Author Archive

Two Generations Take Part In Fundraising Bike Ride

 

Last week marked the end of one mans epic journey from John O’Groats to Lands End. Jonathan Hyde and his Dad travelled 918 miles by bike in an effort to raise £1,000 for Lattitude Global Volunteering and help Jonathan to reach his goal of volunteering in South Africa.

Jonathan, who has just left Farnborough Sixth Form College, decided to take a gap year after hearing about Lattitude’s volunteering opportunities from his sister’s boyfriend. As a youth development charity, Lattitude specialises in providing unique experiences of voluntary work placements for young people from around the world.

Asked about his desire to volunteer abroad, Jonathan said: “I want to experience living in a different country and doing something different from my usual day to day life. Latitude was recommended to me, and the outdoor activity placement offered in South Africa sounded right up my street. I couldn’t think of a better way to volunteer!”

Jonathan’s inspiration for his fundraising bike ride came from his Dad: “When I was younger I used to go on bike rides with my Dad and he would tell me the stories of all the rides he has done. When he was telling me about when he rode John o’Groats to Lands End when he was my age I said to him that when I was 18 and finished at college that I wanted to do that ride with him and we never forgot!

Of course, there were challenges along the way, but these were quickly forgotten when the father and son team peddled in to Lands End on the afternoon of the 12th of September.

“I’m so pleased we’ve finished,” Jonathan continued, “It was a journey I’d been looking forward to taking for years. I’m glad I’ve managed to combine my wish to complete this bike ride with my Dad with fundraising for my placement in South Africa.

You can still sponsor Jonathan at: http://www.justgiving.com/jonathanhyde

A True Gap Romance: Lattitude Volunteers Who Met In China Wed

In February 2006 Joanna Warson travelled to China with Lattitude Global Volunteering. Her aim was to teach English at a Senior Middle School in Sihong, Jiangsu province. Little did she know that fellow volunteer, Lawrence Parr, would have quite such a big part to play in her life. Here Joanna, now a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth, talks about how her decision to take a gap year changed her life.

I first met Lawrence in Reading at a pre-departure meeting organised by Lattitude Global Volunteering. The meeting was a great opportunity to find out more about my placement and what to expect during our five months in China. It was also a chance to get to know my fellow volunteers, especially those placed in same province as me – Jiangsu – including Lawrence. Lawrence and I chatted quite a bit during the breaks and after the meeting, and I was happy to have met someone so nice before I even left for China. My mother, who also attended the meeting, claims she knew from that moment that Lawrence and I would get married. I was a little slower on the up take!

Lawrence and I got to know each other better during the first orientation week in Beijing and Nanjing. When we arrived at our schools, we kept in contact via email – it was great to have someone to talk to during the massive culture shock of arriving in China. China is completely different to anywhere else I have ever been. Each day I would wake up and know to expect the unexpected, with memorable events such as judging a local pre-school show and being made an honorary member of the local police force! My blossoming relationship with Lawrence was equally unanticipated. From the outset, we regularly visited each other at the weekends, meeting up with friends and exploring our province and further afield, lapping up both true Chinese culture and more Westernised imports. One particular highlight was a trip to Shanghai to see the Rolling Stones in their first concert in mainland China. It was spectacular.

Once we had completed our placements in China, we both travelled separately to South East Asia, but we missed each other, so arranged to meet up in Vietnam and then again in Thailand. Upon our return to the UK in late 2006 we remained in touch and eventually our shared experiences and friendship turned to love.

In the years that followed, we stayed together whilst I completed a BA in History and an MSc in the History of Empires at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Lawrence returned to work in IT and business management in the marine retail sector and has recently been made a Director at Force 4, the company where he has worked for the past three years.

On Saturday 26th May 2012, Lawrence and I were married at St. Peter’s Church, Titchfield, Hampshire. My bridesmaid was another Lattitude February 2006 alumnus, Hannah Riches, who was placed at a primary school in Taizhou. We had an absolutely wonderful wedding and are looking forward to a long and happy life together.

