Gap Year Volunteering
A volunteering gap year can be a fantastic experience that you will remember for the rest of your life, and here’s the ‘but’ – you need to prepare thoroughly to ensure you pick the right activity, and don't disrupt volunteer projects by backing out or leaving early.
Choosing the right voluntary project is the first step. If you follow traditional route, you will need to find a good, specialist, gap year organisation to arrange your volunteer project. Finally, checking all the dull but essential formalities should be central to your preparation.
In recent years, the actual contribution of the work carried out by some gap year volunteer projects has been brought into question, the usual allegation being that the more unscrupulous companies push the projects that will get the most bookings, even if the impact of what the volunteers do is limited or even detrimental. This is highly debatable and certainly not a reason to discount the idea, there are a great many fantastic companies, but it is a reason to do your homework and ask the right questions before you book.
The key is to approach a wide range of organisations and look into their company values, experience and support networks. Next to some of the placements listed in this section you will see a link to a ‘company profile’ where one has been submitted. Here you can read into the organisations core values and get some background information. You will also find a link to their website where you can usually find first hand accounts from volunteers. This should be the absolute minimum research you do. The point is to pick a volunteer project that suits your needs and abilities, do your research, and to go into it without the rose tinted specs on.
Latest volunteer projects
Volunteer Abroad with Roast Jobs
Roast Jobs is a young and vibrant team that supports you throughout your overseas experience, from start to finish. Since 2008, thousands of candidate
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Provided
Volunteer and rehabilitate Baboons in South Africa
Join our dedicated community of volunteers on a vital mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife back into their natural habitats.Since the
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from £1282
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Provided
Wildlife Conservation volunteering in Borneo
Journey to one of Borneo's hidden treasures, nestled along the picturesque Kinabatangan River within the Corridor of Life. Here, amidst the protected
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from £999
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Provided
Gap Year Video Channel
Instructor stories - Becoming a ski instructor with EA Ski & Snowboard
Emily our EA Brand Ambassador tells us how she is preparing for her winter season in Niseko
Watch videoAlice teaching in Nepal
This is a great example of what volunteers can achieve in lessons when they use their initiative. The work has been generated by cutting up the Oyster brochure and getting the kids to make stories from the pictures.
Watch videoGap year help guide
Choose between the sectors then a volunteer project type for a more in depth look at what to expect