What can volunteers do?

Volunteer Abroad

UNA Exchange offers thousands of opportunities to volunteer in over 60 countries all over the world.  You can volunteer on projects from a few weeks to a year.

UNA Exchange projects are open to UK residents of all ages and backgrounds, and you don’t need specific skills or experience to join. If you are not living in the UK it doesn't mean you can't volunteer it just means you have to apply via your national organisation. Please visit our international partners page to find your nearest one. 

There are three main ways to volunteer abroad with us, International Volunteering Projects, both short term and long term, and European Voluntary Service (EVS).

 

 International Volunteering Projects

  • When can I go? You can join an International Volunteer Project at any time of year, although the majority take place between June and October.
  • What types of projects and countries are available? There are a vast range of projects available in over 60 countries. 
  • Is there training and support? Where appropriate we provide preparation and training for volunteers joining projects.  See our preparation and training page for details.
  • What will it cost? We are a non-profit organisation and costs include the registration fee to cover our work and the rest is based on your travel arrangements.
  • How do I sign up? Applying for a project abroad could not be simpler – you either apply online or by post. The majority of our volunteers apply online by searching through our database of projects or by visiting our 1-12 month opportunity page.  Once you have selected a project you will be guided through the application process.

If you have further questions don't hesitate to contact us or see the Frequently Asked Questions .

Short Term

Please note: The bulk of our projects for the summer will be released at the end of March. UNA Exchange is part of a large organisation that has similar values to us, called the Alliance. Members of the Alliance will meet in March and it is after this meeting that the full programme of projects will be announced. There will be around 1500 projects available all over the world so there will be plenty of variety to choose from. To find out when the projects will be released join us on facebook, twitter or sign up to our mailing list.

Short term projects are usually between 2 and 4 weeks. There are many different types of project to choose from.

All short term projects involve volunteers from all over the world working and living together.  This means you can experience many different cultures and at the same time gain a unique insight into the local community where you are volunteering.

Details of all short term projects are available on our searchable project database .  We update the main summer programme, with around 2000 new projects in March each year.


Long Term

Projects are available from 1 to 12 months and are a great opportunity to really get to know another country. You will have a chance to immerse yourself in a new culture, develop new skills and learn a foreign language.

Details of longer term projects are found in our searchable project database by making sure you tick ‘projects over 1 month’ on our flexible 1-12 month projects page. These projects don’t appear in our searchable database because they don't have a specific start or end date.  This means it's up to you how long you want to go for and when you want to start the project.


European Voluntary Service (EVS)

European Voluntary Service offers fully funded opportunities for people aged between 18-30 years old. As the programme is inclusive you don't need any special skills or qualifications to apply, you just need to be a UK resident. Projects can last between 2 and 12 months and cover a huge variety of themes including culture, youth, arts, and the environment.