Archived News Items
Thailand Projects
7th January 2008
VESL rang in the new year by planning our next set of new projects in Thailand. Tom Harrison will be setting up projects over the next few months and we hope to get these projects running in Bangkok and Chiang Rai from this summer.
If you're interested in any of our projects please drop us and email and we'll be happy to send you an application pack.
Website Update : New Volunteers' Photo Gallery
7th January 2008
The VESL website now has a brand new photo gallery section containing volunteers' photographs spanning 2003 to the present day.
If any of you past volunteers have photos you'd like us to add, simply email them to us and we'll be happy to add them.
Another Successful Workshop Programme in Sri Lanka
31st August 2007
VESL would just like to thank all our teacher training workshop volunteers for running such a great set of workshops this summer. More than 700 Sri Lankan school teachers were able to attend the workshops and the feedback has been so positive that we have been asked to consider repeating the project next summer. All your hard work and effort is very much appreciated.
Programme Visits
7th May 2007
VESL's Programme Directors, Tom Harrison and Ian Livingstone, have now returned from this year's project visits in India and Sri Lanka.
Our Indian programme is new for 2007 but work has been going on to establish the programme for almost two years. A great deal of hard work and effort has been put into the programme by our in-country programme manager and we have a great set of projects eagerly awaiting the arrival of volunteers this summer.
Our Sri Lankan programme is also set to be our most exciting year yet with two teacher workshop teams touring four provinces in addition to our short term and long term projects.
We would like to thank our in-country representatives and programme mangers for their ongoing support and hard work.
A New Recruit
10th January 2007
VESL has recruited a new in-country co-ordinator to manage our Sri Lankan programme.
Mr Ranjith Gunarathne is a native Sri Lankan with valuable local knowledge and past experience of working with NGOs and volunteers on educational projects. We are very excited to welcome him on to the team and we are in no doubt that he will be a wonderful asset to the programme.
This represents an important milestone for VESL and is a very encouraging sign of the sustainable growth of our programme and a mark of all the hard work that our past volunteers, trustees and in-country representatives have put into our projects.
Another Workshop Team Planned
4th January 2007
Next summer is shaping up to be an exciting one for us all. With December's selection producing such a great set of volunteers we have high hopes for the March selection days and all of next year's projects. (applications for next summer's projects are open until 9th March so get your form sent in)
The interest in the teacher training workshop programme has already exceeded our expectations and almost all of the Lifecycle Fundraising subsidised places have now been filled. Not wanting to let any potential volunteers miss out on this fantastic opportunity we are now aiming to put together another team for the workshop programme. The hope is to make the most of as many skilled and experienced teachers as we possibly can.
We have been able to secure further funding to help subsidise this extra team and successful applicants will receive £200 towards their volunteer contribution. If you are interested in applying to join one of our workshop teams, please send us your completed application form before the 9th of March. The sooner you apply the more likely it is that we will be able to invite you to one of our selection days in March.
Science Projects
4th January 2007
In addition to our English teaching programme we have been able to recruit a number of science teachers to take on a short summer project working with both students and teachers across a number of Sri Lankan English medium schools.
These projects are new for 2007 and we are very excited to be given this opportunity. We have been asked to continue to look for science teachers so please drop us an email if you think you may be interested in taking on a science project next summer.