News & Events

 

VACANCY (posted 12 January 2016)

 

Director

37.5 hours per week

salary: £31,846

Office based in Temple of Peace, King Edward VII, Cardiff CF10 3AP

Working Monday through Friday with some work on evenings and weekends, as well as international travel; opportunity for flexible working.


Come lead Wales’ only charity promoting peace through international volunteering.


UNA Exchange is looking for a director to lead the strategic direction and operational management of UNA Exchange whilst raising the charity’s profile and reputation. This includes managing the overall budget and reporting directly to the board of trustees.


Our new director will have an entrepreneurial approach, excellent people management skills and a knack for turning challenges into opportunities. A curiosity about the world is essential.


The successful candidate will be one who demonstrates these core qualities. These are indicators of people with potential to adapt and thrive in new situations, which is why we expect candidates to show examples when writing their personal statement and interviewing:


  • Highly motivated. You’ll demonstrate a fierce commitment to excel in the pursuit of unselfish goals.

  • Curious. You’ll have a penchant for seeking out new experiences, knowledge, and candid feedback and an openness to learning and change.

  • Insightful. You’ll have the ability to gather and make sense of information that suggests new possibilities.

  • Engaging. You’ll have a knack for using emotion and logic to communicate a persuasive vision and connect with people.

  • Determined. You’ll have the wherewithal to fight for difficult goals despite challenges and to bounce back from adversity.


Applicants should read carefully through the information pack and role profile before submitting an application. This details the responsibilities of the job, as well as the skills, knowledge and attributes we will be looking for in candidates.


Applications must be submitted using our application form . CVs will not be accepted.


Applications must be received no later than Thursday 28 January 2016.

Submit applications by either:

  • attaching an electronic application as a Word document to an email sent to [email protected].

  • posting a printed application to UNA Exchange, ? Andrew Symons, Temple of Peace, King Edward VII, Cardiff CF10 3AP.


Interviews will be held during the week commencing 8 February 2016.


Preferred start date: week commencing 21 March 2016. This is desired to ensure a successful handover with the current director. However, the start date for the successful candidate is negotiable.


For an informal conversation regarding the role, please email Andrew Symons, the chair of the trustee board, at [email protected].

 
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VACANCY - EVS Coordinator (Maternity cover) - UNA Exchange (Added 28-09-15)

UNA Exchange is seeking an outstanding individual to join our dynamic team in the role of EVS (European Voluntary Service) coordinator. The role involves recruitment, training and ongoing support of international volunteers participating in long term (2-12 month) EVS placements in Wales and overseas.

The successful applicant would also be responsible for the administration and project management of the programme including grant applications, ongoing monitoring and evaluation, budgeting, and reporting on projects. This exciting opportunity would suit those with an interest and experience of long-term volunteering, working with young people and project management.

6 months fixed term contract from 1 January 2016

30 hours per week

Based in Cathays Park, Cardiff

£18,376 - £19,742 pro rata (£14,700 - £15,793) subject to experience

Click here for the application form and here for the job description.

For further information contact [email protected]. 

Email or hard copy of completed application to [email protected] or UNA Exchange, Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, CF10 3AP, to arrive before 5pm Wednesday 21 October 2015.  

 

Do something different this summer...

... celebrate International Youth Day with UNA Exchange! (Added 30-07-2015)

12 August 2015 is International Youth Day and to celebrate we would love to invite you to join us for a day of fun workshops and activities on the theme of ‘Young people promoting peace and diversity'. The day will be followed by a garden party in the new and improved Peace Garden with international entertainment and food. More details here.

 

Join UNA Exchange!

Got a flare for finance? A bit OCD about numbers? WE NEED YOU! We're looking for a treasurer to join our Board of Trustees. The deadline is 27th March so send us your application soon! More details here. 

 

Recruiting for a new Director (Added 01-08-2014)

After five and a half years of working at the Temple of Peace - and many more of volunteering in the UNAverse! - Helen will be moving on from UNA Exchange in September. This means we're recruiting for a new Director to lead the organisation and build on the great work that the team does. You can find more information in the Information Pack and in the Job Description and Person Specification. To apply, send us your completed Application Form by 5pm on Thursday 28th August.  

 

Join the UNA Exchange Team! (Added 27-06-2014)

We're recruiting for a new European Voluntary Service Coordinator to work on our programme of long-term hosting and sending volunteer placements in Wales and overseas. We're looking for someone with experience of working with volunteers and coordinating projects and who is interested in international volunteering. You can find out more in our Application Pack and apply via the Application Form. The deadline is 5pm on Thursday 10th July.

