Group Volunteering Abroad

WHO VOLUNTEERS

Discount of £75 per person for groups of 8 people or more

We offer group volunteering trips for groups of adults or under 18s who are looking to take part in volunteer work abroad and get to know local communities:

  • School groups
  • Girl Guide / Scout groups
  • University student groups
  • Cadet groups
  • Corporate groups
  • Charity challenges

How much does it cost?

Our normal placement fees apply (see each project page for costs and what’s included) with a discount of £75 per person for groups of 8 people or more.

Where do you start?

Please complete our Group Enquiry Form which helps us to match your group to the best projects for you, or contact us to discuss your requirements.

What can you do?

Our group volunteering projects include animal care, child care, teaching, conservation, building and community development.

Animal projects

Conservation and Marine Conservation projects

Education, Community and Building projects

School groups

Many of our overseas volunteering placements are ideal for a self-led school group trip and this makes a very cost effective option for a school expedition.

Alternatively we can organise bespoke school trips if you are looking to do something different from our standard volunteer placements such as including other adventure activities or having a leader provided for the group.

A high school group from Chicago in the US joined our Reef Conservation project in Belize for a week as part of their biology study course which gave them a great out of the classroom learning experience.  

“We all had a blast! The staff on the island was informative and helpful. Our students not only gained skills in SCUBA, but they also grew as people as they learned to overcome fears. One of my favorite moments was during a beach clean-up; a student looked down and said "OH! It is all Styrofoam. I thought it was stones!" I think that all my students are now committed to never using Styrofoam products again!”

University groups

Pod offers a range of standard and bespoke volunteering opportunities to university groups.

We work with a range of long term projects overseas which university groups can join to gain experience for their course whilst actively contributing to the project.

Whether you are a university student looking to join one of our volunteering projects with a group of fellow students in order to gain experience for your course, or a placement manager/head of department looking to arrange a volunteer placement for your students, then we have projects to suit you.

Pod offers volunteering opportunities to university groups and we can also offer bespoke expedition volunteering opportunities which can also include adventure, exploration, cultural and relaxation components to the trip.

What can you do?

We have projects that link particularly well to the following courses: animal care, animal management, animal science, animal behaviour, animal welfare, zoology, veterinary science, veterinary nursing, equine science, equine behaviour, primatology, wildlife conservation, marine biology, marine ecology, marine conservation, oceanography, conservation biology, environmental management, international development, anthropology, PGCE, primary education, secondary education, child development, nutrition, sports coaching, social work, African studies, Asian studies, South American studies and Spanish.

This list is not exhaustive so please get in touch if you would like to check whether we have a project which suits your course and which of our projects would suit your group's requirements best.

Why should you consider volunteering as a university group?

Volunteering as part of a university group has great benefits for both the group and for the project itself. By choosing a project that is closely related to your course, you can gain hands on, practical field-based experience to complement your theoretical knowledge gained from your lectures.

Many university courses require students to participate in placements in order to build up a portfolio of experiences and work a set number of hours in the field. Volunteering overseas is a fantastic way to do this as you are able to build up a lot of hours and gain lots of practical skills within your time at the project which are often not possible within your home country.

Depending on which project you choose, it is sometimes also possible to carry out your own research project at the project; the results of which volunteers have used for their dissertation, MSc or PhD.

The graduate employment market is very competitive. With this in mind, employers will often be looking for candidates who have both academic qualifications and experience in the field that they wish to go into. By volunteering on a course-specific project with Pod, you will gain practical skills and experience which will make your CV stand out from the crowd and show a passion for your chosen career path. Not only that, but volunteering as a university group is also a lot of fun!

As well as the benefits that you will receive through volunteering as part of a university group, the projects that Pod work with also benefit considerably through having volunteers join them. We work with long term projects and volunteers are part of a bigger picture of development. University groups are welcomed as volunteers allow the projects to continue with their fantastic work and often enable the projects to develop further. The theoretical knowledge that university groups bring is also highly valued and the results of research that groups carry out is always welcomed and utilised by the project.

How does Pod select projects for university students?

Pod projects all have comprehensive risk assessments and we have an excellent reputation for providing hand picked projects that we know personally, offering a friendly, knowledgeable and professional service and providing supported placements at affordable prices.

Read Alexandra’s story

Alexandra is a second year student studying for a Bsc in Biological Sciences and considering a career in marine biology. She volunteered at our Marine Conservation project in Thailand to gain practical experience in this area.

“My time spent at the Marine Conservation Project on Koh Tao was one of the most amazing, influential and life changing experiences of my life. After completing 2 years of university I was still very unsure as to what I really wanted to do. I was leaning towards biology due to my love of animals and the oceans, and then I found the marine project and decided it would be a great experience that may also help me decide what to do with my education. I have also always wanted to learn to scuba dive, so it worked out perfectly!

Pod was great at getting everything organized, even getting you in contact with other volunteers starting at the same time. Not only is Koh Tao just an utterly beautiful island, but the dive school that the project is run through is one of the most wonderful schools on the island. Though it may be small you are almost immediately welcomed into the family. You get to know everyone, even if your stay is a short one. My original plan was to do the project for two weeks but I spent another 6 weeks on the project. One of the best decisions I could have made.

I really saw improvement and development with the work we did, not only is it wonderful diving and just being in the ocean, but to be collecting data, or helping the corals, you really felt as though you were making a difference.

If you have a love for the ocean or diving, then definitely look into this project. There is always something new to see in the ocean, something new to learn and you see and learn so much on this project. Your knowledge and diving will improve no matter how short your stay.

Volunteering really allows you to get a feel for the place and to feel more like a local, while doing something positive for that area.”

AWARDS AND ACCREDITATIONS