Latest News 12/05/08 - An evaluation by Floss Millingen of NFC in Cambodia has been added to the website. 07/05/08 - An evaluation by Rebecca Harper of teaching in Sri Lanka has been added to the website.  06/05/08 - An evaluation by Claire Elliot of Santa Esperanza, Mexico has been added to the website. 11/04/08 - New evaluations for CENIT have been added.

If you’re thinking of participating in volunteer work abroad, Outreach International is a small, specialist organisation that places committed volunteers in carefully selected, meaningful projects.

All the projects are regularly visited and assessed by the Director. Volunteering overseas means you can make a valuable contribution to the project while experiencing the pleasures of living and working with local people. Special effort is made to ensure that you have the chance to learn the local language, experience different aspects of the culture, and enjoy all that the Pacific coast of Mexico, the rainforests of Ecuador and Costa Rica or the traditions of Cambodia and Sri Lanka have to offer.

"What I have just experienced words cannot describe. I would need the combined skills of all the great poets and writers of the world to be able to portray what it was like.”
Edward Shepherd. Mexico

Adobe PDF File Size 1.8MB

Volunteer work abroad – what it involves

Outreach International has been set up to enable volunteers to:

• Participate in small local initiatives that have immediate impact on the community and environment.
• Live in a fascinating, culturally and geographically diverse country, become immersed in a local community and understand its culture.
• Learn a foreign language.
• Tackle mental and physical challenges.

We aim to harness the unusual opportunity that a gap year or career break can provide by working with volunteers and local people to make the most of your time volunteering overseas. The qualifications for any placement are energy, enthusiasm, good common sense and a commitment to work for at least three months with local communities. (We also have a few one month projects available in Ecuador).

“I like the fact that Outreach is a small and very paternalistic organisation; it subsequently seems to value its volunteers. I was particularly impressed by the fact that Outreach interviews all its applicants and tries to match placements to an individual’s skills/experiences.”
Tom Pickering. Sri Lanka

Volunteering overseas – change your future too

Deciding to work with Outreach International is an important decision. If you make that choice, we will offer you a project placement and in-country support to maximise your efforts. Give us your time, energy and commitment and we will give you a life changing experience in your volunteer work abroad.

At the end of your placement you can request official certification acknowledging your contribution to the project as a record of your work and a possible advancement to career development. We will also be able to provide future employers with references for volunteers who successfully complete their project placement. Our projects are recognised by the Duke of Edinburgh and City and Guilds schemes.

Outreach International is a registered member of the Year Out Group

Outreach International activities conform to  British Standard 8848
BS8848 is designed to help minimize risk through:

• Providing guidance on how to recognize a safe and well organized overseas venture.
• Establishing good practice for organizers.
• Helping a user to recognize whether a venture is safe.
• Preparing participants for the risks involved.
• Seeking to reduce the risk of injury and near misses and 
• Providing clear accountability and defined roles for everyone involved.

Year Out Group was represented on the drafting committee and the committee drew heavily on Year Out Group’s Code of Practice, member’s Charter and Operating Guideleines

Why should you volunteer overseas with us ?

• The personal approach. We meet every volunteer and treat you as an individual. These meetings take place with James Chapman, the Outreach International Director. You will also have the opportunity to talk with a volunteer who has recently completed your selected project. We make sure you know exactly what is involved in the project and what you will be doing when overseas. This happens before any commitment is made. It is essential to have the right person supporting the right project.
• We insure minimal cultural impact on a host community. You travel to your destination in a group and will live close to other volunteers. However, we normally have just two people working on each project.
• We have ten years of experience in sending volunteers overseas to work on worthwhile projects.
• We have over 100 projects in 5 countries to choose from. Whether you want to work with children, the disabled or disadvantaged, animals, the environment or more, we have projects that are just right for you
  
• The Director makes regular visits to every project.
• Every project is handpicked, regularly assessed and reassessed.
• We are passionate about the projects. We know that you will be supporting a worthwhile cause and that you will be taken seriously.
• All projects are fully sustainable. Volunteers overseas never take positions that could be offered to local people. In the absence of volunteers, the work would continue.
• We are members of the Year Out Group and abide by their strict set of standards for overseas placements.
• We have full time, experienced in-county co-ordinators. All of them have an extensive network of friends and family. The UK office has weekly briefings with the co-ordinators.
• We offer a high standard of language tuition and use well-qualified, excellent teachers.
• We provide UK fundraising awareness days, teacher training and comprehensive pre-departure briefings for volunteers overseas.
• Our insurance provides unlimited medical, full public liability and baggage cover.
• We have our own houses for volunteers and also have close relationships with every host family.
• We provide all volunteers overseas with a generous food and living allowance.
• We encourage returned volunteers to represent us at career fairs and events to share their experiences with others.
• We have a bank of over 500 evaluations from returned volunteers. These are available for all potential volunteers to read.
• All Outreach International projects are recognised by the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and also by City and Guilds.
• We have a carbon neutral programme and plant three oak trees for every volunteer that travels overseas.
• We seek the best possible level of support for volunteers overseas and want the best volunteers to support our work.

Please join us. You can make a difference.