Project Trust

Who are these strangers you say you're going away with?

Well, they really aren't strangers. I'm going to volunteer in Guyana with a charity, Project Trust.

"Project Trust specialises in sending 17-19 year old school leavers overses for 8 or 12 month volunteer placements in Africa, Asia or the Americas.

Project Trust was founded in 1967 as an educational charity on the Hebridean Isle of Coll in North West Scotland. Since then we have sent over 6,000 volunteers overseas. Project Trust sends about 250 volunteers to 23 countries annually and is widely respected as one of the most experienced and professional gap year organisations in Britain.

Our main philosophy is to provide young people with an opportunity to understand a community overseas by immersing themselves in it; living and working there for a year. All our projects are vetted for their suitability for volunteers, and none deprive local people of work. We have the expertise and the infrastructure to ensure all volunteers are given a challenging and exciting opportunity to develop themselves, and all the support available to them when they need it.

All of our staff are based on Coll, in a well-equipped modern office, and this is where all of our administration takes place. Many of the staff are Project Trust Returned Volunteers, and are desk officers, i.e. responsible for the volunteers in one or more countries in our programme. As a volunteer, you will remain in close contact with your desk officer throughout your year. In addition, we have an extensive network of overseas contacts, all working together to give unrivalled support to our volunteers."

I met these lovely Scots on Coll during my selection, and I can tell you, they really are lovely.

For more information please see their website.