Volunteers

How does it work?

You will be pleased to hear the process is pretty simple with only 5 Simple Steps.

Registration
Consultation
Volunteer Workshop
Deposit & Options
Pre Departure Support

The registration form covers your Personal Details, Professional Qualifications & Skills, Work & Travel Experience, Employment References & CV / Résumé. We will review your application and respond within 5 working days. To apply please call +44 (0) 203 287 1177 or email info@afid.org.uk
We take great pride in having a hands-on approach with all of our volunteers and would be more than happy to arrange a 1-2-1 consultation. We know it can be daunting but we’re confident that we can answer all your questions and put your mind at rest.
Even if you are at the early stages of considering volunteering overseas we strongly recommend you book a place on our next Volunteer’s Workshop. It’s a great way to learn about development, the needs of our partners and the role of our volunteers. You will meet with like-minded people and definitely allay any fears.
When you are happy to proceed we require a £250 first instalment of the placement fee before our experienced programmes team begin to create your assignment options.
Upon confirmation of your preferred assignment we will introduce you to your hosts, past volunteers and assist you with all the necessary arrangements.

If its still alittle confusing please give us a call on 02032871177 or e-mail info@afid.org.uk, we are happy to help.

Do I have what it takes?

Believe it or not it’s surprisingly easy for seemingly normal people to achieve amazing results, changing lives for the better. You don’t need the patience of Mother Teresa or the survival skills of Ray Mears to be a great volunteer. All you need is a little belief, the time and of course the will.

There are a few other boxes you will also need to tick;

Professional accounting qualification (Including Finalists & QBEs) We do consider Part Qualified candidates with relevant Charities/Development Sector experience)
Membership or affiliation to a UK/Overseas Accounting Institute e.g. ICAEW, ICAS, ACCA, CIPFA, HKICPA or CIMA
Fluency in written and spoken English
Bags of initiative and resourcefulness
Honesty, patience and of course compassion.
Excellent communication skills

Still unsure? Please drop us a line, as we are happy to answer any questions.

Tel +44 (0) 203 287 1177 Email info@afid.org.uk

Do you require references?

In addition to a successful Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check all volunteers need to provide us with written references covering their last 3 years of employment. Copies of your passport, two other forms of identification and your professional membership details are also required.

What will I be doing?

Each volunteer forms integral part of an ongoing and long term strategy to develop the skills of local people. Assignments typically range from 2 to 24 weeks depending on the agreed objectives, the range and depth of skills of local people and the volunteer’s own availability. If you are the first volunteer to visit a partner organisation your assignment will begin by conducting a financial health assessment; an educational internal audit assessing the needs and capacity of the staff and the organisation. This document will then form the basis for terms of reference for future volunteers continuing your good work and as a working training plan for the partner organisation.

Volunteers will work 121 with each of the staff responsible for the organisations finances; developing their financial management, accounting and reporting skills. They will assist staff with the preparation of financial plans and the monitoring & analysis of budgets.

The need for skilled accountants is largely driven by a lack of training at local level, combined with the complex reporting requirements of overseas donors. This is further complicated by the fact that these donors will typically restrict funding to individual projects and limit the allocation for core costs.

When you are a headmistress, a doctor or a nun trying to run an small NGO with very limited resources, it can be very difficult to keep accurate records AND perform your normal duties - with a different set of accounts, reports and sometimes bank accounts required by each donor, of which there can be many, the task becomes impossible.

Additional responsibilities may also include;

Supporting International Donor (Charity) relations
Implementation of new financial controls & procedures
Assisting with funding proposals, donor reports and new project budgeting
Teaching English, Sports & Microsoft Office skills

Championing the role of the Accountant

In many developing countries the role of the accountant is still completely alien to the local population. One of the most fundamental objectives of all of our volunteers is to help elevate the profile of local finance staff, ensuring they have the confidence and the ability to become a key feature in the organisation’s decision making process and helping to create new role models within their local communities.

Each volunteer should look upon themselves as a well-informed, independent consultant working on the areas they, and their partner, feel most appropriate at the time. If a volunteer at any time a feels unable to deal with a critical issue, then, once communicated, this can easily be factored into the next volunteer’s hiring profile and subsequent terms of reference. It is this timely and constructive direction from each volunteer to the next that means the longer term programme of support will always be focussed on the right areas; leading to more effective development.

