RECESSION WORN BRITS TURN TO VOLUNTEERING
Projects Abroad, the world s largest gap year organization, have announced record figures as the volunteer service abroad industry continues to flourish in the recession. Yesterday Projects Abroad announced a 98% increase in Environment and Conservation
Projects Abroad, the world's largest gap year organization, have announced record figures as the volunteer service abroad industry continues to flourish in the recession.
Yesterday Projects Abroad announced a 98% increase in Environment and Conservation volunteering from Brits.
Projects Abroad recorded an overall 50% increase in applications in January 2009 from Britons who had recently been made redundant, compared to a year earlier.
'Enterprise Volunteering' in developing countries such as Brazil, China, India, Ghana and Moldova is fast becoming popular with British young people unable to find work, and older people made redundant.
"Skilled professionals are finding themselves out of work and want to apply themselves to more than straight aid," says Dr. Peter Slowe, Founder of Projects Abroad. "We have bankers, journalists and IT experts all joining programmes to help young people in developing countries start and run their own businesses."
'Enterprise Volunteering' is part of a new wave of 'Constructive Volunteering' sweeping the volunteering industry. "Enterprise aid is the logical next step. People want to assist in actual businesses that create sustained growth for people in developing countries," says Dr. Slowe, "as opposed to simply building fences or painting houses."
Most Read
- 1 A1(M) closed in both directions near Letchworth
- 2 Five teenagers arrested following 'violent disorder' in Stevenage
- 3 Plans for second multi-storey car park at Stevenage's Lister Hospital to help 'better meet demand'
- 4 Plans approved for former Stevenage bus station site
- 5 Mental health crisis café to open in Stevenage
- 6 Three arrested after cannabis, cash and phones seized
- 7 £3k thank you to Lister for pregnant wife's bleed on brain care
- 8 Can you spot your school at Stevenage's Commonwealth Games Day?
- 9 North Herts Sanctuary announces plans to continue support amid service changes
- 10 Stevenage Armed Forces Day in pictures
Projects Abroad was founded in 1991. It has since become the world's leading commercial volunteer service abroad organisation with recruitment offices in 13 countries, including USA, UK, Japan, Denmark and Israel, and projects in 33 countries worldwide.
Dr Peter Slowe, the Founder and Chairman of Projects Abroad is an Economic Geographer with a PhD from Oxford University, and author of 'Geography and Political Power'. He was the Chairman of the Labour Finance Industry Group when Tony Blair and Gordon Brown first came to power.
