Awards, Accreditations and Partnerships

Our Community Development project in Ghana was selected by GoAbroad as a finalist in the category of Innovative New Program – Volunteer Abroad in 2020. 

Pod Volunteer is the winner of Learning Experience of the Year 2020 UK at the Travel & Hospitality awards - globally recognising the best tour operators.

British Youth Travel Awards – Pod Volunteer is the winner of Best Volunteering Organisation of 2019! We also won Best Volunteering Organisation in 2017 and 2015.

Pod Volunteer has been shortlisted for Volunteering Company of the Year in the iStudy Awards 2019/20. 

Our Madagascar Conservation project received an award in the Outstanding Volunteer Project category at the Global Youth Travel Awards.

Our Marine Conservation project in Thailand received an award in the Outstanding Volunteer Project category at the Global Youth Travel Awards.

Pod Volunteer has won Volunteering Company of the Year in the iStudy Awards 2018/19. 

British Youth Travel Awards – Pod Volunteer has won the award for Best Volunteering Organisation of 2017! We also won in 2015 and were a finalist in 2014.

Our community projects in Ghana received an award in the Outstanding Volunteer Project category at the Global Youth Travel Awards.

British Youth Travel Awards – Pod Volunteer has won the award for Best Volunteering Organisation of 2015!

Our Marine Conservation project in Thailand received an award in the Outstanding Volunteer Project category at the Global Youth Travel Awards.

British Youth Travel Awards – Pod Volunteer has won a finalist award in the Best Volunteering Organisation 2014 category.

Our Creative Arts project in Nepal has been selected by GoAbroad as a finalist in the category of Innovative New Program – Volunteer.

We are part of the SME Climate Hub initiative which, in collaboration with Oxford University and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, brings together governments and businesses to make a climate commitment, take action and measure progress towards net-zero emissions.​

We have pledged to work with Right Tourism, an organisation which helps people to stay animal-friendly whilst travelling.

Claws Out Pledge - Pod Volunteer was one of the first organisations to work alongside IAPWA (International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals) on a campaign to help end the exploitation of captive lions.

We are a member of Responsible Travel, the leading platform fortour operators committed to responsible tourism. All members are vetted and need to provide evidence of responsible tourism.

Tourism Concern works for ethical and fairly traded tourism and has created an Ethical Volunteering Group of which we are a member.

Pod Volunteer is an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award which is the world’s leading achievement award for young people, delivered under special licence by partners.

We are a member of Year Out Group, an association of leading gap year providers who are subjected to a rigorous membership process and must maintain the agreed standards.

Goodnet has featured us in their "10 Incredible Volunteer Abroad Organizations You Should Know".

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Travel Aware campaign is designed to help travellers stay safe and healthy abroad.