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Help please?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Well I'm on me gap year and finally bored of Wrexham. Had a look on the web and can't find much, so was wondering if anybody cold help me out.

I'd like to travel with Oxfam (however local campaigns are going nowhere as hardly anyone ever makes it to the meetings), but am also interested in working around the UK, travelling doing jobs that give accomodation.

I'm not fussy whether it's voluntary or not, it's the experience I want. Am interested in helping young people with learning disabilities or personality disorders and mental illness, or maybe homeless people or drug addicts. Perhaps helping familes and troubled children too.

I think maybe by starting off in my gap year, I'll see things face to face and see if I can hack that sort of work as it has my interest.

Anybody else done this kinda thing or worked with charities/organisations in the areas I metioned?

Any idea of jobs I could go in to in those areas? What qualifications would be needed?

Would love to hear off some people.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hiya
    You should check out our sister site, www.do-it.org.uk - it's a huge database of loads of volunteering opps and you can type in your postcoade and what your into and loads of opportunities come up. YOu could also go into your local volunteering centre and talk tot them about what you're after.
    We also have lots of info here on TheSite:

    volunteering overseas

    what type of gap year?

    http://www.gapyear.com/ is also really helpful but focuses more on paid placements abroad.

    Good luck!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm constantly being told by people to volunteer to do something. Oh well, beats sitting at home all day thinking of suicide. :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Help please?
    Originally posted by MoonRat
    Well I'm on me gap year and finally bored of Wrexham. Had a look on the web and can't find much, so was wondering if anybody cold help me out.

    I'd like to travel with Oxfam (however local campaigns are going nowhere as hardly anyone ever makes it to the meetings), but am also interested in working around the UK, travelling doing jobs that give accomodation.

    I'm not fussy whether it's voluntary or not, it's the experience I want. Am interested in helping young people with learning disabilities or personality disorders and mental illness, or maybe homeless people or drug addicts. Perhaps helping familes and troubled children too.

    I think maybe by starting off in my gap year, I'll see things face to face and see if I can hack that sort of work as it has my interest.

    Anybody else done this kinda thing or worked with charities/organisations in the areas I metioned?

    Any idea of jobs I could go in to in those areas? What qualifications would be needed?

    Would love to hear off some people.
    I have volunteereed in the UK with Winged Fellowship on holidays for disabled people. It was loads of fun- would recommend it highly.

    For volunteering abroad it is probably easiest to organise by going through an organisation. I volunteered in Brazil working with children on a slum and did this through Gap Activity Projects. There are several similar organisations that you could look into.

    Let us know how you get on :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey, i'm in pretty much the same situation as you. I'm on a gap year and going to uni next year to do Human Services which pretty much covers this sort of thing. I'm not sure what job I want to into yet, but definately in the area of community or charity work, hopefully overseas. This course keeps my options open and lets me go into a wide variety of jobs. I'm hoping to do some voluntary work to give me some experience of this work, improve my confidence and actually help me decide what sort of work i'll enjoy.

    As far as i'm aware, Oxfam don't offer overseas voluntary opportunities to unskilled/unqualified people, but you can volunteer to work in their offices here. I think this is the same with most major charities. I've been desperately searching for a charity to do some overseas voluntary work with, but I've had little luck so far. The only opportunities i've found are with organisations, but I'm not keen on going with a multi million pound 'gap year' organisation, which cost over a grand to apply for, they just seem less than genuine to me, but thats just a personal thing. But if you are looking for some sort of well organised, overseas gap year placement there's no end of them about, it just takes a while to search and suss out the cons from the more genuine.

    I went on a short term placement in the summer to Romania where I helped out at a childrens day centre which children could go to, most having a lot of social problems at home. It was a fantastic experience, i'd definately recommend it.

    Well thats my experience of it, but sorry, don't have any information about opportunities in Britain as I was just looking for overseas placements. It takes a lot of searching, but it'll be well worth it.
    Originally posted by stargalaxy
    I'm constantly being told by people to volunteer to do something. Oh well, beats sitting at home all day thinking of suicide. :(
    I would recommend it. It really does put things in perspective, makes you open your eyes to things outside your own little world. I've been in the same situation, but yea, it shows you that we've got very little to moan about compared to whats going on in other peoples lives, you soon forgot what you were crying about when you walk past the same child every morning whos sleeping on the street. Seriously, you should get involved with some local project or something, it keeps you busy and opens your eyes, lets you meet new people etc.

    :)
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