people and places "stand out for their responsible credentials"
"
people and places, who also won the best volunteering organisation award in 2009, emphasise their commitment to both volunteers and communities and matching the right volunteer to the right placement. Their organisation was conceived out of concern over the "chasm between marketing and reality in a significant number of volunteer offers". They work with local partners and develop volunteer placements based on their needs. This is very much the model used by international development volunteering organisations like VSO and 2Way Development. They provide detail about the project and local partner and are transparent about how the volunteer's payment is spent. They are now working with companies like Tribes and ITC Classics to provide their volunteering trips.
What is particularly interesting is that people and places emphasise on their website that these kind of volunteering projects are not holidays - "Volunteering responsibly cannot and should not replace the traditional holiday. It will be emotionally exhausting and mentally challenging".
The link below is for the full artcle published in TravelMole
Contributor: Natasha Stein
Created: 18/01/2012
Expert Tours People and Places Ltd trading as people and places - Company Number 03805796 - Registered in England at: 47 River Park, Marlborough, SN8 1NH