For a detailed breakdown of the aspects of a partner organisation's finances our previous volunteers have supported click here

For more information check out the Volunteer Case Studies at the bottom of the About Page of this website (click the Read this case study link).

How much does it cost?

Tailored Volunteer Programme: £695 (Concessions* £495)

Our experienced programmes team will create three assignment options based your personal preferences from our 100 grassroots partner organisations. These will take into account your skills and experience, your preferred travel dates, locations and assignment length as well as particular interests you may have in the work of some charities. Volunteers are responsible for their own travel, insurance & visas. However we are happy to give advice and refer you to our travel partners offering discounted fares and services. Each assignment will offer a range of accommodation options at differing costs; these are likely to include guesthouses, hostels and home-stays with the staff of the partner organisation. In a small number of cases these will not incur a charge.

Structured Volunteer Programme: £850

Our larger international charity partners often have the resources to cover some or all of the costs associated with volunteer placement. These will always include the cost of flights and may include accommodation, visas, insurance and a stipend. Structured assignments will be focussed on supporting the local staff within the charities network of country offices. The terms of reference for these assignments will be clearly defined by the charity with a fixed location, start time and assignment length. Volunteers will be required to attend an interview, briefing and possibly an induction with the charity. Where appropriate this will be conducted by telephone or video conferencing.

Does the placement fee include the cost of the workshop?
Yes, the total placement fee does include a place the workshop. To confirm a place volunteers must make a payment of £145. For those volunteers that go on to take an assignment this will be treated as the first installment of the placement fee.

Do you charge your overseas partners for my services?

We are wholly committed ensuring that no charges of any kind are made to our independent grassroot partners overseas. This means we can continue to support a large number of small, otherwise neglected community organisations.

Why am I paying a placement fee?

AfID is wholly commited to it's social aims, the placement fee is our main source of funding and simply to cover the many costs associated with organising and managing a placement of this nature. It is essential that AfID and our volunteers are viewed as independent & impartial in all aspects of our work and not as representatives of overseas donors. Therefore we are entirely self-funded and do not receive or seek 'restricted' funding from either government or charitable institutions that would affect our impartiality and reduce donations to the very charities we wish to support.

Our aim is for all our charity partners to be self reliant and sustainable and we believe to do this we as an organisation must lead by example. We hope that by committing to the delivery of an equal exchange of benefits to both our partners and our volunteers our organisation will succeed.

We completely understand that in these financially challenging times costs of any nature may present an obstacle to many volunteers, therefore we will always endeavour to source projects based on an individual’s own budget. Many of our volunteers have found their current employers to be hugely supportive, allowing either extended leave or sponsoring their assignment as part of their Staff Development or Corporate Social Responsibility policies. A number of our volunteers have raised funds for their trip through sponsored activities.

*Concessions: Volunteers must be unemployed, retired or in full time education at the point of registration to qualify for the concessions rate. Evidence of your current status may be required. Please note there is no concessions for the Structured Volunteer Programme.

How can I solve all the problems in such a short space of time?

Volunteers should not feel any under pressure to address all their partner’s needs, they should see themselves as part of a team of volunteers developing the capacity of local people to tackle the problems themselves. Each volunteer’s assignment forms part of a long term programme of support involving many volunteers over several years, with each volunteer handing over to the next, much like runners in a very long relay race.

In comparison to any commercial accounting assignment progress will seem slow but the impact will be far greater and crucial to the sustainability of some amazing organisations.

What assignments are available now?

Whilst we are listing some assignment opportunities on our Top Opportunities page page it is worth noting these are only the most urgent assignments or our partners with more individual needs. Typically each assignment forms part of a long-term programme of support which will involve many volunteers over several years, with each volunteer handing over to the next - much like runners in a very long relay race. Therefore opportunities exist with nearly all our 90+ partners, starting now, next month or later. We work hard to tailor all our assignments around our partner’s needs and your personal profile i.e. your experience, availability, passions, priorities and concerns.

