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 Residential
volunteering offers the chance to try things for a week or two or to
dedicate a year or even longer to working with an
organisation, living away from home. Opportunities exist in a
range of organisations including environmental and conservation groups,
care organisations and animal welfare.
Contact
the
organisation you are interested in for further
information and to apply for a placement. Some organisations accept
volunteers from outside the UK. Note that long term volunteers
living away from home can receive housing benefit, council tax benefit
and income support for housing costs for a maximum of 13 weeks.
Download complete factsheet of residential volunteering opportunities
BTCV
The
Natural Break programme of conservation working holidays enables
volunteers to spend a week in spectacular settings learning new
conservation skills. The work involves various conservation tasks such
as woodland management, pond clearance, dry stone walling and footpath
construction. Volunteers must be 16+ (overseas visitors, 18+).
Prices start at around £60 per week, £40 for a weekend and
include food, accommodation, leadership and insurance.
Break
Volunteers
help at holiday and respite care
centres working alongside experienced staff
assisting guests who need help with meals, dressing, bathing and getting
around. Placements are
between 6 weeks and 12 months. Free food and accommodation in a self contained flat with
other volunteers. Travel expenses within UK, weekly out-of-pocket
expenses. Volunteers aged between 18 and 25.
Cathedral
Camps
Volunteers’
aged 16-30 work on maintenance of Cathedrals and major Parish Churches,
including cleaning and conserving
marble memorials, washing and painting interior and exterior walls,
cleaning plain and stained glass windows, making detailed recordings of
monuments.
Centre
for Alternative Technology
Volunteers
can help with publishing, information, engineering, building, gardening,
media, general office, biology, site management.
Volunteers have the opportunity to gain an NVQ level 2 in
Environmental Conservation. Volunteers can stay on or off site depending
on accommodation availability. Volunteers
must be able to provide own means of support.
CSV
(Community Service Volunteers)
Offers
full-time volunteer placements away from home in one of more than 1,000
projects. There are 4-12 month placements.
Pocket money, travelling expenses, lodging and food (or food
allowance) are all provided. Volunteers from overseas need to pay a
registration fee. Volunteers
help people with disabilities in a caring role.
Overseas applicants must have a very good command of English.
Independent
Living Alternatives
Promotes
the independence of people with disabilities who require physical
support in every day life. Volunteers must be 18+.
Placements are 4 months+. Board,
lodging and pocket money provided. Expenses paid.
International
Voluntary Service
IVS
run a programme of work camps. A
typical work camp consists of 6-20 volunteers from several countries
working and living together on a project for 2-4 weeks. Projects range
from environmental conservation to helping refugees, from holiday play
schemes for children to working with people with learning difficulties.
Volunteers must be aged 16+ in the UK (18+ overseas).
Volunteers are required to pay a registration fee between £40
and £70 but food and accommodation are free. There are taster weekends
available.
The
National Trust
A
large land-owning charity working for the preservation of places of
historic interest or natural beauty in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. The Trust is sometimes able to accept offers of long-term help
with wardening and conservation work, often as part of a college course.
Additionally, the Trust
organises over 400 inexpensive working
holidays.
The
Ockenden Venture
Providing
residential care for disabled refugees.
Volunteers must be 18+. There is a minimum 6 months, but one year
placements are preferred. Board,
lodging and an allowance provided.
This is caring and domestic work living in "family
situation". Accept
volunteers from overseas.
Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds
Voluntary
Wardening Scheme where volunteers stay and work on a nature reserve
learning new skills in conservation.
Volunteers help with survey work, administration, scrub control,
livestock management, hide building, coppicing, wader scrape creation,
dry stone walling. There
are thirty nature reserves available in England, Scotland or Wales.
Volunteers stay for 1-4 weeks.
Longer term volunteering may be possible.
The
Simon Community
This
is a partnership of homeless people and volunteers living and working
with London’s street homeless. Volunteers
must be 19+, Full time volunteers stay nine or more months.
Volunteers live in and get £33 a week pocket money.
Food, board and all other basic necessities are provided.
A day off is given each week plus money for two weeks off every
three months. Also money is
saved for volunteers for when they leave.
Thistle
Camps (National Trust for Scotland)
Practical
conservation work on NTS properties all over Scotland, including the
remote islands. Volunteers
must be 16+. Placement is for 1 - 3 weeks.
Volunteers make a £35 - £90 contribution towards project costs.
TOC
H
Offers
a variety of projects, using small groups of volunteers, designed for
people to get to know one another, work together and make new friends.
Volunteers must be 16+. Yearly programmes from March.
Duration 2-14 days. Volunteers
pay a registration fee, travel costs and spending money and sometimes a
small donation towards food. Projects
include: play schemes; work with older people; work with disabled
people; conservation; study groups.
Accept volunteers from overseasg.org.uk
Waterway
Recovery Group
Residential
Canal Camps throughout the year, offering volunteers a fun week learning
new skills whilst restoring the country's heritage.
Volunteers must be 17 - 70, placements 2 days upward.
Winged
Fellowship Trust
Volunteers
aged 16-75+ spend a week supporting people with physical disabilities in
a holiday environment, providing companionship and general conversation.
Fun and laughter are at the top of the agenda.
Five centres in the UK for 1-2 week stays.
Worldwide
Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)
For
volunteers aged 16+. A countrywide exchange network where bed and board
and practical experience are given in return for work on organic farms
and small holdings. Midweek,
long term and overseas stays are also available.
Excellent opportunities for organic training or changing to a
rural lifestyle.
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