Finding Voluntary Work
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)
317 Putney Bridge Road
London
SW15 2PN
Tel: (020) 8780 7200
www.vso.org.uk
An option for people who are prepared to make a long term commitment to voluntary work - the minimum tour of service is two years.
VSO is a charity organisation that sends people to help communities around the world. It covers a wide range of activities and is dedicated to improving the long-term development of areas in over 40 countries. It responds to specific needs by sending skilled workers including teacher trainers, midwives and experienced builders to countries where these skills can be put to practical use.
Each year 5,500 people apply to VSO, for approximately 700- 800 posts. Candidates should ideally have a qualification or skill and also adaptability, resourcefulness and a good sense of humour. The successful applicants are then assigned postings in countries ranging from Laos to Belize . Great care is taken to send the right people to the most relevant area for their skills.
Since VSO requires a commitment of two years it is an option that has to be considered very carefully. It is not something for school leavers but is ideal for a graduate or a skilled worker who is dedicated to voluntary work. Although volunteers do not receive a salary they are usually paid local wages and given local-standard accommodation. VSO grants are also paid before, during and after your time abroad.
One volunteer, Celia Marshall, is in no doubt as to the value of VSO:
'You'll often hear returned volunteers saying that they gained more than they gave when they went overseas. After three years as a volunteer in Ghana , I definitely fall into that category. I went to ''share'' my skills, as the VSO motto says, but I returned to Britain a good deal wiser about the meaning of sharing.'
Celia has since put that wisdom to good use, working for the Southern Voices Project in Manchester , promoting educational development through the acceptance of different cultures.
Several other organisations run workcamps abroad and it is sometimes necessary to gain experience in Europe or the UK before you will be sent to a Third World country. In most cases you will have to pay your own travel expenses, but food and accommodation are usually provided once you get to your destination.
International Voluntary Service (IVS)
21 Otley Road
Leeds
L6 3AA
Tel: (0113) 230 4600
Concerned largely with arranging short-term placements in workcamps. Work in Europe, north and west Africa and the USA .
Skillshare Africa
126 New Walk
Leicester
LE1 7JA
Tel: (0116) 254 1862
Opportunities for qualified and experienced staff to work in southern Africa for a minimum of two years.
United Nations Volunteers
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Tel: (+41 22) 788 2455
Qualified and experienced volunteers from all UN countries needed for overseas service. Minimum of two years.
Health Projects Abroad
PO Box 24
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1ZW
Tel: (01629) 640051
Requires volunteers aged 18 to 28 with building skills and a liking for hard work. The volunteers will be working on four-month projects in Tanzania and elsewhere. Need to contribute £2,000.
Outreach International
Bartletts Farm
Hayes Road
Compton Dundon
Tel: (01458) 274957.
Involved with conservation and environmental projects in Mexico , including ecological research, running craft workshops and working in an orphanage. Best suited to volunteers who are familiar with Spanish/Mexican culture. Each placement costs £2,950 for three months.
