Volunteer overseas

Many people dream of living in a different culture and volunteering to make a difference in developing countries. The thought of travelling far from home can be daunting, but with the right organisation, you can get help with everything from finding the right placement and somewhere to stay to booking flights and visas, learning about the culture and language, and even help to cover the cost of your trip.

Volunteer abroad for free

Volunteering abroad isn't just for rich gap-year students. While some opportunities abroad can be expensive, there are ways to get all of your costs covered.

Sam, a 22-year-old teaching assistant from Manchester, went to Ghana for free with Platform2, a global volunteering scheme for 18 to 25 year olds who wouldn't otherwise be able to visit a developing country. Platform2 pays for practically everything including flights, travel insurance, local food and accommodation, a small local allowance, health screening and vaccinations.

"I read about Platform2 in my local paper and like most, I believed it was too good to be true. I’d looked into voluntary programmes before but the cost was always too excessive.

"I applied and after a couple of nail-biting months, I found out I was going to a small village called Kasapin in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. For 10 weeks I would be building a community centre, teaching in local schools, farming with a host family and working in a hospital laboratory.

"Within my first few days in the village I was made to feel so welcome that I became part of a community, something I had never experienced in my home town of Stockport. I became aware that I was at a new beginning in my life and I felt extremely fortunate that I was a part of profoundly significant."

Lattitude Global Volunteering also offers bursaries for volunteers who couldn't otherwise afford a gap year.  They're primarily for 17-19 year olds, but applications from 20-25 will be considered in exceptional circumstances. Grant recipients get their Latitude fees paid, up to £1300 towards flights and other costs, and some additional training costs.

Spend a whole year abroad (with costs covered and a living allowance)

VSO's Youth for Development programme is one-year overseas programme that provides an opportunity for you to work with VSO’s partners in any one of over 40 countries. If you’re aged 18-25 you can apply for a place on the programme.

You'll need to fundraise £900 towards your costs, but after that, VSO will pay for your training, visas, travel, medical checks, injections and accommodation; provide you with a small living allowance; and give you training and support throughout your trip and when you get back.

Try an exchange

VSO's Global Exchange programme offers the chance to join a team of volunteers from the UK and another country. Together, you'll volunteer abroad for three months, and then spend another three months volunteering full time in the UK. Volunteers are asked to raise £600 towards costs, but everything else is paid for, and you'll get a living allowance.

Kat Orr, 18, from the West Midlands, volunteered in Luton and The Phillippines. "The experience is what you make it... in my case the most amazing and life-changing experience I've ever had. What a fantastic opportunity!"

Choose from millions of opportunities worldwide

WorldWide Volunteering is a unique ‘search and match’ database with over 1450 volunteer organisations and 1.1 million placements throughout the UK and in 214 countries worldwide. You say where you want to go, what you want to do and how much you want to spend, and they'll put you in touch with relevant organisations.

If you do find something that you want to do, make sure you thoroughly check out the organisation and the placement on offer before you commit to a project. For more advice, visit the Volunteering England website.