Volunteering - F to M
Below is a list of organisations that offer courses where they are looking for volunteers while you are on your Backpacking trip and those taking a Gap Year. They offer a range of courses and we have catagorised these as all these courses are on a voluntary basis where you can help with local communities and projects abroad.
While you are deciding which courses are of interest don’t forget to consider our Backpacker Travel Insurance. A great choice for anyone looking to travel for long periods and take part in work placements or volunteer programmes.
Frontier
For the past 20 years Frontier have focused on conservation programmes in the worlds under resourced communities. They offer courses on wildlife conservation, marine conservation, teaching, ecology and diving. Their projects take them to countries such as Cambodia, Madagascar and Tanzania. You can study towards a BTEC Advanced Diploma in Tropical Habitat Conservation or a BTEC Advanced Certificate in Expedition Management you can also gain a TEFL qualification as well as taking part in PADI courses up to Divemaster level. www.frontier.ac.uk
Gap Year South Africa
Courses are organised in South Africa that include community teaching projects in under resourced schools in local communities, you can stay for 3 months with an option to add further weeks to the total time. Sports coaching projects are run with the option to focus on football, rugby, cricket, netball, tennis and swimming. You could also have the opportunity to offer your services as a volunteer on an environmental awareness project or in an HIV/Aids Health Awareness Project. www.gapyearsouthafrica.com
Global Volunteer Projects
This company organises a number of worthy projects ranging from medical placements which combine teaching with working in an orphanage in fields such as dentistry, physiotherapy and nursing. You could choose a teaching post that would take you into a local school where you will be teaching subjects such as music, art, drama and sports as well as English. Conservations projects include working on an Animal Rehabilitation Project or Turtle Project in Mexico or a Panda Project which can involve direct contact with pandas as well as assisting in research administration. www.globalvolunteerprojects.org
Global Xchange Scheme
This is an exchange programme that matches people from the UK and overseas and arranges host families. Open to adults from 18 to 25, the participants are organised into groups and work in their host communities in projects that involve environmental as well as educational and care environments. Each placement is for 3 months and can include working with children and those with special educational needs. You will be expected to raise funds to pay for your placement but will not be expected to pay for the experience itself. www.globalexchange.org.uk
Greenforce
Greenforce works extensively with WWF and offers a range of travel opportunities working with animals in marine wildlife conservation area in South Africa or teaching local children in impoverished areas of Cambodia. Panda conservation in the largest panda park in China or working with elephants in Thailand are just two of the areas you can choose to volunteer in. Greenforce. You can undertake a PADI course or take part in an extreme trekking experience with Trekforce. www.greenforce.org
Global Vision
More than 150 critical conservation and humanitarian projects in over 40 countries rely on GVI for volunteers, the courses range from conservation projects such as in the Ecuadorian rainforest and turtle conservation in Greece to volunteering in orphanages in South Africa and South America. Long term teaching and volunteering projects are available in Kenya and Nicaragua and projects helping children learn English in local schools in Thailand. You can undertake your PADI training whilst taking part in a marine conservation programme as an intern in Mexico or volunteer to help out street children in India. www.gvi.co.uk
I to I
If lion monitoring is something you have always wanted to do I-to-I will help you make it a reality, along with working with pandas in pandas in China or elephant monitoring in Thailand. Teaching English as a Foreign Language to student’s courses will enable you to secure teaching placements abroad, I-to-I have various courses available. You could take part in their Campfire programme of volunteer gap year courses in Costa Rica or Vietnam. www.i-to-i.com
Inter Cultural Youth Exchange
You can choose volunteer programme you want to take part in and remain for from 6 to 12 months working with street children, children in orphanages, on a HIV awareness programme or with people with disabilities. Shorter programmes are available from 3 weeks to 4 months. You will be given training and support throughout the process. The foundation’s volunteers come from all over the world and not just Europe. Countries to visit include Uganda, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Nepal. www.icye.co.uk
Intrepid Travel
If you want to travel to the four corners of the world in comfort or go for a more basic option a short course or for join in a volunteer trip teaching in local schools. The more adventurous can search for mountain gorillas in Rwanda, take a trip up the Zambezi River or learn the secrets of desert survival in the African bush with San Bushmen. Locations for travel include Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, Egypt and Turkey. www.intrepidtravel.com
Madadventurer
There are three types of volunteer projects that are open to travellers looking for a trip lasting from two weeks to six months. Countries such as Ghana, Peru, Thailand and India welcome those looking to help out in urban teaching projects, sports coaching and community building projects. You can become involved in community health projects highlighting HIV/Aids awareness in Uganda or building work in Kenya. www.madadventurer.com
