International youth volunteering programme

Recruitment is now open in Germany, Armenia, Finland and France to come to the UK in September 2010. Contact your own National Society as soon as possible.

Are you excited by the idea of gaining new skills and experiencing a new culture? Do you want to learn a new language while having fun and making a difference to people's lives?

Our international youth volunteering programme (IYVP) offers young people aged 18-30 the opportunity to volunteer overseas in another European country for 6-12 months. We send young people from the UK to projects in Europe and host young people from Europe here in the UK.

What would I be doing?

The community projects you could be volunteering for provide a range of different services, and we try to match volunteers to an appropriate placement according to your personal skills and interests. You might be:

• working with children with autism
• giving presentations on HIV prevention
• caring for the elderly or for people with disabilities.

How much does it cost?

Our programme is funded by the European Commission as part of their European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme.

We will provide basic funding for your placement, including:

• travel
• insurance
• accommodation
• a small monthly personal allowance.

We will also:

• arrange training and seminars
• assign a supervisor who is responsible for your general well-being
• provide ongoing confidential support and supervision and 24-hour emergency cover.

Who can participate?

We have partnerships with several Red Cross National Societies in Europe. At the moment, to participate you must be legally resident in:

• Armenia
• Finland
• Germany
• the UK

We’re looking for people who:

• are between 18 and 30 years old
• have ideally done some volunteering before
• will bring commitment and initiative to their work
• are friendly, flexible and open to new experiences
• are serious about helping individuals and local communities
• are willing to learn a new language or improve existing language skills
• are keen to spend 12 months living and working in another European country.

We are always keen to hear from volunteers who would otherwise not have access to such international volunteering opportunities and particularly recruit volunteers from under-represented groups. If this sounds like you, or someone you know, please get in touch.

What skills do I need?

You do not need any specific skills, as volunteers receive necessary training during the year. All you really need is the motivation and commitment to make the most of this opportunity.

How do I apply?

The programme has two sides: sending and hosting.

If you live in the UK and want to go to Armenia, Germany or Norway, find out more about our youth volunteering opportunities abroad and then apply online.

If you live in Armenia, Finland or Germany you can find out more about our youth volunteering opportunities in the UK  but please apply through your own Red Cross National Society by contacting the people below.

Armenia: Katarina Vardanyan, katarina.vardanyan@gmail.com
Finland: Pekka Laukkanen, pekka.laukkanen@redcross.fi
Germany: Karin Deschka karin.deschka@schwesternschaft-bonn.drk.de
Spain: Montse Ibáñez Viciano, mviciano@cruzroja.es

Who do I contact with questions?

Please contact the IYVP coordinator at internationalyouth@redcross.org.uk

Find out why you should volunteer with us