 

Peace Garden Kick-Off Event, 12th April 2014 (Added 04-04-2014)

We will celebrate the Spring 2014 with our very own Peace Garden Kick-Off Event. On Saturday 12th April from 10am to 5pm, we will get our hands dirty and work in and on the Peace Garden behind the UNA Exchange office. Following the Kick-Off Event we will meet every Wednesday. For more information click here or send an email to Michi and Sophia ([email protected]). 

New year, new team (Added 23-01-2014)

We're very happy to now have two new members of staff here at UNA Exchange. We now have Eve as our Exchanges Coordinator and Leila as our EVS Coordinator, whilst Anna is volunteering in Mexico.  We're also looking forward to welcoming Sophia and Michi, our new EVS volunteers from Germany.

New international volunteering programme at CAVC (Added 19-11-2013)

Our 'Go Volunteer!' programme starts at Cardiff and Vale College on Wednesday 27th November. All CAVC students are welcome to come along and find out more about UNA Exchange and international volunteering. We'll be running monthly workshops to help students prepare to volunteer on one of our projects - and to make use of the skills they gain for cvs and applications. Students can come to all sessions or drop in to different workshops. Here's some more Go Volunteer! information.

Jobs at UNA Exchange (Added 11-11-2013)

We are currently recruiting for three posts at UNA Exchange. More information and application packs can be found by selecting the relevant job title as follows Exchanges Co-ordinator , EVS Co-ordinator (sabbatical cover) and Administrator.

2013 Annual General Meeting (Added 11-11-2013)

The 2013 Annual General Meeting of UNA Exchange will be held at 4.30pm on Saturday 16 November at the Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3AP. If you would like copies of the paperwork (agenda, minutes) in advance they can be downloaded here. We have experienced technical difficulties uploading the 2013-13 Annual Accounts but if you would like a copy please contact [email protected] and we will email you a copy. We look forward to seeing you at the Meeting.

New projects available for winter-spring 2013-14 (Added 06-11-2013)

If you're looking for an adventure this winter, then you're in the right place. We have new projects available in Mexico, Japan, Iceland, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Taiwan and Patagonia. You can find more information by searching our project database. If you can't find what you're looking for then get in touch - [email protected] or call us on 029 2022 3088. We have new projects coming in from around the world every week!

Proposal to adopt a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Foundation Status (Added 06-11-2013)

We'll be making some important decisions about our future at UNA Exchange in the next couple of weeks. Our AGM on 16th November will ask members to confirm the decision made in 2008 to change from being a registered charity to being a charitable incorporated origanisation (CIO). Members will also be asked to vote on a proposal to become a CIO with a Foundation Status. If this sounds a bit too jargon-y for you, then this simple paper about being a CIO with Foundation status will make everything clear.

Passionate about international volunteering? An experienced trainer? The join our team (Added 25-10-2013)

We're now recruiting for a Volunteering Abroad Workshop Leader. We're looking for someone to design and deliver a series of eight workshops about international volunteering to college students in Cardiff between November 2013 and June 2014. This is a paid role and you can find more details in the Volunteering Abroad Workshop Leader Information Pack. The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday November 3rd, so don't leave it too late!

UNA Exchange explores a change in legal status (Added 22-10-2013)

To protect the membership and ethos of UNA Exchange and the interests of people who volunteer as trustees the Executive Committee proposed, five years ago, a change to the legal status of the organisation from charity to charitable incorporated organisation. The opportunity has now arrived for us to be able to act on this decision and we will meet to discuss the proposal on Thursday 24th October at 6pm in the Temple of Peace. This meeting is for anyone interested in our future but only members will be able to vote on the final decision at our AGM on November 16th. For more information on the implications of the change, please read this document .

Come and celebrate 40 years of UNA Exchange! (Added 02-10-2013)

This November volunteers new and old are invited to share in a day of all things UNA Exchange. The day will include a variety of activities such as environmental volunteering, discussion groups, a treasure hunt, our AGM, dancing and of course UNA Exchange food! Meet new friends (or catch up with old ones), eat cake and have fun! If you fancy yourself as a master baker you are also welcome to bring along a 'showstopper' to the Great UNA Exchange bake off. Take a look at our flyer for more information and if you'd like to join us please fill in a registration form and return it to [email protected] by November 6th.

A visitor from the Global South (Added 18-09-2013)

Tomorrow UNA Exchange will be joined by Gloria, a volunteer from one of our Mexican partners, Natate. Gloria is being supported via the ROBBS bursary scheme funded by our friends Concordia Volunteers. She will spend a month in the UK learning more about the way in which the UK workcamp organisations organise their projects. During her time in Wales Gloria will have the chance to meet the team, co-lead short term project in Dare Valley, meet lots of other international volunteers and explore the beauty of Wales. After three weeks Gloria will then visit our English counterparts, Concordia and VAP UK.

