This list of agencies will help people considering long-term or full-time volunteering.

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 organisations 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.

RSPB
The Lodge
Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 2DL
Tel: 01767 680551
Email: volunteers@rspb.org.uk
Website: www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering/residential

This is an excellent chance to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation. You will gain a valuable insight into the workings of Europe's largest conservation charity by living and working on one of 36 RSPB reserves/projects..

• AGE: 16+ (overseas visitors, 18+)
• TIME: 1 week to 6 months
• COST: Volunteers need to organise and pay for their own travel to the reserve, and to provide and cover the costs of their food during their stay. The RSPB will provide accommodation free of charge.
• WORK: The work varies from season to season and from reserve to reserve, but can include practical management tasks, work with visitors and survey/monitoring work. Ornithological knowledge is less important than enthusiasm and a willingness to work as part of a team.
• Volunteers from overseas need to be over 18 and must speak good English. These applications need to be made at least six weeks in advance, and there is a £25 administration fee per booking.

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BTCV
36 St Mary' s Street
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 0EU
Tel: 01491 821600
E-mail: information@btcv.org.uk
Web site: www.btcv.org

The country's leading charity protecting the environment through practical action. The Natural Break programme of conservation working holidays enables volunteers to spend a week in spectacular settings learning new conservation skills.

• AGE: 16+ (overseas visitors, 18+)
• TIME: 2 days upwards
• COST: Prices start at around £41 per week, £23 for a weekend and include food, accommodation, leadership and insurance.
• WORK: Various conservation tasks such as woodland management, pond clearance, dry stone walling and footpath construction. There is also the opportunity to make a longer-term commitment for 3-12 months at one of BTCV's volunteer centres, and international opportunities in 20 countries.
• Accept volunteers from overseas

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CSV [COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS]
237 Pentonville Road
London N1 9NJ
Tel: 020 7278 6601
E-mail: information@csv.org.uk
Web site: www.csv.org.uk

Offers full-time volunteer placements away from home in one of more than 1,000 projects. CSV operates a non-rejection policy: everyone who applies is accepted.

• AGE: 16-35
• TIME: 4-12 month placements
• COST: Pocket money, travelling expenses, lodging and food (or food allowance) are all provided. Volunteers from overseas need to pay a registration fee.
• WORK: Volunteers help people with disabilities in a caring role.
• QUALIFICATIONS: Overseas applicants must have a very good command of English.

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INDEPENDENT LIVING ALTERNATIVES
Trafalgar House
Grenville Place
London
NW7 3SA
Tel/Fax: 020 8906 9265
Email: ILA@cwcom.net
Web site: www.ILA.mcmail.com

Promotes the independence of people with disabilities who require physical support in every day life. It places volunteers, in the form of a partnership, to provide such support.

• AGE: 18+
• TIME: 4 months+
• COST: Board, lodging and pocket money provided. Travel expenses and all incidental expenses incurred whilst working for the project are paid.
• QUALIFICATIONS: None; all training will be provided. Driving licence useful.

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THE NATIONAL TRUST
Working Holidays
Wroxham
Norwich
NR12 8DH
Brochure line: 0870 429 2428
email: working.holidays@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering/workinghols.htm

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.

• AGE: 17+
• TIME: 1 week or weekend.
• COST: From £45 per week (meals and accommodation).
• WORK: Volunteers on working holidays may be involved in countryside conservation, wildlife surveys or construction tasks.

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THE NATIONAL TRUST LONG-TERM VOLUNTEER SCHEME
33 Sheep Street, Cirencester,Gloucestershire GL7 1RQ
Tel: 01285 651818
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering

The Trust also runs a long-term volunteer scheme for people who are looking for practical work experience, usually following a relevant course.

• AGE: 17+
• TIME: Usually 3 - 12 months
• COST: Travel expenses; accommodation is often provided.
• WORK: Most placements are in wardening and countryside management; limited number of custodial, education or research placements in
  the houses.

