Worthwhile and Legitimate

Our volunteers want to make a difference so it’s important that the projects they’re working at are worthwhile and legitimate. We only work with established projects that have been set up by the community, for the community. This means that they’ve been developed for a purpose and that our volunteers will be working toward this. Our in-country teams will assess the projects before we decide whether to work with them. Having worked in the business for years they’re in the perfect position to assess projects to ensure that they’re worthwhile.

Safe

The safety of our volunteers is our highest priority and we simply won’t work with any project where their safety is compromised. We use Venturesafe an external risk assessment system, to determine whether a project is safe enough for our volunteers and to identify any areas that present a high threat. On top of that, we won’t send volunteers to countries or districts which are particularly dangerous or volatile, nor will we send them to areas which we consider to be too remote.

Fun

Our volunteers want to make a difference and they want to have an amazing time doing it. For that reason we look for projects that have interesting and varied activities, busy schedules and are based in appealing locations. Projects don’t have to meet all these criteria but it’s important that they do offer our volunteers a really memorable experience and a chance to get to the heart of the host country.

Affordable

We have to ensure that the projects we work with are going to appeal to our volunteers. If a project is too expensive then it isn’t going to attract any volunteers. We wouldn’t only be failing our volunteers by working with such a project, we would be failing the project itself.

A Suitable Time Frame

The majority of our volunteers are looking for projects that are 1-12 weeks in length. Though we’re more than willing to offer our volunteers longer stays at projects, we will not be able to fulfil our commitment to a project if they cannot allow a flexible or short timeframe. For that reason we ask that all projects (with the exception of teaching placements or working holidays) offer a minimum stay of 8 weeks.

We’re very proud to offer real places to stay for real travellers. We’re not for a minute suggesting that you’ll be staying in a luxury five-star hotel in the well-trodden tourist hotspots, but you’ll live life like a local and gain an authentic immersion into a new culture that will change your life forever. When you stay in our local accommodation, whether it’s a homestay, volunteer houseor hotel and guesthouse, you’ll experience a new culture from the inside and meet friends from around the globe!

We offer local accommodation with all our projects and here are the five different types, which vary according to each destination and project:

Homestay

When you stay in a homestay you’ll be living with a local family in a home full of local traditions and specialities. You’ll enjoy home-cooked meals, social interaction with the host family and a welcoming atmosphere which will prevent you from feeling too homesick! Homestays are a brilliant way to experience the real local culture and community from the inside – literally!

Volunteer House

You’ll meet and share stories (and maybe even throw a few parties!) with fellow volunteers when you stay in one of our volunteer houses, which are, guess what, full of volunteers! Our volunteer houses are privately managed and some are run by our local coordinators specifically for i-to-i volunteers, so friendly faces and support are always on hand.

Hotels and Guesthouses

Hotels and guesthouses are another great place to meet fellow volunteers and other travellers, as well as offering a safe and soothing retreat to lay your head. They are usually basic but comfortable.

Tented and Jungle Camps

If you’re into the great outdoors and interested in getting in touch with nature in a unique way, you’ll love our tented and jungle camps! You will wake up in the wild and really experience nature at its best. Naturally basic in its offering, this accommodation is an ideal way to sample outdoor life in a truly stunning location.

Accommodation Upgrade

If you’re looking for a comfortable and relaxing place to stay, we can upgrade your accommodation at many of our projects, which guarantees a private room - the ideal solution after a hectic day out and about! You’ll be staying with locals and will meet fellow volunteers and travellers, while experiencing a delightful location off-the-beaten-track. Our upgrade accommodation usually offers a few creature comforts including cable TV, en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning… not that we’re encouraging you to stay in and ignore the stunning country at your feet!

So how will you benefit from our overseas teams?

• Face-to-face support

  Our in-country coordinators are your first port of call if you have a problem. As well as sorting out the little things, they're available 24/7 to help you through any emergencies that you might encounter while abroad. They'll be right there by your side to provide a friendly face and a reassuring word when you need it the most.

• Airport pick-up

  Our in-country coordinators will pick you up from the airport and make sure you get to your project without any problems.

• Orientation

  Your in-country coordinators will give you a full cultural orientation on arrival. This will cover everything from health and safety to where you can get an emergency bar of chocolate.

• Local

  All of our in-country coordinators are local people with a wealth of information about the land and its customs. They'll be able to advise you on where to go, how to get there and what to do while you're there.

• Friendly

  Arriving in a new country can be a daunting experience but our friendly in-country coordinators will be there to settle you in and calm your fears.

• English speaking

  Language barriers can be a huge problem when travelling abroad, but not when you travel with i-to-i. All our in-country coordinators speak English so you won't have any trouble communicating with them.

