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COVID-19: GIVING YOU PEACE OF MIND
THE WELLBEING AND SAFETY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OVERSEAS COMMUNITIES WILL ALWAYS BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
We don't know how quickly international travel will resume, but we do know that our communities are depending on our volunteers in 2021. There is a lot of work to be done and we need your help.
The economic consequences of COVID-19 have pushed thousands below the poverty line, children have missed out on months of schooling and health systems have been struggling to cope under the pressure. This is on top of the challenges our already marginalised communities were facing pre-pandemic.
While we do not know exactly when international travel will return to normal, we are confident that our volunteer programmes from May 2021 onwards will be safe to go ahead. To deal with the uncertainty that comes with COVID-19, we have introduced the following guarantees so you can confidently book your 2021 volunteer programme today.
COVID-19 REASSURANCE
Although we are confident that programmes will go ahead as planned, if your programme is affected by Covid-19 travel restrictions, your programme will be postponed to the following year, and your fundraising deadlines will be extended.
DESTINATION FLEXIBILITY
We are continuously monitoring the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and speaking with our teams on the ground to ensure we are fully aware of all on-going situations. Although we expect all travel restrictions to be lifted by Summer 2021, if your destination is affected by coronavirus travel restrictions, you will be able to move your programme to one of our other destinations
ADDITIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES
Our volunteer's health and safety whilst overseas is our biggest priority. We are putting in place additional measures to enhance health and safety practices when travel resumes. Some of these measures include increased cleaning at our accommodation, reducing the number of volunteers sharing bathroom facilities, mandatory hand-washing before meals and an in-depth review of all in-country risk management processes.
ENSURING YOUR CONFIDENCE
We know travelling can be daunting, especially if this is going to be your first overseas trip. We're putting a number of additional pre departure preparation measures in place, including more team meetings, to ensure you feel confident to travel. Our team are on hand to speak through any concerns you may have.