about how to establish an organisation’s approach to ethical issues, visit Ethical Volunteering.

Using gap year providers

In a recent survey, just over half of respondents said they intended to use a gap year provider to coordinate their activities (Milkround, 2006). Numerous organisations and companies offer packages for travel, work, volunteering or expeditions abroad. A small selection of gap year providers are listed in contacts and resources, and a more extensive list can be found at Gapadvice.

What do they provide?

Typically, a gap year provider offers services such as:

• expertise in planning;
• organising activities on your behalf;
• applying for visas on your behalf;
• providing support and a network of contacts;
• peace of mind for yourself and your family;
• potential to link you with some quality experiences which otherwise may be difficult to source;
• possible offer of an internship when you return - e.g. volunteers on a ten-week project with Global Vision International (GVI)have the opportunity to stay in the field or to take up an internship, and their UK office is mostly staffed by previous volunteers;
• guidance about what to pack!

How do I choose?

If you are considering using a gap year provider, it is important to:

• get full information about their charges, which generally range from £1,000 to £3,500 for a three-month project;
• check what you get for your money - e.g. it may include travel from airport to destination, accommodation, food and drink, and sometimes a small subsistence allowance;
• check what is not included and compare between companies - e.g. insurance, flights and medical fees are not usually included;
• investigate whether you can organise a similar itinerary yourself at a much lower cost, but take into account the time you would spend doing this, and the possible frustrations involved as a result of not having the most effective contacts;
• seek feedback from people who have used the provider to assess the suitability and reliability of the company;
• ask your careers service whether they have any knowledge of graduates who have used a particular provider.