Regularly make a difference to UNA Exchange (Added 29-08-2013)

Volunteering lies at the heart of UNA Exchange but of course, we also need money to make our work happen. As part of our 40th birthday celebrations we have recently set up the opportunity for supporters of UNA Exchange to make regular donations. These can be as large or as small as you like, but having regular donations will make a huge difference to our work, and the lives of those who we support to volunteer.
Our aim is to get 40 people signed up to give regularly by our November party. So if you would like to be one of the first forty and become a true star in the UNAverse, you can set up regular giving here.

International Volunteers descend on UNA Exchange's back garden! (Added 12-08-2013)

A group of ten volunteers, including a senior volunteer who has joined us thanks to Grundtvig-the life long learning programme, start work on the National Garden of Peace today. The group will spend two weeks here in Wales, carrying out various environmental tasks in the garden such as weeding, re-edging paths, trimming back bushes and litter picking. The project will culminate in an international garden party that the volunteers will help to organise. The party will take place on Thursday August 22nd 4pm-6pm and is open to the public. So why not pop down for international food, games, face painting and craft activities. It's fun for all the family! 

Get prepared (Added 05-08-2013)

Our next Volunteer Abroad Training will be taking place the last weekend of September. The training is compulsory for volunteers who would like to join a project in the 'global south' but is open to any volunteers who would like to join one of our projects. So if you, or someone you know, would like to escape the British winter and take part in a volunteer project in Africa, Asia or Latin America this autumn/ winter please book a place on the training as this will be the last training available until springtime next year. Please visit our Training and Preparation page  or contact Ali Dunn for more details: [email protected]

Welcome to Wales! ( Added 20-07-2013)

We have three volunteer projects starting today. They will be based at Afan Forest, Treharris Boys and Girls Club and Meas yr Haf playscheme in Trealaw. These are the first three of ten projects taking place in Wales this summer. All of the projects will welcome international volunteers from across the globe who will join with volunteers from the UK to work on a project for two weeks. All of the projects will be lead by volunteer leaders who have taken part on our Leaders' Training. We hope all of the volunteers have memorable experiences.

Garden party plans (Added 01-07-2013)

UNA Exchange will be hosting a special 40th anniversary garden party on Thursday August 22nd. The party will coincide with an international volunteer workcamp that will be taking place in the Peace Garden at UNA Exchange HQ. All are welcome to come and join us, and our international volunteers, for international food, games, face-painting and even a smoothie making bike. The party will run from 4-6pm. Find out more on our party flyer.

Save the Date! (Added 21-06-2013)

On November 16th UNA Exchange will be hosting an extra special event, our 40th birthday party! We are inviting volunteers from across the years to join us and celebrate life in the UNA verse. New faces are very welcome to come along too, to share in the revelry and to meet lots of our lovely volunteers. More details of the the event will be announced closer to the time, but for the moment don't forget to pencil the date into your diaries!

Step by Step takes flight (Added10-06-2013)

Our Step by Step programme is now well under way for the year and our residential training takes place next week at Amelia Trust Farm. The programme supports young Welsh people who would normally face barriers to prevent them volunteering, to take part in international volunteer projects between 2 weeks and 2 months long. The training aims to prepare them to volunteer, dispel worries surrounding travel and the project itself and is a great chance for volunteers from across Wales to meet each other.

Gwrpvol project nominated for award (Added 20-04-2013)

This March a group of young people from St John Cymru Wales joined a UNA Exchange project in Russia working with young people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties as part of UNA Exchange's new group project initiative, Grwpvol. The group from St John spent two weeks in Smolensk working in a children's rehabilitation centre, doing workshops with the children, promoting the values of volunteering and shovelling snow. In recognition of their hard work the project has been nominated for a Welsh Government volunteering award. Congratulations!

Get prepared to go away (Added 15-04-2013)

Our Volunteer Abroad Training will be taking place on Saturday May 11th - Sunday May 12th. The training is for anyone who would like to volunteer abroad this summer, but is compulsory for volunteers wanting to join a project in Asia, Latin America or Africa. The training is really interactive with lots of energisers, discussions and group activities and covers important topics such as roles and responsibilities, health and travel practicalities, communication and cultural differences. The cost of the training is included in your project application but if you would like to join the training before applying the fee is £40 (which will be deducted from your application fee should you chose to apply later). For more information please contact us at [email protected]

Last call for the May deadline (Added 08-04-2013) 

The next European Voluntary Service deadline is creeping closer; all applications must be submitted to the May 1st deadline. If you are interested in taking part in a fully funded EVS project lasting between 2-12 months in Europe please get in contact with us at [email protected]. There are loads of projects that you could join, to get an idea of what you could spend next year doing take a look at our EVS page for inspiration.

