Schools & Partners

Schools & Colleges

Volunteering in the community is a great way of developing a sense of social responsibility in students. Volunteering overseas has an exponential effect in developing the life skills and cultural awareness of young adults and can be a meaningful part of a gap year.

We work with Heads of Sixth Form and Careers Advisors from both state and independent schools, to help increase awareness of the opportunity that volunteering overseas offers and how this works as part of a gap year. We find the most effective way to share this message is through dedicated talks to 6th form groups. Here are just some of the kind comments we have had in response to our talks…

“Hi Steve, I really did want to thank you so much for taking the (not inconsiderable) time and trouble to come here and deliver your message to the boys. I’ve had very positive feedback and clearly people really valued what you had to say, particularly as most of them had not properly considered what volunteering could actually mean for them…..

So thank you again for providing the boys with the new ideas – they really appreciated it”

Alan Williams, Head of PHSE & Citizenship, Poole Grammar

“Dear Steve, thank you for visiting Millfield today. I really enjoyed your presentation and learnt a lot about Outreach International and volunteering in general. I felt that the pupils appreciated your constructive attitude to the whole concept of volunteering, and  I shall follow up with those present, and others, in future.”

Mr S. Briston, Deputy Head of Careers, Millfield

“Dear Steve, I would like to thank you on behalf of Worthing College for attending our Careers Inspiration Day on Tuesday 8th March. The talks you gave were very well received and we have had lots of positive feedback from students. Once again thank you for your valuable contribution. We look forward to seeing you next year.”

Maisie Miller, Student Services, Worthing College

We are a small social enterprise based in the south of England but we are keen to participate wherever time, technology and expense allows. The following are just some of the ways Outreach can engage with your school:

• Speaking to 6th form groups
• Exhibiting at career/gap fairs
• Providing talks on ethics and responsible volunteering
• Group consultations: working with small interest groups who want to have a more involved discussion, perhaps with a careers advisor present
• On site resources: providing information, impromptu displays and drop-in services to schools who want to partner with a responsible volunteering organisation
• Bursary scheme: using sponsorship funds from local businesses and/or our own surplus funds, we have the opportunity to support a small number of volunteer placements for students coming from a less privileged background

Contact us for more information about how we can support your students and download our posters to add to your student noticeboard.

 A4 volunteering poster for schools and Universities 

A3 volunteering poster for schools and Universities

Universities

The community volunteering movement at Universities is alive and kicking. The benefits for both the recipients of volunteering and the volunteers themselves are well understood.

For those Universities looking to add advice on Overseas Volunteering to their list of services, then Outreach International can support this in a number of ways. We can help explain what is responsible volunteering, as well as providing volunteer opportunities that support students in their studies, whether in medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, conservation, marine biology, zoology or veterinary studies.

We are a small social enterprise based in the south of England, but we are keen to participate wherever time, technology and expense allows:

• Speaking and exhibiting at University career and gap fairs
• Providing talks on ethics and responsible volunteering
• Delivering webinars on volunteering; this enables us to more easily deliver information to Universities outside of the south of England, and enables all Universities to access speaking services in a more flexible and media-savvy format
• Group consultations: working with small interest groups who want to have a more involved discussion
• On site resources: providing information, impromptu displays and drop-in services to Universities who want to partner with a responsible volunteering organisation

Whether you are a Volunteering representative for your University or a member of the Student Volunteering Network, contact us for more information, and download our volunteering poster for your student noticeboard.

 A4 volunteering poster for schools and Universities 

A3 volunteering poster for schools and Universities

Opportunities for Employers

For an employer, supporting a volunteering programme offers multiple opportunities to contribute to your local community, your staff development and even your international business.

• Bursary: A relatively small amount of sponsorship can support a student volunteer application from a young person from a less privileged background, through a bursary scheme operated in partnership with your local school or college. As well as contributing to the work of the project and supporting youth development, this has the added benefit of increasing your links with the local community
• Graduate Sponsorship Programme: for employers wanting to create a splash in the student market, sponsoring a volunteer placement is a high profile, attractive and economic way of drawing attention to your brand and your job opportunities.
  Graduates want to travel, experience life and do something that makes a difference before they immerse themselves in a career. Why not attract top graduates to your job opportunities through a sponsored volunteering experience that enables them to gain additional life skills and experience before working with you.
• Staff retention & development: After years of loyal service, your most valued staff may just need or want some extended time off – a sabbatical. Rather than being a victim of it, supporting volunteering as a productive and charitable alternative is a fantastic way of building an exciting staff retention plan, and can be a distinctive part of your corporate social responsibility programme.

It may even be that we can offer a volunteering placement that expands and develops the professional skills of your employee, or provides cultural insight in destinations that are important to your overseas trade, meaning they not only return to you refreshed, but a more valuable employee as well

Contact us for more information about how Outreach International can help you attract and retain talent through an innovative volunteering opportunity.

Year Out Group

Outreach International is a co-founding member of the Year Out Group, an association of leading volunteering and year out organisations formed in 1998 to promote the benefits of well-structured volunteering and year out programmes and to promote models of good practice.

The Group works under a Code of Practice, designed to ensure members act responsibly and ethically in providing the experiences they offer to consumers, plus a Members Charter concerning the operating and regulatory environment.

Year Out Group is a not-for-profit organisation, managed by an independent Chief Executive. The members meet regularly to develop best practice on the provision of ethical, safe and financially sound experiences and provide an independent issue resolution service where required.

Outreach International has been a committed member of the Group since its inception, providing input to the best practice framework and lobbying for responsible volunteering practices.