Whilst you may see a number of assignments come with some or all costs covered sadly these are only from a small number of our larger international charity partners. These assignments will often require a longer time commitment, usually of at least 6 weeks and a start date within the next 2 months (See FAQ below). It is worth noting that all our partners are staffed with inspiring & generous people and many of these are willing to open their homes to our volunteers at little or no cost..

In a Nutshell: If you are considering volunteering now, next month or even next year please drop us a line or an e-mail with your questions; we are happy to help and we will always try our best to place great accountants where they are needed most.

How are my skills relevant? Is my experience too specialist?

The needs of our partners stem from a lack of experience in all aspects of financial management, not just the basics such as bookeeping, controls and systems but also more strategic financial planning and staff management. There will always be a need for accountants with extensive life & work experience (Partners, Heads of Finance, FDs & CFOs) to work on more complex issues that will help keep the organisations on track to achieve their longer term goals.

Each volunteer should look upon themselves as a well-informed, independent consultant working on the areas they, and their partner, feel most appropriate at the time. If at any time a volunteer feels unable to deal with what they think is a critical issue, then, once communicated, this can easily be factored into the next volunteer’s hiring profile and subsequent terms of reference. It is this timely and highly constructive direction from one volunteer to the next that ensures the longer term programme of support is always focussed on the right areas; leading to more effective development.

Why are only some assignments covering costs?

Our larger international NGO partners often have the resources to cover some or all of thecosts associated with a volunteer assignment. These assignments will be focussed on supporting the local staff within their network of pcountry offices. The terms of reference of these assignments will be clearly defined by the charity with a fixed location, start time and minimum assignment length. These assignments will typically require a start within 6 to 8 weeks. Volunteers will be required to attend an interview, briefing and possibly a training day with the charity. Where appropriate this will be conducted by telephone or video conferencing. For more information on our Structured Programme please contact us on 02032871177 or e-mail info@afid.org.uk

Do you provide training?

All volunteers, and those still individuals still considering an assignment, are very welcome to attend one of our volunteer workshops, either as part of a programme or simply to find out more about volunteering and the Development sector. Each workshop is delivered by John Cammack, a highly experienced independent consultant for the non-profit sector. John has been involved with international development work for over 20 years, previously as Head of International Finance at Oxfam GB and then Senior Lecturer in Accounting & Financial Management at Oxford Brookes University.

Each workshop runs from 9.30am to 5.00pm, with 10 to 12 volunteers in attendance, some with an assignment and some still considering volunteering. It’s a great way to learn about development, meet with like-minded people, share experiences and allay your fears. The cost of the workshop is £99 but for those attendees that go on to take a voluntary assignment this will be treated as a first installment of the placement fee.

The next three workshops will be held on Friday 16 December, 27 January & 02 March at the UnLtd offices; 123 Whitecross Street, London EC1Y 8JJ.

For more information or to book a place, please contact Magalie Rouschmeyer on 0203 287 1177 or e-mail info@afid.org.uk

Download Workshop Itinerary

How long does it take to arrange an assignment?

On average we prepare assignments 3 months in advance of the volunteer's departure date. Typically the longer the preparation time the greater the number of assignment options available. This will also reduce the costs of flights significantly. However, as long as we are able to complete our background checks and confirm partner availability, shorter timeframes will always be possible. Recently we have arranged assignments in under 3 weeks and its worth noting that many of our partners would happily welcome you tomorrow! In a nut shell, its probably worth just dropping us a line now.

What support is provided?

Whilst the majority of our partners may be very small community organisations, with limited resources, their support will be first class and your welfare their primary concern. Unlike ‘tourists’ and ‘travellers’ volunteers will seldom find themselves alone, from airport pickups to assistance with accommodation and commutes the support will be heartfelt and personal. You will be welcomed as a new member of the team.

AfID takes volunteer security and safety seriously. Avoiding unacceptable risk and minimising acceptable risk is a duty and responsibility shared by AfID, the volunteer and the overseas host partner. However we do our best to prepare volunteers for them and give advice as to how to avoid and deal with all potential risks. We work closely with many local and international NGOs on the ground to ensure that safety information and advice given to volunteers is as up-to-date as possible.

