So, you’re home again, and all those necessary chores await you – unpacking; finding homes for accumulated purchases; going through the post; doing the laundry; collecting the dog from the kennels; food shopping; and whatever else! All this confronts you as you fight the jet-lag; try to get your head around what you’ve achieved; make arrangements to meet up with friends and family; try to return to your everyday life.

No mean feat, this coming home!

You may initially feel a bit deflated when you get back to everyday life – just remember to hang on to all the positives. There will have been plenty – perhaps you've learned more about yourself and your abilities, and you’ll have made a real difference in the community. Gradually you'll start to realise and appreciate what you’ve done.
To read advice from a previous volunteer click here

We’ll be looking forward to hearing all about your experience – the good, the bad and the ugly – but we’ll contain our excitement and leave you in peace for a while … but not for long!

Your volunteering will have been a small but invaluable part of a much bigger picture, and we will need to know how you got on so that we can support you as you ‘pass the baton’ to the next volunteers. Your feed back is essential to us, and will form part of our briefings for future volunteers.

When you’ve been back for a while you may well start asking yourself one or more of the following questions: Will I go back? How long shall I go for next time? Shall I do more through some fund-raising? I wonder if my local [social / dining / Rotary / cycling / Lions / football / Inner Wheel / book / cinema] club would like me to give a talk or a slide show? We have produced a flyer that you can print off and use at such events if you wish Download

While we’ll do all we can to support you in spreading the word  – we would gently warn you that you may be in danger of boring friends and family! No-one can possibly understand the impact of your experience, or care as much about the project and placement as you do – except us, the community in which you worked and your co-volunteers! We'll want to hear what you have to say and we'll definitely be prepared to listen.

Many volunteers find it helpful to reread the volunteer reports they were sent before their placement - it helps to understand the context of the 'baton-passing', and how real change is happening.

As a returned volunteer said
"There were plenty of reports from previous volunteers, but I only fully appreciated what they were saying when I read them again on my return. I was rather daunted by their achievements and lacked confidence that I would be able to match their success."

The impact of your experience can sometimes be life changing.
" It has been a real rollercoaster emotionally, physically (I’ve been really tired and struggling to change my diet) and in life in general.  Everything adjusts in your head after an experience like that and coming back to a life where NOTHING has changed is difficult to get your head around.  My emotions were really intense for the first 2 weeks back and it was one of the more difficult periods that I’ve had.  With time and a few big decisions I’m back in control, but my life has changed and I’m stunned by the impact it had on me – and that was after only 3 weeks!" Volunteer 2008

We won’t ask for further financial commitment from you, but our experience is that many volunteers want to do something for ‘their’ project once they get back. (Rest assured, the following is NOT a story about one of our volunteers, but we have heard a tale of a traveller who did significant fund-raising on their return home … for a community tennis court … for a community where people could not afford to feed themselves, let alone have the leisure time or equipment to enjoy a tennis court. There are plenty of other instances of such well-meant but inappropriate activity … you may know of some too!)  forum on irresponsible tourism

Please talk to us before you get carried away with enthusiasm! We will be able to advise on how best to target your intentions - we have learnt a lot in recent years about the challenges of responsible giving!
Click here to learn more about supporting your project

Many of our returning volunteers want to talk about their experience with interested groups - their school, clubs, friends, business networks and many more. They often ask us if we have a brochure that they could hand out. Because we try to ensure that as much as possible of your hard earned cash stays in your host country we don't produce expensive brochures but we do have an introductory leaflet. Click here for a pdf.

… and remember you’ll now be part of a team – an all-important 3-way relationship. We’ll update you from time to time send you newsletters and arrange social get to gethers … and who knows … perhaps like so many of our other volunteers, you may decide you want to go back! Just let us know.