My gap year was definitely one of the best things I have ever done. I not only met my now husband and several other close friends, but I also learnt a lot about myself. It is a fantastic way to see the world, learn about different cultures and languages, and gain more confidence, independence and courage. A gap year is not just about just a few months overseas, away from your parents and outside of your comfort zone. It is a completely life changing experience that will be with you forever. Lawrence’s and my story is proof of that!

Skydiving Teen Hopes Gap Year Will Fulfill Lifetime Wish To Travel

Advanced Highers student, Mhairi MacDonald, jumped out over the skies over Fife to raise money for Lattitude Global Volunteering.

This month Mhairi completed the daredevil stunt to raise as much money as she can for her gap year, volunteer teaching and working with street children in Ecuador.

Mhairi has just taken Advanced Highers in maths, chemistry, biology and physics at Queensferry High School and hopes that her gap year will help her make up her mind about what she wants to do with her future.

“I’m hoping my time in Ecuador will help me in my desire to explore the world, travel to a new country and learn about a different way of life. Lattitude has helped me find a placement that would both suit me and benefit the community I’ll be volunteering in. I am excited about and grateful for the opportunity to volunteer abroad, no matter what comes from it.”

Ecuador is unique among Lattitude’s programmes in that it offers each volunteer the chance to work at two placements each day, teaching in the mornings and a different placement such as working with street children or environmental projects in the afternoons. This gives the volunteers the chance to make a difference to two distinct communities during their time in Ecuador. All volunteers will live with a host family whose son or daughter is volunteering in the UK.

Mhairi continued: “I want to learn about another culture, another language, I want to do something practical and of use. I’ve always wanted to explore and get some experience of the real world before university.”

Lattitude’s Marketing Manager, Nick Adie, said: “With youth unemployment at its worst since the 1980s, young people must do something to set themselves apart from other applicants. Whether before or after university, volunteering abroad or in the UK can give young people a skill set or experience which allows them to stand out from the crowd.”

Lattitude Global Volunteering is a youth development charity and is celebrating its 40th Anniversary year during 2012. It’s biggest accolade to date, sending its 40,000th volunteer to Ecuador in September of this year.

To support Mhairi with her sky dive and future fundraising activities, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/mhairigoestoecuador

Megan Ellis, 18, jumped to meet her fundraising goal

King George V College student, Megan Ellis, bungee jumped from the skies of Salford Quays to raise money for Lattitude Global Volunteering.

On Saturday, 9th June, Megan made the hour-long journey to Salford Watersports Centre in a bid to raise as much money as she could for her gap year, volunteering at an outdoor education centre in Australia.

Outdoor camp placements provide outdoor education and activities for groups of children from all over Australia. Some specialise in certain areas of education such as the Australian landscape and Aboriginal culture. Some placements also provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to participate in an enriching camp experience that their life circumstances would otherwise preclude.

“I’ve always wanted to take a gap year and travel,” Said Megan: “I think it’s important to gain life experience and skills abroad. I love the idea of going away and gaining independence, particularly working for a charity, which I will find more valuable than going straight to university.”

Lattitude Global Volunteering is celebrating its 40th anniversary year during 2012. It’s biggest accolade to date, sending its 40,000th volunteer to Ecuador in September of this year.

Megan continued: “I chose Lattitude because it is an experienced charity which offers structured placements. Most gap year organisations are companies that offer placements for only a few weeks, but I like the fact that Lattitude offers longer placements which is more beneficial both to myself and the community I’ll be working in.”

Megan is currently studying History, Geography and Psychology at King George V College and hopes that her gap year will help her make up her mind about what she wants to do with her future.

To support Megan with her bungee jump and future fundraising activities, please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MeganEllis

It’s A Degree ‘Down Under’ for Chichester graduate Harvey Jupp

 

Harvey at school in Australia whist on his gap year with Lattitude Global Volunteering

Harvey at school in Australia whist on his gap year with Lattitude Global Volunteering

 

Harvey Jupp, 20, thought he knew what he wanted from life when he left school, but a gap year placement with Lattitude Global Volunteering flipped the youngster’s life 180 degrees which now sees him set to embark on a life in Oz.

