About VESL
VESL is a UK charity and provides meaningful short, mid and long term volunteering opportunities in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Every project we undertake is carefully selected to ensure maximum benefits are brought to the local communities while also making every effort to ensure volunteers have an unforgettable experience.
Volunteers are sent overseas throughout the year and we have projects to suit volunteers with all types of skills base and experience. All applications are evaluated on their own merit so there is nothing to stop you applying...
VESL is a registered charity and not run for profit.
Want to Apply?
If you are looking for an experience you will never forget and want to get involved, please download our application form and submit it in to us asap.
We also have a selection of info factsheets available for download - click here; alternatively you could email your postal address to enquiries@vesl.org for an application pack containing more info on our projects.
We are always happy to answer any questions you might have so please feel free to contact us.
Next Deadline
To be included in our next information and selection day in Manchester on Sunday 10th August 2008 we must receive your application form before Friday 1st August 2008.
Please check the important dates page for details of other forthcoming deadlines.
Volunteers Needed
VESL is currently looking for volunteers to take on 3 to 6 month projects we aim to run later this year. We have projects available in Northern Thailand, Southern and Central Sri Lanka and across Andhra Pradesh in India.
Our application process is open throughout the year and we are already receiving applications for our 4 to 6 week summer '09 programme in Sri Lanka and Thailand. We also need more volunteers for the mid to long term projects we hope to run next year.
If you think you might have time available, why not apply for one of our worthwhile projects that could provide you with an experience you will never forget...
Why not check out the volunteers' photo galleries to see some of our projects or read through 'our projects' page to get an overview of the projects we have available.
Latest News
New Thailand in-country co-ordinator
29th June 2008
VESL is pleased to announce the appointment of its Chiang Rai Coordinator - Mr Kiattichai Yanarangsee (Nueng) and his co-coordinator Ajarn Pongsi. VESL is delighted to welcome both to the team and looks forward to working with them over the coming years.
VESL would also like to thank our representatives in Bangkok, Khun Noke and Alice and Alf Collet, whose help setting up the new programme has been invaluable.
Teaming up with MMU
25th June 2008
VESL is delighted to team up with Manchester Met University to launch a new joint project called 'Challenge India'. In August 2008 the first set of Manchester Met volunteers will be heading out to Andhra Pradesh; one group will be working in a hospice for children with HIV/AIDS and the other group will be teaching English in a school for orphans.
The project has been organised in partnership with the volunteering department at Manchester Met - CoMMUni. To find out more about CoMMUni visit - www.communi.org.uk.
Training
10th June 2008
We would just like to say thanks to Clara Hebblethwaite and Jo Taylor for helping to run another successful training event. The feedback from the volunteers was tremendous and your help was greatly appreciated.
Justgiving success
10th May 2008
The new fundraising pages with justgiving.com have proved to be a fantastic success. A few volunteers have raised well over their target; Millicent Scott in particular deserves an extra special thanks for successfully raising over £1500 and counting! We'd also like to send a huge thank you to Janet & Stuart Wild who've very kindly set up a fundraising page for their friends and family to donate to VESL for their 25th wedding anniversary next month.
New Projects in Thailand
15th February 2008
Tom Harrison has just returned from setting up VESL's new projects in Thailand.
VESL aims to get away from the tourists and is setting up projects in rural areas, where they are most needed and volunteers will get an opportunity to really have that 'Thai experience'.
Working alongside the Thai Education Department, VESL has chosen Chiang Rai Province to send its first volunteers to. These projects include schools situated along the Mekong River, in the famous Golden Triangle; one school actually overlooks Burma and Laos! The area is famous for its fantastic scenery, hill tribes and history. Volunteers will be based at local schools, running teaching programmes and clubs for the local children (many are from the hill tribes).
If you would like to apply to volunteer in Thailand please download our application form - click here. Remember the deadline for the summer '08 programme is 7th March '08, however, we will also be running longer term (3 month +) projects in Thailand throughout the year for those of you with more time available.
VESL Joins Facebook
1st February 2008
VESL has now joined the social networking revolution and created its own Facebook page. Members are now able to become 'fans' of VESL and help us spread news of all our hard work to your own extended friendship networks. We get so many people saying 'a friend of mine told me about VESL' that it just seemed to make perfect sense.
We've uploaded a selection of last year's photographs so please help us join the dots by tagging yourself in any photos you appear in. We should be adding gallerys of previous years very soon but if you have any photos you'd like to see, either on this site or our facebook page, please email ian@vesl.org.
VESL's facebook page can be found by clicking here.