AidCamps International |
Short Term Volunteer Work Overseas on Third World Development Aid Projects
Group AidCamps
Joining Up
No skills or experience are needed to volunteer on a Group AidCamp. The only requirements are that you are over 18, in good health, enthusiastic, and culturally sensitive. There is no upper age limit and people of all sorts are welcome to volunteer.
To apply for a place on an AidCamp please fill in the application form and send it to us with your registration fee. Please attach a recent passport style (head and shoulders) colour photograph.
Fees and Donations
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Credit & Debit Cards Payments made by credit or debit cards are a little extra, so that we receive the correct amount after processing costs. Please see Credit & Debit Card Rates for details, and for approximations in other currencies. Fees are taken in British Pounds (£) only and we can not accept foreign cheques. |
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Credit & Debit Cards Payments made by credit or debit cards are a little extra, so that we receive the correct amount after processing costs. Fees are taken in British Pounds (£) only and we can not accept foreign cheques. |
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Do I HAVE to Fundraise? No. We encourage you to fundraise but personal donations are also welcome. |
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UK Higher Rate (40%) Taxpayer? You can reclaim 25% of your personal donations by entering them in your self assessment return, lowering your effective minimum total cost to £491 |
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Tax Relief in Other Countries Many other countries offer tax relief for donations to charities. We are unable to offer advice for outside the UK, but will provide any supporting documentation you might need. |
A registration fee is needed to reserve a place on an AidCamp and participation requires donations to a minimum fundraising target. This can be a personal donation, donations gathered by fundraising, or a mixture of the two.
| Registration Fee | £180 |
| Minimum Donation | £415 |
| Total Minimum Fundraising Target | £595 |
The registration fee covers all accommodation during the AidCamp, food while you are at the project base, all ground transport between the collection point and the project and back and during the AidCamp, and scheduled itinerary costs.
At least 72% of the minimum donation will be used directly for the implementation of the aid project itself, the remainder being used to support the charity. In addition, 100% of any donation(s) above the minimum will go to the aid project.
Conditions
The registration fee is required upon application and is non-refundable. It will only be returned if the AidCamp is full, cancelled, or your application is rejected.
Due to the need for transferring funds to our partner organisations well in advance the minimum donation must arrive at AidCamps International four months in advance of the commencement of the AidCamp, or immediately after acceptance for applications after this date. As the bulk of this will be used to finance the development project, personal donations are only refundable if a replacement volunteer can be found.
The following are not covered by the registration fee or donations and are your responsibility:
- travel (flights, etc) to the collection point and back,
- domestic flights (if any),
- travel insurance, visas, vaccinations,
- food costs when the group is not at the project base,
- all bottled drinks,
- pocket money, any extra sightseeing costs
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You should bring a sum of at least £50 per week with you to cover your additional costs.
Travel health insurance, covering emergency repatriation costs and including an international emergency help line, is mandatory to attend any AidCamp.
You will be expected to behave in a manner consistent with the laws and customs of the host country.
After Application
Once we receive your application we'll let you know, usually within a couple of days, if we've been able to give you a place on the AidCamp. If we can't we won't cash your cheque or charge your card.
Once accepted you'll be sent your Welcome Pack for the AidCamp, consisting of:
An Acceptance Letter: letting you know you've got a place and acknowledging the receipt of your registration fee.
A Certification Letter: explaining about the project and confirming your involvement. This is useful for showing potential donors to prove that you really are raising money for a registered charity.
Joining Information: information about flights (from western Europe), travel agents (UK only), visas, health, etc.
About Fundraising: ten pages of hints, ideas, and guidelines to get you thinking about fundraising.
We'll send these to you by e-mail if you have Internet access, or by post if you don't.
Website Volunteers' Area: you'll also be given access to a special area on our website where you can obtain donation and sponsorship forms, posters and logos, t-shirt transfers and other items to aid your fundraising, as well as other information useful in preparing for your AidCamp. If you don't have Internet access we can post these to you on request.
Website Sponsorship Page: in addition we'll set up a Sponsorship Page for you on our website which will allow your friends, family, colleagues, and any other donors you tell about it to make donations to your target using their credit or debit cards. E-fundraising made simple!
We'll do this automatically if you have Internet access, or by request if you don't.
Having received your Welcome Pack we recommend that, aside from organising your flights and insurance, and raising the funds for the minimum donation, you wait for the Pre-departure Pack before making any other preparations.
Three Months Before
About three months before the start of the project you'll be sent the Pre-departure Pack for the AidCamp, consisting of:
Preparation and Packing Information: including a kit list, so you know what to bring and what to leave behind, and various other bits and pieces of useful information.
Detailed Health Information: letting you know what to do and what not to do to stay healthy on the AidCamp, and information about the recommended vaccinations and prophylaxes for the region.
A Letter to your Doctor: listing the recommended vaccinations and prophylaxes and encouraging him/her to give them to you cheaply or for free, in light of the charitable nature of your trip.
Emergency Contact Details: to give your family.
Volunteers' Contact Details: for everyone in the group, so you can start talking to each other.
Mug Shots (photographs): of everyone in the group, so that you can get to know everyone's names and faces before you arrive.
Visa Forms: if needed, and instructions on how to fill them out. (UK residents only)
Pre-departure Form: to collect details of your flights, insurance, vaccinations, etc.
Again, we'll send these to you by e-mail if you have it, or by post if you don't.
Getting There
We'll let you know beforehand who is on the same flight as you, so you can look out for each other at the airport.
As long as you arrive on the recommended flight we'll pick you up from the airport, and in most cases we can collect you from any flight arriving on the start date.
If you want to make alternative arrangements we'll do our best to collect you from somewhere convenient or, at worst, give you details on how to find us. If you are arriving in advance we can make hotel reservations for you.
See Apply to Join to apply for a Group AidCamp, either online or by post.