Long Term Volunteering
Antonia Karpova, VSI EVS Volunteer with a childrens projects in Barcelona.The VSI Long Term Volunteering Programme enables people to volunteer from 3-12 months on a variety of voluntary work projects. The projects are of benefit to local communities and voluntary organisations in Europe and North America. There are two different programmes for this: - the EU-funded European Voluntary Service (EVS) programme for people between 18 and 30 and the SCI Long Term Volunteering that is open to experienced volunteers over 18.
There are a wide variety of projects each year, e. g.
- Working in a centre for refugees in Switzerland
- Helping with activities at a centre for young deaf people near Warsaw
- Working in a centre for learning disabled adults in Vermont
- Working in a youth centre in Paris for disadvantaged youth
- Working in an environmental / conservation project near Milan
Vacancy List (non EVS) Long Term Volunteering Projects July 2010
Why Long Term Volunteering?
Etienne Corish cyclingVolunteers contribute to the projects in a variety of ways:
- Through their skills and practical help at the project
- Through their support and solidarity
- Through the sharing of knowledge and cultural exchange
Benefits of Volunteering
A volunteer can benefit enormously from their time as a long term volunteer, through:
- Experience of a new situation, culture, language, people etc.
- Learning new skills (practical, social, language)
- Exposure to new ideas and approaches to voluntary and community work
- Satisfaction in seeing your contribution being useful
"My time in Kosovo has been incredibly happy, rich and fulfilling. I have learned a huge amount about the region, the conflict, international development and so on. I have also met some really amazing people here and have made friends who I know I will keep for life, no matter where in the world we live. This voluntary placement was the best experience of my life."
Long Term Volunteer in Kosovo
European Voluntary Service Programme
EVS is an EU funded programme for people aged 18-30 years.
EVS is a volunteer programme that is open to all young people aged between 18 and 30 living legally in one of the 27 programme countries of the European Union (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey). The programme enables young people to volunteer in one of the many approved hosting organisations (there are several thousand in total) in participating countries for between 2 and 12 months. The EU cover all the costs of the programme i.e. travel, insurance, accommodation, pocket money etc and on arrival training is given by each National Agency.
The programme works by helping volunteers to make contact with accredited hosting organisations on a number of website databases. Organisations select the volunteers that they would like to host on the basis of the interest that the volunteer brings to the project. You are not expected to have qualifications in any particular area and you cannot be excluded because you don't have such a qualification. In the end, however, the organisation will select the volunteer(s) it will work with so it is important to select project that you are genuinely interested in. You should also take care to make it clear to potential hosts that you are very interested in their work and would like to contribute to the organisation
There is a database on this site which lists all the approved EVS projects. VSI is a recognised sending organisation under the EVS scheme. There are quarterly deadlines for funding applications and the process usually takes several months as it requires the volunteer, the hosting and the sending organisation to jointly submit an application for funding. More info....
Click here for the Database of EVS Projects
Terms and Conditions
- Travel costs, food and accommodation, pocket money, insurance provided by the EU.
- We ask volunteers to become a member of VSI.
Preparation
Our staff will meet with each volunteer, and together with the volunteer they will organise an appropriate preparation and orientation programme for all aspects of their volunteer project. This includes
- meeting with former long term volunteers
- visits to similar projects in their locality
- learning the local language of the project
- practical issues - insurance, finances, visas, health etc
In addition, EVS Volunteers join in pre-departure and on-arrival training in the country they are going to.
How to Apply for EVS Projects -
- Contact the VSI office for more details.
SCI Long Term Volunteering
Every 2/3 months, we publish a vacancy list of projects from SCI branches and partner organisations, which require volunteers mainly in Europe and North America but occasionally projects are in other regions. Some of the projects come under the EVS programme (see above) but many are open to all volunteers.
Current Vacancy List (non EVS projects) July 10
Terms and conditions
Although no two projects are the same, the volunteer can expect the following:
- A contract with a detailed job description, working hours, free time etc
- Useful work and special training where necessary
- Food and accommodation will be provided
- Insurance cover
- Some projects offer pocket money
- Volunteers cover travel costs to/from the project
We ask volunteers to become a member of VSI and to pay a project fee of €50.00 with their application.
Terms and Conditions
- Travel costs, food and accommodation, pocket money, insurance provided by the EU.
- We ask volunteers to become a member of VSI.
Preparation
Our staff will meet with each volunteer, and together with the volunteer they will organise an appropriate preparation and orientation programme for all aspects of their volunteer project. This includes
- meeting with former long term volunteers
- visits to similar projects in their locality
- learning the local language of the project
- practical issues - insurance, finances, visas, health etc
How to Apply
Apply Online: Click here to apply for the LTV Programme online
Apply by Post: Click here to download the LTV Application form, complete the form and send it back to us