Gap Year Organisations
Information and Advice

Gap Year Introduction | Paid Work Abroad | Volunteer Projects Abroad | Language Study Abroad

Two lists: first of not-for-profit organisations which assist Gap Year voluntary work placement, followed by another list of useful 'for-profit' links

Community Service Volunteers [www.csv.org.uk] Community Service Volunteers was founded by the same people that founded Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
The aim is to involve young people aged 16-35 in voluntary service in the UK, to enrich the lives of volunteers and those they help and to generate social change; we are now the UK’s largest volunteering and training charity.

Gap Activity Projects [http://www.gap.org.uk/] - Lattitude Global Volunteering is the new name for Gap Activity Projects! New name but still the same charity that specialises in volunteering for 17-25 year-olds. We are passionately concerned about the world and the issues facing us all. Above all, we are concerned about having a positive impact on the communities in which we volunteer.
Lattitude Volunteers are not tourists. They immerse themselves in local culture, become members of the community, step outside their comfort zone and achieve something unique and experience life, living and new horizons.

Blue Ventures [http://www.blueventures.org/] - an award winning UK-based not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to facilitating projects that enhance global coral reef conservation and research, offering opportunities to volunteers to contribute to coral reef research.

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers [www2.btcv.org.uk] has a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK and around the world.

Frontier [http://www.frontier.ac.uk/] - 'a conservation agency aiming to promote and advance field research and implement practical projects contributing to the conservation of natural resources'.

Greenforce [http://www.greenforce.org/] - 'works at the invitation of the host country National Trust, or Wildlife Commission, to assist wildlife conservation schemes'.

Leading Edge Expeditions [http://www.leadingedge.org.uk]- Leading Edge Expeditions and gap year activities are ventures approved by the Dorset Expeditionary Society, a registered charity, founded to encourage safe but challenging 'leading edge' expedition opportunities for young people who want more for their money.

Project Trust [www.projecttrust.org.uk] has four main objectives:
- To give young people the opportunity to learn about a wider community than that in which they have lived so far, in a country with a different culture to their own, and for a length of time which enables them to appreciate the complete cycle of the seasons.
- To let them learn to use their imagination and skills by undertaking work which they may never have done before, to take up new interests and to utilise their initiative and resourcefulness to help others.
- To return with an objective appreciation of both the community they lived in overseas and their home community, to use their newly learned skills to benefit others and to have a clearer picture of what they want to achieve in the future.
- To help others at home to understand the culture of countries outside their normal experience.

Raleigh [http://www.raleighinternational.org] 'to inspire people from all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential by working on sustainable environmental and community projects plus an adventure challenge, in Borneo, Costa Rica & Nicaragua or India for 4-10 weeks.

Working Abroad [http://www.workingabroad.com/] - 'international networking service for volunteers, workers and travellers'.

Smallpiece Trust [http://www.smallpiecetrust.org.uk] - 'focus on promoting engineering careers to young people through a variety of activities including the provision of residential courses; prize awards for university students; conferences and seminars; and supporting other engineering education schemes'.

Students Partnership Worldwide [http://www.spw.org] is an international development charity working in eight countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, recruiting and training 18-28 year olds to serve as volunteer educators living in rural communities for several months and leading health, environmental and education programmes.

The Oceania Project [http://www.oceania.org.au] - caring for Whales, Dolphins and the Oceans - Participate in the Annual Whale Research Expedition as an Intern or Eco-Volunteer.

Trekforce Expeditions [http://www.trekforce.org.uk/] - UK based charity established in 1990, dedicated to delivering challenging expedition programmes consisting of sustainable projects, language, teaching and cultural experiences in diverse environments, which benefit the host country, in order to educate and inspire the volunteers.

UNA Exchange [www.unaexchange.org] is a large and dynamic organisation, helping hundreds of people to gain fulfilling international experiences each year. The majority of our work is in Wales, but UNA Exchange volunteers travel to more than 50 countries to participate in local development projects alongside local people.

Volunteering England [www.volunteering.org.uk] is the national volunteering development agency for England, committed to supporting and enabling volunteering in all its diversity. Our partners range from national charities to voluntary agencies across the length and breadth of England; from NHS Trusts to arts organisations; from local community projects to government think-tanks.

