"I would like to thank you for providing me with one of the best experiences of my life...I think what you do for people and communities is absolutely amazing."
Rachael
98% of PoD volunteers rate their experience as good or very good!
Why choose PoD Volunteer?
With many different organisations offering volunteering projects, how do you choose between them and find a safe, ethical, meaningful, and exciting volunteering experience with proper support?
PoD is a specialist non-profit volunteering organisation with over 10 years experience arranging volunteer placements overseas. Read more information about PoD Volunteer and how it all started.
Don't just take our word for it though - check out our comprehensive volunteer reviews - 98% of PoD volunteers rate their experience as good or very good.
We are trusted by over 500 people each year who choose to volunteer with PoD for the reasons below.
Benefits for our volunteers
Non-profit
- Run on a non-profit basis we keep prices as low as possible without compromising our level of support
- Volunteer fee levels are set to match costs
- Click here for a breakdown of how volunteer fees are used
It's personal!
- Small friendly UK team
- You are a name not a number!
- Communicate with the same person - a dedicated volunteer manager for each project
High level of support
- PoD UK team are all ex-PoD volunteers
- In depth knowledge of the countries and projects we send volunteers to
- Experienced local staff on the ground who are there to support you during your time at the project
Independently and carefully selected projects
- We only choose genuine projects where there is mutual benefit to the project and volunteers
- We are independent so able to select the best volunteering projects
- Projects are fully vetted and assessed by PoD
- Projects are visited by a member of the PoD UK team on a regular basis to ensure we maintain in-depth knowledge of our projects
Book with confidence
- UK organisation - you know where to find us!
- Governed by and comply with UK/EU regulations
- Financial protection insurance for monies paid to us by volunteers
- £2m Public Liability insurance
Professional standards
- Full member of the Year Out Group - meeting their comprehensive Code of Practice
- Member of Responsible Travel
- Partner of the UK government FCO Know Before You Go campaign
Carefully considered safety and emergency support
- Detailed risk assessments for each project
- Full incident management plans
- Specialist crisis management insurance
- PoD senior staff on call to fly out for emergencies
Join the PoD community
- 2000 like-minded volunteers
- Be part of a social movement promoting volunteering
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Benefits for our projects
Quality volunteers and reduced admin
- Receiving volunteers to help with their work – who have been vetted and prepared
- Reduced admin compared to having to directly recruit volunteers - so they can focus on their core charitable aims
Financial support
- Our projects receive finance to cover costs of receiving volunteers and help fund their work
- They also receive donations through the UK registered PoD Charity - over £15,000 was raised for our projects in 2011
- PoD encourage all volunteers to fundraise and provides fundraising support
Wider support from PoD
- Our relationships are long term partnerships
- PoD contributes expertise in volunteer management
- PoD promotes project needs and news through it's online community
- Fundraising from the PoD Charity
Benefits to the countries we work in
- Our projects employ many local staff
- Volunteers contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses
- PoD promotes responsible travel to our volunteers
- Volunteers act as ambassadors for volunteering and ethical travel
- Increased global awareness of returning volunteers
WHAT OUR VOLUNTEERS SAY...
