We always strive at BU to give you a wide range of options which is why we encourage students who want to volunteer to look beyond the UK too.

There are a whole host of opportunities to take part in volunteering overseas which will help you not only to broaden your skills base but also to broaden your mind as well. The links below provide a whole of host of organisations that may be able to help you.

Funding available for volunteering overseas

If you decide to volunteer overseas you might be able to benefit from funding to contribute towards some of the costs of your activity.

If your volunteering activity takes place in the EEA and has a duration of at least 60 days, you may be able to benefit from BU Erasmus+ funding. Please note, the Erasmus+ funding will be able available for BU students for mobilities overseas until May 2023 only.

You may also be able to benefit from BU Turing Scheme funding which is available to all BU students and recent graduates undertaking mobilities globally with a duration between 4 weeks and 12 months. Please note, BU currently offers Turing Scheme funding for mobilities taking place ending before 31 August 2022. Availability for funding in 2022/23 will be announced in due course.

If you would like to know more information about the Erasmus+ funding or the Turing Scheme funding and the eligibility and quality assessment requirements, please visit the relevant webpages or email the team at: [email protected] for queries about the Erasmus+ funding and at: [email protected] for queries about the Turing Scheme funding.

Opportunities around the world

  • BUNAC - volunteering and summer camps in the US, Canada and Australia
  • Camps International - award winning volunteer trips to Africa and Asia
  • European Solidarity Corps - volunteering projects in Europe
  • Gapforce - adventure travel programmes, volunteer projects, conservation placements, outdoor training courses conservation, wildlife volunteering
  • Global Vision International - marine and wildlife conservations, virtual internships
  • Green Force - NGO volunteering organisation
  • Help Argentina - a non-profit organisation whose mission is to strengthen Argentine civil society
  • ICYE (Intercultural Youth Exchange) - an ethical International Volunteer organisation which sends volunteers throughout Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Our focus is on responsible volunteering and a cultural immersion, which includes volunteering for a local community-led project, local partners, living with a host family and receiving language lessons and extensive training
  • Latitude Global Volunteering - charity providing hand-picked internship, volunteer, working holiday and farm stay experiences
  • Mafanikio Organization - a Kenyan community based organisation set up to fight poverty in the marginalised regions of Kenya
  • Operation Wallacea - biodiversity and climate research organisation
  • Projects Abroad - overseas volunteer work placements
  • Project Trust - Scottish-registered educational charity providing young people in the UK and Europe with international volunteering experiences. Project Trust Volunteers are based in mainly teaching, Social Care and Outward Bound projects in Africa, Asia or Latin America for 12 or 8 months
  • Pod Volunteering - ethical, sustainable and supported volunteer placements at animal sanctuaries, conservation projects and community initiatives around the world
  • Real Gap Experience -  gap year and travelling ideas in over 40 countries round the world
  • Responde - an Argentine NGO which works for the recuperation of small communities in risk of extinction
  • Restless Development - worldwide volunteering  projects in health, education and the environment - partnered with ICS (International Citizen Service)
  • Sadhana Forest - experience sustainable living though reforestation, water conservation, food security and community development
  • TEFL (i-i.com) - international volunteering projects and paid internships in teaching
  • Tru Experience Travel - gap year travel and volunteer work abroad from two weeks to a year round the world
  • USA Summer Camp - work and travel organisation in the USA, they offer paid summer jobs to students

Please note: All of the opportunities above have been provided in good faith and BU is not responsible for the content of the websites or any of the activities these organisations are running. Students are also responsible for any financial costs which they may incur.

When choosing a volunteer project do your research carefully to make sure the organisation/project you are intending to work with is ethical. This is particularly important when choosing wildlife volunteering projects due to numerous unethical issues that surround it.