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LEE ABBEY COMMUNITY
The Warden
Lee Abbey
Lynton
Devon
EX35 6JJ
Tel: 01598 752621
E-mail: relax@leeabbey.org.uk
Web site: www.leeabbey.org.uk

A Christian holidays and conference centre run by a community working for the renewal and refreshment of the church. A branch in London is a hostel for international students.

• AGE: 18+
• TIME: Minimum 1 year
• COST: Board, lodging and pocket money provided.
• WORK: Volunteers must be committed Christians. Applicants are invited to write to Lee Abbey with information about themselves, their backgrounds and why they would like to join the community.
• QUALIFICATIONS: None
• Applicants from overseas must have a very good command of English.

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LEE ABBEY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' CLUB
57/67 Lexham Gardens
Kensington
London
W8 6JJ
Tel: 020 73737242
E-mail: personnel@leeabbeylondon.com
Web site: www.leeabbeylondon.com

A hostel in London for international students run by a Christian community of volunteers who aim to provide a "home from home" for students.

• AGE: 18+
• TIME: 1 year
• COST: Volunteers are responsible for their own travel to the UK. Board,
  lodging and pocket money is provided.
• WORK: Volunteers must be committed Christians. Applicants are invited to write or e- mail for an information pack.
• QUALIFICATIONS: None
• Applicants from overseas must have a very good command of English

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THE OCKENDEN VENTURE
Constitution Hill
Woking
Surrey
GU22 7UU
Tel: 01483 772012
E-mail: oi@ockenden.org.uk
Web site: www.ockenden.org.uk

Providing residential care for disabled refugees.

• AGE: 18+
• TIME: Minimum 6 months, but prefer 1 year
• COST: Board, lodging and an allowance provided.
• WORK: Caring and domestic work living in "family situation".
• Accept volunteers from overseas

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THISTLE CAMPS (THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND)
A4 SAE to 5 Charlotte Square
Edinburgh
EH2 4DU
E-mail: jdownes@nts.org.uk
Web site: www.thistlecamps.org.uk

• AGE: 16+
• TIME: 1 - 3 weeks
• COST: Volunteers make a £35 - £90 contribution towards project costs.
• WORK: Practical conservation work on NTS properties all over Scotland, including the remote islands.

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TOC H
1 Forest Close
Wendover
Aylesbury
Bucks
HP22 6BT
Tel: 01296 623911
Fax: 01296 696137
E-mail: info@toch.org.uk
Web site: www.toch.org.uk

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.

• AGE: 16+
• TIME: Yearly programme – March. Duration 2-14 days
• COST: Volunteers pay a registration fee, travel costs and spending money and sometimes a small donation towards food.
• WORK: Projects include: playschemes; work with older people; work with disabled people; conservation; study groups.
• Accept Volunteers from overseas

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FURTHER INFORMATION

The international directory of voluntary work Divided up into residential, non-residential, short-term and long-term work in the UK and overseas. 290 pages, with fairly detailed information on each organisation. Published by Vacation Work, 9 Park End Street, Oxford, England, price £9.99.

They also publish The directory of summer jobs in Britain, price £7.99. A supplement to this directory is published in May price £6. Add £1.50 per book for post to the UK or £2.50 per book outside the UK. The May supplement is post free.

Working holidays 1999 - the complete guide to seasonal jobs. Includes a mix of paid work and volunteering. Published by Central Bureau for educational visits and exchanges, 10 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2BN, price £9.99.

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VOLUNTEER PROJECTS IN THE UK:

Quaker Voluntary Action
Friends Meeting House
6 Mount Street
Manchester
M2 5NS
E-mail: qva@quakervolaction.freeserve.co.uk

August 2001

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Want your organisation to be included on this list?

These pages are intended for organisations that have national or regional volunteer programmes within the UK or which place volunteers from the UK in overseas countries.

If you are such an organisation please e-mail volunteerscotland@vds.org.uk with your full contact details, a brief description of what your organisation does and information on the volunteer activities you have available.

Unfortunately we are unable to guarantee that we will be able to post the details of all organisations that contact us.

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Thanks to the English Centre for Volunteering.