24 hour remote medical support anywhere in the world

A f I D has partnered with UK charity Inter Health (www.interhealth.org.uk) to provide volunteers with remote medical and travel support anywhere in the world. Inter Health’s clinical teams are available 24 hours a day to provide you with support, ensuring your well-being and safety before, during and after your trip.

Specialist voluntary sector insurance

After detailed research we have found an insurance broker with a travel insurance policy specifically designed for volunteers travelling independently in Africa and Asia. Unity Insurance Services., specialists in youth and voluntary sector insurance, have a policy that works in conjunction with One Assist, the 24 hour emergency medical and Assistance Company, to provide a comprehensive range of services useful to A f I D volunteers. It is essential for all volunteers to take out adequate insurance cover and care should be taken that the insurer understands the nature of your trip. Please note other similar policies may also be available

To find out more details please ring them on 01903768523 or e-mail info@unityins.co.uk.

Are 3, 6, 12+ month assignments possible?

Yes, definitely! As the needs of our partners are great and their resources extremely limited we anticipate supporting the majority for several years. It is crucial that the work develops at an appropriate and sustainable rate; therefore there will always be opportunities for accountants to share their skills and experience for much longer periods of 3, 6 and 12+ months. During these longer assignments it may be possible to work with more than one partner either locally or further afield.

If you would like to volunteer for a longer period of time it is a good idea to start the preparations as early as possible. Please give us a call and we can talk you through the options.

Can I speak with past volunteers?

Yes, each volunteer assignment forms an integral part of an ongoing long-term strategy to develop the skills of local people and for us to maintain the required level of continuity through successive assignments, effective communication between volunteers is vital. Every volunteer will play a fundamental role in the next placement design and briefing process, providing detailed handover notes and insights for the next volunteer.

If you would like to speak with any of our past or current volunteers, please let us know and we will be happy to put you in touch. Im sure they will be happy to help and promote the great work of their new friends overseas. [Read our past volunteer interviews]

Do you place accountants living overseas?

Yes. So far we have placed accountants from Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and the US. Please give us a call on +44 (0) 203 287 1177 or e-mail info@afid.org.uk and we'll happily discuss the small changes to our programme. It is worth noting that employment referencing, qualification & criminal record checking is an essential requirement for all volunteers.

Can I go with a friend, colleague or my partner?

Yes, in communities where we have a network of partners there are opportunities for couples, colleagues, friends or even small teams of volunteers to work on separate local programmes simultaneously.

The sourcing of assignments in the close proximity of other A f I D volunteers may also be possible with adequate notice and flexibility on the part of the applicant.

For more information on past volunteers travelling with friends and family read our November Newsletter

Is there an age limit?

No. Like our many partners across Africa we hold wisdom, experience and maturity in very high regard and would love to hear from anyone that feels they could make a positive difference to the lives of those less fortunate.

Why should I volunteer?

Each year literally thousands of people are volunteering across developing world. Without exception they all say they return equipped with invaluable professional experience, a wealth of memories, and a whole new perspective on life. We are confident you’ll encounter a variety of new challenges, share new experiences with a diverse range of people and learn new skills that will give you confidence to face challenges in other areas of your life.

Vital ‘hands on’ experience in the International Development & Non Profit Sector

In a time when the job market is at an all time low and many accountants are still without work volunteering is not only a good and productive way to use some down time but also great way to develop vital softer management skills and really demonstrate to potential employers you are the right man or the woman for the job. Many of our volunteers look at volunteering as the only way to pick up vital practical experience in the Third sector, often deemed essential as CVs with purely commercial experience are often discarded without proper consideration.

A survey carried out amongst 200 of the UK’s leading businesses by UK voluntary organisation TimeBank found that 94% of employees who volunteered had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted. 73% of employers said they would employ a candidate with volunteering experience over one without.

Will I enjoy this experience?

Don’t for one minute think that just because you’ll be working with serious issues that it won’t be any fun. Many volunteers are surprised at how much they genuinely have in common with those they came to help and how much laughter they share together. A good sense of humour and the ability to laugh at oneself are probably two other boxes you will need to tick.

So whether you want to improve your career prospects with new skills, meet new people or just feel good about yourself, we can help you find a volunteer opportunity that will change your life for the better. Trust me you’ll be inspired and get back so much more than you give!