
Our vision: A fair world for everyone
Our purpose is to create lasting change through volunteering.
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 and fragile regions.
Our values
Collaboration
- Empower poor and marginalised people to take charge of their own development.
- Share skills and knowledge to create long lasting, sustainable change.
- Build collaborative partnerships that promote innovation, growth and impact.
Knowledge
- Lead volunteering for development, setting the standard for ourselves and others.
- Use evidence and insight to guide our actions.
- Recruit the right people and work where we have the greatest impact.
Inclusion
- Stand beside and advocate for those who have been denied choice and opportunity.
- Promote diversity and equality throughout our work.
- Encourage different, inquisitive perspectives.
Integrity
- Commit to safeguarding and take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harm.
- Treat others with respect, as equals.
- Be open, transparent and accountable in everything we do.
Our strategy: Together we are Changemakers
Our ambition remains to bring lasting and positive change in the lives of our primary actors and make a significant contribution towards achieving the SDGs using the transformational power of volunteering.
Working together
At VSO, we believe progress is only possible when we work together.
Partnerships lie at the root of all the positive transformation that we create. Together, we work on programme development and delivery, research, advocacy, and fundraising.
Find out more about VSO

Annual review
Read our full annual review for 2020-21, and download reports from previous years.
Our work
We fight poverty not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions.