Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you choose to spend at least some of your gap doing something for the benefit of others
here in the UK, you'll get the same satisfying sense of achievement as volunteers who have
been on programmes elsewhere.
To get the most out of volunteering during your gap-year, you must consider what you
would like to achieve. Try asking yourself about your interests, skills and experience to
define what type of volunteering role you are looking for.
Volunteering England ( www.volunteering.org.uk ) is a volunteer development agency
committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity. Their
work links research, policy innovation, good practice and grant making in the involvement
of volunteers.
Here's what they told us: “There are literally thousands of exiting gap-year projects going
on in exotic locations all around the globe; but if you are serious about building skills and
improving your employability, a job specific placement in the UK may be more useful.
“If you would like a career in the media, three months at a local hospital radio station may
not sound as exciting as counting bottle-nosed dolphins in Costa Rica but it is a lot more
relevant to prospective employers.
“If you are considering a competitive career such as law or media, bear in mind internships
can be difficult to get, but even a day's work shadowing or working more hours at your
part-time job can help demonstrate those all-important employability skills such as team
working and motivation. If you are interested in law, see if you can help out at your local
citizen's advice bureau. If you would like to be a doctor, see if you can help out at your
local hospital. They often need volunteers to run the hospital shop and to befriend patients
and it will also give you a good idea of what working in a hospital will be like.
“Volunteering in the UK has other benefits too: it is usually cheaper and it can provide a
tangible benefit to your local community. For example student volunteers contribute over
£42million to the economy each year through their activities ( National Student Volunteer-
ing Survey ) and many people go on to find jobs as a direct result of their volunteering.
“Research has also proved that those who do voluntary work, or are helped by volunteers,
adopt healthier lifestyles, can cope better with their own ill-health, have greater confidence
and self-esteem, have an improved diet and even have a higher level of physical activity.”
To find out more about volunteering you can visit Volunteering England's website
www.volunteering.org.uk, where you can find your nearest volunteer centre.
www.do-it.org.uk or vinspired.com/opportunities/marketplace also list volunteering
opportunities online.
Wherever you are, volunteering is an opportunity to learn about other people and about
yourself.
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