Who Volunteers

VOLUNTEER BACKGROUNDS

Pod Volunteer matches a wide range of volunteers with projects in need

What nationalities are Pod volunteers?

Pod is a UK based organisation which accepts volunteers from all over the world. We have many volunteers who join Pod projects from outside of the UK, in particular from USA, Canada and Europe.

How old are Pod volunteers?

We have volunteers of a wide range of ages joining our projects, generally from 18 to 80. This mix of ages works well with each volunteer bringing their own individual skills, experience and resource. We find that age usually becomes irrelevant when you are on a project as everyone is there for the same reason to make a difference.

There is usually no maximum age limit as long as you are in reasonable health for the project. 

If you want to volunteer before you turn 18, we have some projects which are suitable for 17 year olds and special under 18 volunteer summer trips - see our under 18 volunteering page for more details. You can also join one of our family projects with your parents if you are under 18. 

What volunteering holidays does Pod offer?

Pod offers a wide range of volunteering trips all round the world. We offer the opportunity to volunteer on different types of volunteer placements in a range of locations. To find out about all of the volunteer holidays available please click here.

Volunteer holidays come in all shapes and size - from helping animal rescue centres,  joining a research team to assist with conservation work, helping rescue turtles to community work. We have projects who are looking for volunteers to help them in Belize, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Greece, India, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The volunteer job and role will depend on which volunteer project you choose to join and this can vary depending on the needs of the project at the time, including:

  • Animal care and rescue volunteer trips – feeding and providing fresh water to the animals, cleaning enclosures, building and repairing enclosures, giving educational talks, providing enrichment for the animals and helping to care for young, injured or orphaned animals
  • Conservation volunteer trips – carrying out surveys, collecting data, analysing results, ID and monitoring species in both marine and terrestrial environments
  • Building and Community Development  trips – building schools, toilets and community buildings and taking photos and filming videos which charities can use for marketing purposes
  • Education trips – teaching English, sport, playing games, creative arts and crafts activities, helping with homework, organising fun activities such as a sports day 

Can volunteering overseas help me to get a job?

In a word, yes! Volunteering overseas offers a whole host of skills that you may not expect. It can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field which is invaluable when considering a new career.

Volunteering offers the opportunity to develop important skills which are transferable to the workplace such as time and task management, organisation, planning, problem solving, flexibility, adaptability, teamwork and communication skills.

If you’re looking to move into a new career then doing a volunteer placement within your chosen field allows you to experience this field in a supported way and to build skills and confidence before applying for a job.

Having volunteering experience also greatly enhances your CV and your employability as volunteering is highly valued in the job market. In the Timebank Survey carried out by the Associate of Graduate Recruiters, they found that 73% of employers said that they would rather employ someone with volunteering experience than someone without it, and over half said that volunteer work experience can be more valuable than paid employment.

AWARDS AND ACCREDITATIONS