VSO | Voluntary Service Overseas

Creating lasting change by unlocking the power of people

We know that simply sending money can’t make the kind of lasting changes we all want to see. So, we unlock the power of people, bringing together local, national and international volunteers to work alongside the world’s most marginalised and vulnerable communities to build generational change.

Our work

We have experience working in over 90 countries

80,000

We've worked with over 80,000 volunteers.

50,000,000

We've supported over 50 million people

COVID-19 response

We're adapting our work to respond to the most pressing needs.

COVID-19 response

A farmer standing next to their harvested crops

Support us with a donation

Community theatre group performing in Nepal.

Omar Havana / VSO

£25 a month could give girls who are at risk from child marriage and pregnancy a safe space where they can learn about their rights and feel empowered 

Volunteer Peter and teacher Jackline help some girls who are working together at a large table

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£10 a month could give vulnerable students the support of a VSO teacher and equal learning opportunities

VSO volunteer giving Hygenic Kit to a girl in Nepal.

VSO

£5 could help vulnerable girls stay in school, by providing hygiene packs of essential items.

£25

£10

£5

Hospital worker Ngisti helps to keep the wards clean in the neonatal worker

£100 could help women and children escaping conflict, by training a local health worker to provide emergency care for them

VSO/Obscura Media

£50 could help a mother recover from the effects of climate change and COVID-19 by running a small business to support her family

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£25 could help pay for a learning kit that’ll help a girl get a second chance at school

£100

£50

£25

Other ways to support VSO

VSO supporters cheering on a runner at the London Marathon

Fundraise for VSO

We’re stronger when we stand together. So, we’ve made some simple how-to guides to provide inspiration and support for your own fundraising initiatives. Find out about fundraising in your community, together with your friends, or in your workplace.

VSO volunteer Patricia Doyle with seven-month-old baby Eldana Akieiu and her mother Abaynesh Girma in the new paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU) at Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Hospital in Hosanna, Ethiopia

Remember VSO in your will

A gift in your will can make an impact on the world that lasts for years to come, helping communities build better lives for themselves and access the kind of education, healthcare and opportunities we all take for granted.

Volunteer Dr Lynch with 2 year old Laxmi, Nepal

Volunteer with VSO

Help build a fairer and more just world by standing shoulder to shoulder with vulnerable communities, helping them build better lives for themselves.

Latest insights

A young girl smiles slightly as she peers out from behind a wall in Parsa, Nepal

Annual review

Read our full annual review for 2020-21, and download reports from previous years.

Irene Bitumbe, winner of the Health volunteer award

Volunteer Impact Awards: The unsung heroes of 2021

At this years’ VSO Volunteer Impact Awards we celebrated the incredible hard work, dedication, and resilience of VSO volunteers, past and present.

Volunteers teaching a group of children about social distancing

Pandemic response must empower communities

COVID-19 is accelerating new approaches to do development differently

Deaf student making bags at a Deaf School vocational centre with VSO national volunteer. Rwanda

Our partners

We believe progress is only possible when we work together. Join us to create lasting change through volunteering.

VSO partners with many organisations across funding, policy, research, sourcing and programme delivery.

Our partners