Stories, advice and feedback from VESL volunteers, co-ordinators and student leaders.

Fundraising Idea: Sponsored Event
Participating in a sponsored event is a great way to raise money towards your target and get fit and have fun (yes it is possible -check out some alternative events

Volunteer Case Study: Excerpts from a Diary
Ola Smuklerz is a student at Manchester Metropolitan University and she spent four weeks this summer in Kerala, India volunteering in a school in a Muslim community just south of

Volunteer Case Study: Give It Your All
Sophie Ramshaw a trainee teacher from Hull University spent 4 weeks of her summer teaching English in a rural school in Chiang Rai. Sophie has written an insightful blog about

India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish: Part Five: Weekends
Becky’s fifth and final instalment covering her trip to India touches on travelling, whether at weekends or before/after your project, Kerala (and the rest of India!) has some amazing places

India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish: Part 4: Teaching & The School Environment
“I would definitely encourage anybody to take part in this volunteering project. It has been an amazing experience and I have learnt so much from it. It feels so good to be a part of something that gives to communities that have very little, but appreciate every little thing they have and are always smiling. Once you have experienced India in its true form, it will never leave you!” Becky McMullin, 2013

India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish: Part Three: Host Family
Meeting your host family can seem like a very daunting part of your project, in her third instalment of ‘India: A volunteers guide from start to finish’ Becky describes her

INDIA: A VOLUNTEERS GUIDE FROM START TO FINISH: PART TWO: PACKING
Today is day two of Becky’s ‘India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish’ and today she talks about packing and lists five essential things that she found very useful

India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish: Part One: Fundraising
Becky McMullin has recently returned from a four week project in Kerala, India where she was volunteering in a primary school in coastal village near Trivandrum. Becky has written a

Volunteer case study: a home away from home
Chandni volunteered in a rural primary school in a remote part of Chiang Rai for four weeks this summer, here she reflects on her experience having recently returned to the

Volunteer Case Study: Making A Small But Measureable Difference
Alison Leighton, a volunteer from Edinburgh University, volunteered with VESL in Kerala, India this summer for six weeks, here she describes getting over her initial nerves and the amazing experience