Volunteer abroad with Voluntary Service Overseas VSO

Celebrating 60 years

Volunteers Jack Algeo and Chris Tipple wearing Ghanaian fabrics

60 years apart: Here’s how volunteering in Ghana aged 18 changed our lives

Watch what happened when we brought two British VSO volunteers together who volunteered in Ghana to find out how different their experiences were – 60 years apart.

Screenshot of our online volunteer scrapbook

VSO scrapbook

Read about VSO volunteers, both past and present, telling in their own words how volunteering changes lives. Have a look at memories and photos from 60 years of volunteering all over the world. You can even add your own account of your time with VSO!

Former volunteers' newsletter

Hear updates from other volunteers, find out the latest on VSO projects, and discover new opportunities, like upcoming events and VSO vacancies, by signing up to our e-newsletter for former volunteers.

VSO shop

Our work

We bring people from different backgrounds, expertise and experiences together to fight poverty. Last year 7,475 volunteers worked alongside partners, communities and institutions to support 1.5 million people:

We supported over 900,000 people to access better healthcare.

Improving healthcare

Our work improving access and quality of education reached over 325,000 people.

Improving education

We helped improve access to food and income for 115,000 people.

Improving livelihoods

Where we work

Volunteer videos

Sharing skills saves lives, in a country still living with the impact of Ebola

Dr Padma is a GP from London, who is volunteering at Makeni Regional Referral Hospital in Sierra Leone. In a country still reeling from Ebola, she tells us it's often skills, not supplies, that save lives.

Mary volunteered as an education specialist in Ghana, supporting children with disabilities gain access to school

Finding Ghana’s hidden children

Mary Loureth Carnable is a disability specialist volunteering with in Ghana. She's working to get vulnerable children such as girls and children with disabilities access to education.

Volunteer Giovanni Villafuerte inspecting the crops and earth in the paddy fields of Banan in Cambodia

Supporting rice farmers in Cambodia

Volunteer Giovanni is working to support farmers turn their enterprises into robust businesses. Here he talks about the experience as a whole, and the impact he sees.

Volunteer blogs

Volunteers set up a street library to get kids reading

While volunteering in Lindi, Tanzania, Steve and Sue noticed that the children they worked with had no access to books. Together with the whole neighbourhood they came up with a new idea to get local children reading.

VSO health volunteer John Williams in Cambodia

Volunteering after retirement: John gives something back in Cambodia

John's lifelong ambition to volunteer abroad was realised at 60, when he was offered a three-month stint in Cambodia with VSO.

A day in the life of Rebecca Clark, education leadership advisor, Rwanda

Rebecca Clark, a Deputy Head Teacher from inner-city London, has swapped the concrete jungle for greener pastures. Now she trains Head Teachers in the leafy district of Rusizi, Rwanda, on a two year VSO placement.

Volunteer Mira Howard visiting a primary school in Namibia

9 Lessons in living life to the full: From 81-years-young volunteer Mira

“You can only do your bit. But that’s enough” says serial volunteer Mira. She has been supporting VSO for 18 years, having set off on her first placement at the age of 63.

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