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

Happy International Volunteer Day

Volunteers are at the heart of everything VSO does. We bring about change not by sending aid, but by working with volunteers and partners to empower people living in some of the world’s poorest regions. This year we're celebrating the theme of solidarity through volunteering and encouraging volunteers to act together and to act now for the future of our planet.

community volunteer using a Talking Book to deliver a lesson to the students.

Volunteer Impact Awards 2022: Changing lives through active citizenship

On Thursday 8 December 2022, we'll be hosting the Volunteer Impact Awards 2022, celebrating the exceptional contribution of VSO volunteers from around the world in creating lasting change in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Text: International Volunteer Day, Together Act Now.

International Volunteer Day 2022

On the 5 of December each year, International Volunteer Day (IVD) celebrates the immense contributions that over one billion volunteers worldwide make towards making societies inclusive, cohesive, resilient, and sustainable. Find out how to get involved with the celebrations.

Long-term volunteer Rea Torres, ICS team leader Torom Justus and SAP corporate volunteer Nadja Attianeze Barreto

Volunteering Together: Blending knowledge and skills for development

This collaborative research project between VSO and the University of Northumbria, examines the value that blended volunteering can bring to development projects.

URGENT END OF YEAR APPEAL

The climate crisis is threatening millions of lives in Kenya. Will you act now?

Two young male peer educators in the studio as they present a health programme on Radio Bangweulu

VSO/Jason J Mulikita

£10 could help volunteers raise awareness of ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change via local radio shows, social media campaigns and webinars.

£15 could enable volunteers to produce informative materials on the climate crisis in local languages, helping raise awareness with vulnerable communities.

£25 could help provide a community with a solar powered irrigation pump, using green energy to enable farming to continue in drought prone areas.

£10

£15

£25

Paul Wambugu

£25 could help provide farmers with expert training in sustainable farming methods, supporting them to grow more and better crops to feed their families

Paul Wambugu

£50 could help train and mentor more volunteers to reach more at-risk communities in Kenya, supporting them to adapt to and prepare for the climate crisis

Paul Wambugu

£100 could help provide a community with a model farm, training people in water harvesting techniques, soil conservation, and traditional pest management.

£25

£50

£100

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.

Areas of work

Where we work

Inclusive education

Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.

Over the past five years we have supported almost 3,500,000 children to access the quality education they deserve.

Women farmers with a VSO volunteer in Nigeria

Resilient livelihoods

Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.

770,000 people have benefited from our work supporting livelihoods over the past five years.

Girls at the She Club, a safe space for girls to learn about SRHR

Adolescent and youth health and wellbeing

Improving health services and empowering people to exercise their right to quality care.

Over the past five years we have helped over 3,600,000 people access better healthcare.

Latest news

Hear stories from volunteers and communities and stay up-to-date with the latest VSO news.

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Christmas around the world

With Christmas on our doorsteps, millions of people around the world are gearing up to celebrate the festive season. Here we discover how no two countries do Christmas the same with a mini round-up of some of the coolest and quirkiest traditions in places where VSO works.

Sewing the seams of inclusion and other stories of hope

As we celebrate the UN’s International Day of Persons With Disabilities on December 3, we look back at three of the numerous inspiring stories of hope that demonstrate how VSO’s resilient livelihoods programming is turning the lives of persons with disabilities for the better with a focus on young women and men.