Back in 2009, Harvey was embarking on his final year of college. His UCAS application underway, he primarily wanted a break before going to University. Having gained a provisional place at Brighton University to study Product Design, Harvey set about looking for a project for his gap year.

Harvey applied to a placement with Lattitude Global Volunteering as working in Australia was something he’d always wanted to do. After an in-depth matching process he was placed as a teaching assistant in Kormilda college, Darwin, a school predominantly for Aboriginal children.

Here, Harvey explains how all his best-laid plans were literally turned ‘upside down’ after he left his heart in Australia:

“I had no intention to work with children as a career. The thought had never really crossed my mind. However, after spending 6 months working with Aboriginal children in Kormilda and discovering how brilliant they are, I am prepared to give up everything to get back to Australia and work with them for the rest of my life. A strong statement, I know, but it’s genuinely how I feel.”

“My placement at Kormilda ran from January-June 2011 and with every month I spent there, my feelings for the people, culture and country grew and grew.”

“When I got home in August I had to prepare myself for university. One day I found myself searching for accommodation on my laptop thinking ‘I can’t do this’. All my ambition to do a product design degree had left me completely because I had discovered something that I had a real passion for. It was this realisation that has changed my life and set me on a new path. I realised that working with Abooriginal kids is what I want to do for the rest of my life and I am fully determined and dedicated to make that happen.”

“The first seed of contemplation had been planted while I was still in Australia. I was asked the same question four times by four different staff members at Kormilda: ‘why are you going to do product design when you are so good with the kids?’. And for the first time after choosing the degree I couldn’t give an honest answer to justify it, nor explain why I had chosen it instead of something like a degree in teaching. It seemed obvious at that point that I was making a mistake and all I could say was ‘I don’t know.”

“So I contacted Kormilda telling them I wanted to return and they welcomed me back with a job. I contacted Charles Darwin university, submitted an application to study Aboriginal Law and Culture and within one week I got offered a place. I am due back in Darwin in January 2012.”

“I would not have achieved any of this without taking a placement through Lattitude Global Volunteering and, although I would have probably been happy doing my degree at Brighton, I would have continued to be completely unaware of how much better and different my life could be.”

“I strongly suggest that anyone reading this does a gap year too, because even though I can’t guarantee such a life-changing outcome I can guarantee that what you learn will be beyond anything you could imagine and you will have the best time of your life.”

Abbie’s top tips for stress free fundraising

Finding the funds for a gap year is always listed as a reason that puts prospective volunteers off, but that needn’t be the case. If you choose a structured gap year, with an organisation or charity, they can help you every step of the way.

Abbie Smith is taking a gap year placement to Japan with Lattitude Global Volunteering in March 2012. Below she discusses how her fundraising activities have helped her raise the funds needed for her gap year.

For me starting my fundraising early was really important. Many people think that you have to organise huge events to be a successful fundraiser, but this isn’t the case. I found that doing lots of smaller events meant that I had access to a much bigger pool of people and it also gave me the opportunity to ask for continued donations without feeling cheeky.

Although I have done numerous fundraising activities, without a doubt, my most successful fundraising activity has to be car boot sales. It was easy to find things that I didn’t need anymore to sell and having a stall gave me the opportunity to explain to people what I was raising money for. This often resulted in more generous prices for my goods.

I have had cake sales of my own home-baked cakes. By adding a small amount on-top of the value of the ingredients, I managed to get a good price for my cakes and my buyers went away happy.

Raffles are another good way to raise money. I asked around family, friends and local businesses for donations for prizes. I found everyone to be so supportive. Most people have unused/unwanted gifts that make perfect prizes and do more good raising money than in a box under the bed. Other prizes could be a night’s baby-sitting or washing someone’s car.

My Mum helped me arrange a 70’s themed party in our garden at home and family and friends paid a small fee to come and enjoy the night. This event was so much fun and went way better than I expected.

