Help bring communities together to build safer, more secure lives
Creating lasting change by unlocking the power of people
At VSO we harness the skills and expertise of volunteers to deliver long lasting change. We put people first and empower them to be in the driving seat of their own development. Our volunteers work in collaboration with marginalised communities in every aspect of project design, delivery and evaluation, enabling the world's poorest communities to take charge of their own change.
Areas of work
Inclusive education
Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.
We helped over 3.2 million people to access the quality education they deserve in 2022-23.
Resilient livelihoods
Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.
200,000 people benefited from our work supporting livelihoods in 2022-23.
Adolescent and youth health and wellbeing
Improving health services and empowering people to exercise their right to quality care.
We helped almost 90,000 people access better healthcare in 2022-23.
October is Free Wills Month
You can amend of write your will with us for free!
We've coupled up with Octopus Legacy, one of the UK's leading free will service providers, to help give you peace of mind.
Visit your local VSO website
Latest news
Hear stories from volunteers and communities and stay up-to-date with the latest VSO news.
From Ethiopia to Nepal, meet the volunteer challenging the education status quo
Kam Jaga is a volunteer Inclusive Education Advisor who's challenging the socio-cultural and political barriers that prevent children in Nepal accessing a fair education. Read about his volunteer journey and the lessons he's learnt along the way.
Co-leadership: leading for the future at VSO
We're adopting a co-leadership model at VSO, with the appointment of our new co-CEOs Donné Cameron and Kathryn Gordon.
Unable to leave the house: the lives of ‘untouchables’
For women from the Dalit community, abuse and prejudice are even more of a reality. Dalits make up approximately 13.8% of the population in Nepal and are discriminated against based on caste and "untouchability."
Our impact
In 2022-23, VSO reached 10.9 million people, nearly 7.4 million indirectly and over 3.5 million directly.
Over 3.2 million were reached through our education projects.
Almost 200,000 people were reached through our resilient livelihoods programme.
Almost 90,000 people were reached through our health projects.
Over 87,000 through our wider work on resilience, inclusion and social accountability.
Volunteering with VSO
Make an impact by sharing your skills and experience with some of the most marginalised people in the world. Become a VSO volunteer.
More ways you can support VSO
- Support us with a donation
- Job opportunities at VSO
- Read Kin Magazine
- Partnerships
- Global volunteer network