Let the project applying commence! (Added 22 -03- 2013)

We are very pleased to announce that our International Volunteer Project season is now officially open. A big thank you to the volunteers who helped us be able to get our projects online so quickly this year. There are now over a thousand projects to chose from this summer, the majority of which last between 2-3 weeks. This year you could be volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Indonesia, supporting young people with learning difficulties to go on holiday in Belgium, helping to renovate a 13th century abbey in France or helping to organise the biggest Blues festival in Lithuania. With so many projects to chose from we're sure there is the perfect project for you. So check out our search engine now! 

Get your hands dirty in the Garden of Peace (Added 27-02-2013)

Twenty five years ago UNA Exchange volunteers worked with the Welsh Centre for International Affairs to create a Garden of Peace behind our office building, the Temple of Peace in central Cardiff. It's time to get the garden into shape for spring and we'll be holding a volunteering day on Saturday 23rd March from 10am - 4pm. All volunteers are welcome, regardless of volunteering or gardening experience (age limit 16+), and lunch will be provided as a thank you for your efforts. If you'd like to join us, please email [email protected] for more information and to register. 

Leaders' Training 2013 - Final spaces available (Added 26-02-2013)

We're down to our final few spaces for Leaders' Training 2013. If you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to apply. The training will run from Thursday 28th March to Monday 1st April, with arrivals on the 27th and departures on the 2nd. Send us your application form as soon as possible if you'd like to join us for a challenging, fun and at times slightly crazy few days at the Amelia Trust Farm!

Leaders' Training 2013 - The Road to Inclusion (Added 18-01-2013)

If you're after a new challenge this year then why not lead an international volunteer project in Wales this summer? Projects last for two weeks and bring together volunteers from across the world. The first step is to attend our Leaders' Training course from 27th March to 2nd April at the Amelia Trust Farm in South Wales. This year the training is supported by the Youth in Action programme and we'll have participants from across the UK and Europe - find out more from our information sheet. To join us, send us your application form before 10th February 2013.

EVS Hosting Vacancies 2013-14 (Added 14-12-2012)

UNA Exchange are currently recruiting for 5-6 long term EVS volunteers from overseas to take part in our group project based in Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.  If you come from an eligible EVS country and are interested in our vacancies, have a look at our EVS 2013-13 Project Information pack  .  If you would like to apply for one or more of these vacancies, please fill out the UNA Exchange EVS Application form  and return it to [email protected] by January 6th 2013.  

UNA Exchange Internship, 2013 (Added 12-11-2012)

Would you like to join the UNA Exchange team next year? Are you looking to gain experience of working for a charity? We're now recruiting for our 2013 Volunteering in Wales Intern. We're looking for someone to join us for approximately five months next year to support our volunteering programmes between February and June. You can find full details and an application from in our Volunteering in Wales Intern 2013 information pack . The deadline for applications is midnight on Wednesday 12th December.

Volunteers' Day 2012 (Added 22-10-2012)

Our annual Volunteers' Day celebrations will take place on Saturday 17th November. Everyone is welcome, whether you've been volunteering with us for years or are simply interested in finding out more. We'll spend the morning volunteering in the Garden of Peace, just behind our Cardiff offices, to help clear the garden and get it ready for winter. In the afternoon, there will be the chance to meet active UNA Exchange volunteers and find out about the opportunities we offer in Wales and overseas, followed by our AGM (Annual General Meeting). We'll finish the day with an 'Around the World' evening celebration including international food and music. You can find out more here and confirm your place by sending us an application form .

2012 Volunteer Stories Competition (Added 08-10-12)

The deadline for our Volunteer Stories competition is fast approaching. If you've volunteered with UNA Exchange in Wales or overseas this year, then send us your entries by 31st October. You can choose your format to tell us something that's important to you about your volunteering experience - photos, short films, writing... Here are more details about how to enter. We're looking forward to hearing your story!

Last chance for a weekend at the Green Valley! (Added 03-09-12)

Our final weekend project of 2012 will take place from 21st to 23rd September. We'll be back at the Green Valley community site in Brycynon, north of Cardiff, to complete work on the pollinator garden that our international volunteers built this summer. Join us to spend a weekend outdoors before autumn sets in! Find out more from the information sheet and complete an application form to apply.

Awesome autumn environmental projects announced (Added 05-07-12)

We will be running three environmental volunteer projects in Carmarthenshire in September and October. Volunteers will be part of an international group working together for a fortnight to improve access to the countryside across the county.  You'll live, work and play with volunteers from around the world and spend time in a beautiful corner of Wales. Find out more by reading our project information and apply with our application form . If you fancy more of a challenge, we're also looking for a team of volunteer leaders to lead the three projects - here's more information .