volunteer Fees
WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO?
Unlike other companies in the field, Vocational Impact is a charity organisation and operates under UK registered charity Arms Around the Child. The idea is simple – you choose what programme you want to do, what destination you want to go to, and what dates you want to join us. To join a programme you pay us a fee and we will support you every step of the way with the following:
- Support before you travel (Documents, Visa advice, Trip preparation)
- Support in-country (Accommodation, Transport, Meals, Programme Training and Development)
- A unique work placement with a real project making a positive impact
Your programme fees go towards providing you with a safe, organised and structured volunteer placement and are reinvested directly back into our project partners in Africa and India.
Vocational Impact is the volunteering branch of AATC, which is governed by the UK Charity Commission, and we are a not-for-profit organisation. Because we are a registered NGO we can claim GiftAID on your donation fees (UK only), which means we can donate even more directly towards the projects you will stay with. VI has been awarded ‘Ethical Travel Partner’ at many UK universities because of our unique model.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
SUPPORT BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
✔︎ Tailored placements to match your interests, career development goals or university subject
✔︎ Pre-departure help with paperwork (health/safety, bursaries/grants, research/briefs, placement structure, sponsorship)
✔︎ Support with flights
✔︎ Insurance advice
✔︎ Visa advice
✔︎ Unlimited telephone and email support
✔︎ Packing lists
✔︎ Tips on local culture and language
✔︎ Fundraising guides
✔︎ Flexible booking and start dates
SUPPORT IN-COUNTRY
✔︎ Transportation – Airport drop off and collection. Plus all placement related transport (to and from partner NGOs)
✔︎ Accommodation – You will stay in a fit for purpose, shared volunteer cottage or homestay.
✔︎ Meals – You will have breakfast, lunch, dinner prepared daily for you (*breakfast & dinner South Africa)
✔︎ Weekly laundry and housekeeping
✔︎ In-country dedicated volunteer coordinator available 24/7 to you
✔︎ 30 + hours of interactive cross-cultural training and practice
✔︎ Personal Development Training & Professional Programme Support
✔︎ 24/7 international support
✔︎ Weekends off for travel opportunities
AFTER CARE
✔︎ Certificate of Learning – proof this is not a holiday!
✔︎ Vocational Impact International Development donation – how your money helps the communities you work with
✔︎ Employment opportunities. Join our team!
✔︎ Become a VI Ambassador
✔︎ Join the growing Vocational Impact alumni community
✔︎ We can provide you with Job references
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
✗ Flights
✗ Tourist Visa (if applicable)
✗ Travel Insurance
✗ Spending Money
✗ Vaccinations
✗ Police check/DBS
Registration Fee
Once you have selected your placement and location, and had all your questions answered by one of the Vocational Impact team, the next thing to do is pay your £265 Registration Fee to lock in your spot. This helps you access a whole array of support and resources to start your adventure on the right foot.
After you’ve registered you will access our pre-departure support services leading up to your journey. We will help you with all your paperwork and visa applications, tailor your placement itinerary, send you our travel and essential information guides, connect you with other volunteers and our team on the ground, and give you advice on fundraising, packing and weekend trips.
PROGRAMME FEE
Your Volunteer Programme Fee is the full amount for your placement. This is based on your prospective programme and dates. We ask that the full balance be paid 60 days before your proposed start date. The easiest way to pay your programme fee securely is to make a direct bank transfer to our account.
We understand that it’s not always easy to pay the fee in one go. You can spread the cost of the programme fee by breaking it down into smaller instalments. As long as the full balance is paid 60 days before your departure, then you have plenty of time to raise the funds.
Fundraising is a great way to raise money for your trip! We’ve got lots of tips and advice about this on our fundraising hub; hear from previous volunteers, get help with how to start, and read about where to look for bursaries and grants. In addition to raising money for a great cause, fundraising can teach you some important skills that you can take beyond your trip abroad.
OUR CHARITY PROJECTS
We work with partner organisations that are specialists in the areas they operate. Our partner organisations are selected because of the important work they are doing and they are run by impressive humanitarians and professionals in their fields. We are committed to providing essential funding to support our partner’s community programmes and development projects, as well as creating reliable and sustainable funding plans.
VI invest straight back into the projects we send volunteers to; helping them grow, access skilled local staff, and provide crucial funds for projects like women’s empowerment, child protection, mental health, legal aid, education, healthcare and community development initiatives.
We are passionate about building sustainable and ethical volunteer programmes where our project partners receive educated and eager-to-learn students and professionals, while volunteers will gain valuable work experience, career-enhancing opportunities and life-changing personal growth.
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