Voluntary Service Overseas [www.vso.org.uk] For 50 years VSO has been fighting global poverty and disadvantage by bringing people together to build a fairer world. Education, both overseas and in the UK, is at the heart of our work. Our volunteers are not only school-leavers, the average age is 38, the majority coming from skilled, professional backgrounds. Most placements are for two years, but can also be as short as 2 weeks.
Volunteers aim to pass on their expertise to local people so that when they return home their skills remain. Volunteers can be aged between 18 and 75 years old and must have a formal qualification and some work experience. Regular postings are for two years and volunteers are provided with accommodation and a local level allowance as well as air fares and insurance.
The range of jobs is vast, and includes small business advisors, teachers, social workers, health professionals, management consultants, marine biologists, accountants and farmers.

Worldwide Volunteering [www.wwv.org.uk] is a non-profit making organisation whose aim is to make it easier for people of all ages to volunteer. We do this by providing instant access to information about the widest range of volunteering opportunities throughout the UK and worldwide.
The WWV database enables volunteers to build an on-screen profile of their ideal volunteer placement which is then matched against the requirements of over 1500 organisations with more than 1,000,000 placements each year throughout the world.

Foreign Office Travel Advice [www.fco.gov.uk] well-researched and constantly updated UK government information on global problems and dangers.

Useful for-profit Gap Year links:

Gap year advice, for independent gap year travel information, research and advice: www.gapadvice.org

Gapyear.com for planning and booking a mass of overseas activities: www.gapyear.com

Year Out Group, YOG provides a total reference and resource for all you need to make the most of your Year Out. This includes over 35 provider organisations offering a superb choice of locations and activities: www.yearoutgroup.org

Year in Industry provides talented young people with paid, degree relevant work placements in the year out before or during their university course: www.yini.org.uk

Mytravelcompanion is primarily about helping travellers out if things go wrong on the journey, helping them to stay in touch and share their journey and providing a bit of peace of mind for worried friends and family back home. But as travelling is about having fun, we’ve made sure that there’s lots of fun stuff too!: www.mytravelcompanion.com

i-to-i has a range of volunteering options that could see a gap escapee caring for orphans in Kenya or conserving endangered Pandas in China. They've also got a range of 'ultimate experiences' that combine volunteering and sightseeing in some of the most popular destinations around the world: www.i-to-i.com

Gap Sports Abroad provides coaching placements, sports training programmes and exciting sports adventure tours abroad. We also have volunteer projects for the less sporty! Play, coach and qualify in sports in Australia, Canada, Africa or Latin America: www.gapsportsabroad.co.uk

InterVol [www.intervol.org.uk] brings together information and advice on volunteering overseas. We believe that volunteering overseas should have positive outcomes for both volunteers and local communities. We encourage volunteers to avoid exploitation and to seek out opportunities for sustainable and appropriate development; to carefully select, research and prepare for their trip; and to travel responsibly.

Trekforce Expeditions are experts in delivering remote conservation projects, teaching placements and challenging expeditions for a gap year or career break, which actively protect vulnerable environments and assist rural communities around the world. Unlike many gap-year companies they take qualified and experienced medics and satellite phones on every expedition.: www.trekforce.org.uk

Gapwork have up-to-date information on all gap year working abroad options, including the most popular destinations, the latest voluntary placements and work abroad information, plus help and advice to get any gap year job plan started: www.gapwork.com

Intrepid Expeditions, expeditions by husky dog, snow mobile, canoe and sledging as well as survival courses offering fantastic scenery, unique locations, value for money, and most importantly of all, a life changing experience that will never be forgotten. Courses are based mainly in arctic conditions in Sweden but also in the UK: www.intrepid-expeditions.co.uk

Gap Guru is a specialist company that exclusively provides programmes to provide travellers with a unique insight into India and with opportunities for them to create their own special travel plans to achieve their goals and aspirations: www.gapguru.com

Find a Gap, a gap year directory of gap year ideas, travel, jobs, organisations, placements and expeditions, backpacking information & much more: www.findagap.com

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers [www2.btcv.org.uk] has a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK and around the world.

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