I’ve now reached my fund-raising goal, including a small bursary from Lattitude Global Volunteering. Now I just can’t wait to go away. I am hoping to gain a whole new outlook on life and experience a once in a life time opportunity. Visiting a different country with a whole new culture is going to be difficult and challenging yet hopefully very rewarding.

 

Abbie’s top tips for stress free fundraising:

• Start early – It’s never too soon to start planning. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.

• Look in your local papers and directories for a list of where your local car boot sales are. It’s normally around £5 per car, so factor this in when pricing your goods.

• Get family and friends involved – The stress of planning events can be halved if it’s on more than your shoulders.

 

Lattitude Global Volunteering Launches Campaign For Real Volunteering

November 2011: Lattitude Global Volunteering will be celebrating 40 years of sending young people on meaningful, long-term placements in 2012. To mark this milestone, the charity today launches its ‘Campaign For Real Volunteering’.

Lattitude Global Volunteering has been around since the birth of the gap year industry; in fact the term ‘gap year’ came from its original name (GAP Activity Projects). The charity has become quite disheartened at how the positive concept of the gap year has now been overshadowed by the profiteering of tourism companies who have moved into the industry, so is vowing to fight back with real and meaningful overseas volunteer placements.

Nick Adie, UK marketing manager says: “Over the years many new organisations have begun offering voluntary placements overseas, from small companies to tourism giants. However, with this expansion there seems to be a drift from worthwhile and selfless volunteer placements to short term placements more concerned with what ‘fits in’ to a gap year, around travel or tourism plans.

“The dumbing down of placements and quick turnaround of volunteers is diluting the perceived benefits to the extent where gap years are quite uniformly criticised and mocked. Even more worrying is the seeming lack of responsibility towards the host communities that are supposedly benefitting from volunteer help. In many cases these short term placements can actually create a great deal more harm than good.”

The advice given by Lattitude Global Volunteering is to avoid these so called ‘voluntourism’ activities and think about the reason to volunteer in the first place. The charity states that there is nothing wrong with travelling, and many volunteers do travel after a long-term placement, but they do it with better knowledge and understanding of a different culture and people, greater confidence and better understanding.

Volunteering overseas is undoubtedly a fantastic thing. It offers young people the opportunity to experience a different life, to develop in skills and confidence and enjoy the world. All the while making a real and valid contribution to a host community. But only when it is done properly.

Lattitude Global Volunteering now has a specific area of its website dedicated solely to the campaign with hints and tips to help prospective volunteers navigate the gap year volunteering industry and help them choose an organisation that can provide a volunteering experience that is worthwhile as well as help with weighing up the costs to get the best value for your money and the chance for personal development.

For more information please see: www.lattitude.org.uk/real-volunteering

Michael Njunge Rides 400 Miles to Reach Fundraising Goal

October 2011: Ex Slough Grammar School student, Michael Njunge, today embarks on a challenge of a lifetime to raise money for Lattitude Global Volunteering.

Today Michael will leave on his bike from his home in Langley, Berkshire, and cycle to LegoLand, Windsor, where he worked the past three summers in food and drink and most recently as an attractions front-liner. He will embark on his 400-mile journey taking in three other Merlin theme parks around the country including Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Alton Towers, Staffordshire, before his ride comes to an end back home in Langley on the 30th.

Michael has a target of £800 to raise, which will help him reach his goal and allow him to take up his medical placement in Japan with Lattitude Global Volunteering in March 2012.

Talking of inspiration about his ride, Michael said: “I wanted to ride a long distance as something new and challenging. I’d done marathons before, but never a tour like this so I thought it was a good opportunity to try something new outside of my comfort zone and it was a good opportunity to fundraise.”

“The parks are the main Merlin attractions of the UK and so I thought people would know about them and as an ex-Merlin employee I thought it would be a good wrap-up to my ending employment with them.”

Lattitude Global Volunteering’s Marketing Manager, Nick Adie said: “We are always so excited when our volunteers choose to do something like this to aid their fundraising. We wish Michael the best of luck in his journey and we hope he reaches the target he’s set.”