Volunteer in the United Kingdom or Ireland
Both the United Kingdom and Ireland are steeped in history. This is a history full of Romans Vikings, Kings and Queens, battles, ancient monuments (check out Stonehenge!), castles and of course the UK is home to rugby and cricket!
Ireland and the UK have a rich cultural heritage and have produced many great writers (Tolkien, Joyce and Shakespeare) poets (Ted Hughes and William Wordsworth) and artists (JMW Turner and William Blake), not to mention some fantastic musical talents - rock and roll, punk and The Beatles! If live music is your thing you will never have to look far for a gig, and don’t forget all the festivals; Glastonbury, Edinburgh fringe, Bestival, Reading and Leeds. Come and enjoy a full English breakfast, friendly Irish pubs, Welsh castles and a Scottish Ceilidh.
Placement locations
Roles explained
Education
Most placements are in boarding schools. You could be based in a city centre, a country town or a boarding school with extensive grounds in the countryside. Working in a boarding school is not a 9 – 5 existence and you may sometimes have to work in the early morning or in the evening. Your duties may include getting boarders up, supervising going to bed, helping with after school activities and homework and weekend excursions. Other duties could involve helping in the school office as well as supporting pupils in the classroom. Caring schools placements are in establishments for deaf children, children with physical disabilities or children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Past volunteers have found these placements to be particularly meaningful and rewarding.
Caring
Residential placements may be in respite centres for people with disabilities, residential homes or residences for the homeless. Most placements have adult residents. Volunteers may be expected to provide companionship, help with outings and activities, help with feeding and may deal with personal care. All necessary training will be provided.
Outdoor Education
You will assist or lead children of all ages in group activities such as archery, abseiling, canoeing and orienteering. You can also gain qualifications in these activities. In the evening you might run sessions playing games, singing songs etc. You may also be asked to help with catering or maintenance. Field Study Centres run courses for groups to study ecology and geography. You will usually be required to assist with the domestic supervision of incoming student groups of all ages.
Accommodation and food
In some cases, especially with the outdoor education and community placements, there may be a small community of volunteers—so you’ll get to meet people from other countries and get an extra dose of culture. Accommodation varies from placement to placement but usually it will be on-site at a school/ activity centre or in a shared house or flat.
Travel
Public transport in the UK and Ireland is efficient and accessible, you will have plenty of time during and after your placement to go travelling and start exploring the country.
You can visit the far reaches of Scotland, with stunning highlands and amazing lochs (where you could catch a glimpse of the monster) - you might even get some snow! The Welsh countryside is breathtaking; you could take a trip to Cardiff - watch a rugby match at the Millenium Stadium or try out the excellent surfing spots on the south Wales coast. When touring England - don’t forget the Lake District, the Peak District, the Cornish coast, the stunning national parks, and the castles. Most major cities have fantastic museums and amazing architecture, and of course there is the capital, London, home to black cabs and red buses. The Irish are renowned for being one of the most hospitable peoples in the world. Dublin (the capital) is a curious, lively and colourful city of fine Georgian buildings, tangible literary history and extremely welcoming pubs and people.
Costs
Lattitude Global Volunteering fee:
All departures: £2,700
As part of the placement the following is provided:
What’s included?
- Accommodation & food (provided by host)
- 24/7 support
- Debrief
- Assigned Volunteer Coordinator to help with all pre-departure support and offer guidance
- Pre-departure briefing
Please note this fee does not include the cost of getting to the UK/Ireland or extras such as insurance or any inoculations you may need. For an estimated break down of all costs you may have to budget for please click here
Fundraising
As a charity we always recommend our volunteers fundraise to help meet the costs involved in volunteering overseas. In many ways it is part of the whole experience. For more information and fundraising ideas please click here
Volunteer in France: Planning your trip
Planning your trip
| Placement | Length | Departure | Application deadline | Status |
| Education | 11-12 months | Sep 2016 | Apr 2016 | Spaces Available |
| Community/Caring | 9-12 months | Sep 2016 | Apr 2016 | Spaces Available |
Please note that the deadline is the last possible time allowed to get an application form in that allows us enough time to match volunteers and begin sorting out visas.We always recommend applying as early as possible in order to secure your place.
We are currently accepting applications for departures up until 2015.
Volunteer in the UK or Ireland: Apply now>>
