VSO says that the world’s poorest will suffer if professionals turn their back on volunteering
VSO is warning that over 20% of its placements could go unfilled this year if it doesn’t see a significant increase in applications from UK professionals by the end of October.
The charity is currently trying to recruit 335 volunteers from the UK for two-year placements, but so far just 48 professionals have gone overseas since April, and if levels of interest do not pick up 70 jobs could be left unfilled at the end of March. Enquiries from prospective volunteers in the year to August 31st 2008 were down 1236 on the previous 12 months, and this summer 55 professionals withdrew their applications, sparking concern that the credit crunch is undermining people’s confidence to volunteer.
VSO volunteers provide crucial support to education and health systems and community organisations working in areas such as human rights and income generation. Failure to meet volunteer recruitment commitments would mean planned activity cannot go ahead and those that suffer will be some of the poorest people in the world.
But with financial experts predicting that the credit crunch will last until 2010, VSO is encouraging people to escape the gloom and doom of the UK economy, take up a two year placement and return to the UK when the worst is over.
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive of VSO said:
“The current economic climate is a real concern for everyone and it’s natural that UK professionals are concerned about giving up their job security. But people living in developing countries are not facing two or three years of credit crunch, they are living in poverty that threatens their long-term education, health, and livelihood. It’s crucial that we meet our commitment to partners in Africa and Asia by doing all we can to recruit the skilled professionals that are urgently needed.”
Elaine Stevenson, who was a VSO volunteer in Indonesia during the recession in the early 1990s, has an encouraging message for potential volunteers:
"In 1991 I had been working in London for six years, so had experienced the effects of the 80s boom. The time had come to decide whether to stay in an environment that had turned fearful, risk averse and insecure, or to take the opportunity to experience VSO and focus on personal development, fulfilment, and global solidarity. I escaped endless conversations about how much people had lost on property deals, and how no one should do anything 'risky' and went to work in Indonesia with women's groups. I had the time of my life, and also saw what real economic problems were which put the UK 'problems' in perspective.”
VSO provides volunteers with flights, accommodation, and an allowance to cover basic costs. UK public sector professionals volunteering for between six months and two years are entitled to claim pension contributions providing they return to the public sector for a minimum of six months on their return to the UK.
The strongest need is for experienced managers, professionals with experience of working in primary education, and doctors and midwives. VSO can use financial professionals where they have strong planning or management expertise.
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For further information or to speak to a VSO spokesperson please contact Catherine Raynor on 020 8780 7343 / 07734 863987 / catherine.raynor@vso.org.uk or Siobhan Wakely on 020 8780 7410 / siobhan.wakely@vso.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
- VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Since 1958 over 33,000 volunteers have worked in over 120 countries. Today there are over 1600 international volunteers working in 33 countries around the world.
- The last time VSO faced a significant threat to its volunteer recruitment commitment was in 2003 when fears about international security put many people off volunteering.
- Examples of the VSO placements include strategic planning and M&E work with a street children project in Vietnam; developing a teacher training programme in Malawi; and nurse training in Mongolia.
- The Government has created a £13m fund to contribute towards the pensions of public servants while they volunteer with VSO or another British Volunteer Agencies' Liaison Group member organisation (currently, CIIR, International Service Skillshare International, and VSO). The fund will buy added pension benefits for any current public servant who returns to a pensionable UK public service job after an overseas volunteer assignment starting between April 2008 and March 2011 and lasting between seven and 24 months.
Forthcoming Events
- VSO’s Big Curry Night takes place on 25th October. We are asking people to host a curry night for their friends and family and help us raise money for our work in Africa and Asia.
- Stars of Africa takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 26th November with internationally renowned South African musician Hugh Masekela headlining the concert.
- VSO’s annual Carol Concert takes place at St Martin’s in the Field, Trafalgar Square on Thursday 11th December.