International conferences

From time-to-time, we hold international conferences designed to encourage global understanding within the i-to-i team and improvement from our in-country coordinators, to ensure our travellers receive the best possible support and service while on a project with us.

The conferences are attended by our in-country leaders, who pass on the knowledge they have learned to their in-country teams. Our global conferences are the perfect opportunity for training and offer quality training sessions on topics including extensive customer service skills, to help raise the level of service across the global i-to-i network.

Our international conferences are vitally important because they allow our in-country coordinators and global staff to share their experience and help to build on our success in answering and fulfilling the changing needs of our volunteers.

So what are we doing to make sure you’re safe on your trip?

Well firstly we fully research and assess all the projects we work with so you can rest assured that it has been scrutinised and declared "safe" by our experts.

Secondly, we provide travel advice and support before you go. This will help you to understand the risks that you might face while abroad, so that you’re fully prepared for every eventuality.

And finally, we offer 24 hour support from the moment you leave to the moment you return. This means someone will always be available to help you through an emergency no matter what it is or when it happens. Our in-country coordinators will be on hand to help, while our UK team will work around the clock to resolve the problem.

How do we assess and monitor our projects and suppliers?

i-to-i Venturesafe is a new initiative in collaboration with our crisis response advisor Docleaf. It’s been designed to set an industry standard for overseas travellers and other travel companies to refer to.

We’re the first volunteer travel company to develop an external monitoring system to assess risk levels. These assessments enable us to make an informed decision about whether a project is secure enough for our customers. This means you can book your travel experience with confidence knowing that it’s been deemed “safeâ€� by our experts.

How we’ll do this:

• Our in-country coordinators will assess all projects and suppliers to ensure they comply with our safety standards.

Examples of key criteria include:

• Project safety
• Accommodation safety
• Food hygiene
• Transport safety
• Fire safety
• General safety

We’ll regularly audit projects and suppliers to ensure that they continue to meet these standards.

We’ll keep a detailed database to track and record all accidents/incidents overseas.

How do we prepare for a crisis?

We were the first volunteer travel company to hold Docleaf on a retainer. Docleaf is a world-leading crisis management specialist and they’ve been helping us to implement a company-wide Crisis Response Plan, so in the unlikely event of an emergency you’ll receive immediate and efficient emergency care.

Learn more about Docleaf.

Independent travel couldn’t be safer

And we’re not the only ones that think so…

“Project organisations have invested the necessary time, patience, and resources needed to build trust and ensure safe and appropriate projects for volunteers.â€�
Le Ann Joy Adam, Overseas Resource Coordinator at Stanford University

Watch our video

Our crisis response plan covers:

• Emergency support

  All travelers are issued with the UK based emergency support number in pre-departure literature.

• Duty officers

  The duty officer is the first point of contact. They deal with any incoming calls and initiate the appropriate response to the crisis. In more serious cases the duty officer will then call a senior officer (a member of i-to-i management) for advice, assistance and support. Should the situation require it, they will activate the full global response team.

• In-country coordinators

  We regularly bring our in-country coordinators to the UK for crisis response training, so you can rest assured that your in-country coordinators are well versed in our emergency protocol and will know exactly how to react in the unlikely event of an emergency.

• Crisis response teams

  All UK staff have been pre-assigned specific roles which they must take up in the event of a major crisis. Should their services be required these staff will be called into the i-to-i office to take up their role in the crisis response team. The team will co-ordinate the emergency response, advise in-country coordinators, contact insurance providers and organize assistance.

• Emergency travel teams

  Should the situation require it, we will mobilize an emergency travel team to assist in-country.

• Global communication

  We’ve create a 'triangle of confidence' between the UK response team, the in-country coordinators and the traveller.

• Crisis training

  We carry out regular training sessions to ensure all staff are fully informed about our crisis response procedures.

• Docleaf training

  Every year i-to-i Staff are fully briefed and simulation trained by DocLeaf.

• Monitoring systems

  All i-to-i staff are fully informed of any changes to our crisis response procedures through the company intranet.

Note: i-to-i closely follows global travel advice when it comes to deciding the safety of our travelers abroad. We monitor government communications from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the US State Department and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that we can make informed decisions about the risks posed to our customers.

Watch our video

For more information, watch our 'i-to-i support network' video.

Why should I volunteer with i-to-i and not on my own?

Of course it’s possible to volunteer on your own, but the chances are you would be left feeling that the few weeks or months you’ve been able to help out were really just a drop in the ocean. This can be potentially damaging for the long-term sustainability of the project as there is no-one to carry on your good work when you leave. By travelling with i-to-i, you are part of a much bigger picture and can be assured that your work will be continued by future i-to-i volunteers as we ensure all our volunteer projects are sustainable and worthwhile.