Volunteering with people and places is NOT a holiday – and volunteering should never be seen as a replacement for rest and relaxation; on the beach, visiting friends and family, trekking through the mountains, wildlife viewing, etc.

It needs to be a considered decision and needs your commitment – only then can both you and the project really make gains. Volunteering needs to be seen as teamwork – it's a relationship between the volunteer and the local community – you have skills and they have skills, and the ability to share those skills requires mutual respect.

Try to do as much research as possible before you commit to volunteering, whether with us or with someone else. Our 'links' section has a selection of sites that will help you.

Talk to people about volunteering – family, friends, colleagues, other volunteers. Read More.

Ask questions of us and of any other volunteer recruitment organisations that you talk to. Read More.

Be honest with yourself, not just about why you want to volunteer and what you hope to give and gain by the experience, but also in practical matters: do you want a private bathroom? do you want to enjoy a cool glass of beer at the end of your day's work? will you miss your family and friends? would lack of phone contact be a problem to you? do you have physical limitations? Such issues won't necessarily preclude you're being offered a placement - we  just need to know so that we can make sure that we make an appropriate match for you.

We offer a variety of projects in very different environments and know them well enough to be able to share our knowledge and give advice - not only about whether a particular project is appropriate to your skills and experience, but also about the kind of accommodation available and local living conditions.

You may want to give some information to friends, family and supports before you go. Click here for a pdf. of our introductory leaflet

We have tried to provide plenty of information throughout our site to enable you to make informed choices – we will readily answer any questions which perhaps we’ve failed to address here – but please respect the way we work. Read More. If you’re really committed to volunteering, you won’t be wasting your time or ours, and won’t have raised false expectations in the communities we’re working with.