Blog
A night to remember: Global volunteers celebrated at VSO Awards
VSO volunteers, supporters and friends came together to celebrate the impact of volunteering for development at the Volunteer Impact Awards.
Courageous Keith conquers Kilimanjaro
How 62-year-old Keith Davies achieved a long-held goal by trekking Africa’s highest mountain for VSO, overcoming huge challenges and personal tragedy on the way.
Getting children ready to start school in Rwanda
VSO is changing the future of education in Rwanda through helping prepare children for school, training teachers and classroom refurbishment.
From teacher to volunteer: What’s it like to volunteer with VSO?
Two retired UK teachers decided to embark on a completely new challenge: Wendy is improving teaching standards in Rwanda, while Helen is making education more inclusive in Nepal.
The unexpected thing I learnt as a VSO volunteer
Returned volunteers from the UK share some of the unexpected things they learned from their VSO experience, from the practical, to the bizarre, to the profound.
This entrepreneur is on a mission to clean up his town
Paul started his business by volunteering to clean his local hospital and streets for free. Since taking part in a VSO project, he now runs a successful garbage collection, cleaning and composting business.
Building understanding: Mental health and youth volunteering
As the world’s leading organisation that uses volunteering to tackle poverty, VSO is especially interested in understanding how we can best ensure that people of all sorts of backgrounds can access meaningful volunteering opportunities, writes Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive of VSO.
Is teaching the world's toughest job?
Low pay. Lack of respect. Being asked to achieve the impossible with not enough time, resources or training to do your best. Teachers around the world reveal the challenges they face – and why they keep at it despite everything.
Inside the world’s classrooms
Open the door of classrooms around the world and you’ll find a surprising range of challenges – as well as some truly incredible teachers dedicated to changing children’s lives.
The homes built on plastic: Life in a Sierra Leone slum
In Freetown, Sierra Leone, tens of thousands of people live with a sea of plastic waste on their doorstep. They're suffering disease, death and indignity. One volunteer is determined to make a stand on behalf of his community.
Our lasting bond: How volunteering created a cross-cultural connection
A volunteer placement that began more than a decade ago continues to benefit children with special education needs in Vietnam and has laid the foundations for a special relationship between two extraordinary women.
Safeguarding – a survivor-centred approach
Over the last year, organisations working in aid and development have been rightly challenged over their failings in dealing with abuse and harassment. In response to the scandals, the UK government is holding an International Safeguarding Summit in London in October.