We are all very excited to launch a new initiative this year called the ‘University Overseas Challenge‘. After running a successful pilot programme with Manchester Metropolitan University’s volunteer centre (CoMMUni), we are looking for more universities to take part in this new partnership programme. If you are a university volunteer officer or careers advisor and […]
Author Archive | Ian
NEW TRUSTEE APPOINTED – Clara Hebblethwaite
We are very pleased to officially announce that Clara Hebblethwaite has accepted our invitation to join our board of trustees. Clara has been involved with VESL since 2004 when she volunteered in our summer programme in Sri Lanka. Clara went on to complete a PGCE and become on a full-time teacher in London and became […]
MAKING THE MOST OF DONATIONS
We would firstly like to send an enormous thank you to Janet and Stuart Wild who have been able to successfully raise more than £1100 for VESL through their justgiving.com fundraising page. Family and friends helped to raise this fantastic donation as part of Janet and Stuart’s 25th wedding anniversary celebration and thanks must also go out […]
VESL GIVEN OFFICIAL M.O.U. IN THAILAND
We are extremely pleased to announce that VESL has is given a M.O.U. (Memorandum of Understanding) by the OBEC (Office of Basic Education Commission) in Thailand. This M.O.U. officially recognises the partnership between VESL and the OBEC and will allow us to expand our programme into even more rural schools in Thailand. Thanks must go […]
VESL AWARDED RESEARCH GRANT BY SES
VESL has been awarded a grant from the Society of Educational Studies (SES) to look at the effects volunteering overseas can have on UK teachers’ development and classroom practice. The project will take place over the course of the next academic year with the report due for publication in the summer of 2009. VESL would […]
NEW THAILAND IN-COUNTRY CO-ORDINATOR
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 […]
TEAMING UP WITH MMU
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 […]
TRAINING
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
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 […]
NEW PROJECTS IN THAILAND
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 […]
VESL JOINS FACEBOOK
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 […]
New THAILAND PROJECTS
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 […]
Volunteer Feedback – Anna-Kristina Larsson, India Volunteer 2007
This feedback was sent to us whilst Anna was still on project in Andhra Pradesh, Southern India, in 2007. Background Anna’s project was a 3 month project which involved teaching in a number of small primary schools and local NGO support work. The project was located within a rural area of north-eastern Andhra Pradesh, […]
Volunteer Feedback – Jo Taylor, Volunteer Sri Lanka 2007
“All of the teachers have been enthusiastic and supportive… They understand the benefits the students can receive from a native English speaker and are eager to make the most of this opportunity.” – Jo Taylor, Sri Lanka Volunteer 2007
