Global volunteering scheme on offer to students

ISLAMIC Relief and Christian Aid have joined forces to offer students the chance to volunteer abroad without the worry of costing.

The charities, will offer 18-25 year olds, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to volunteer abroad, the chance to spend 10 weeks living and working in a poor community in countries like Ghana, South Africa, Peru or India.

The scheme, called Platform2, is a free volunteering project funded by the Department for International Development, and has the backing of Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne.

It will also be run by BUNAC who specialise in volunteering and working abroad.

Mark Vyner, Platform2 Head of Programme, said:  “Employers have told us that volunteering on a CV looks good – it shows someone has initiative, drive and will have a level of maturity above those coming straight from education. Platform2 offers all participants a great experience and will help them stand out from the crowd in the job market.”

Zina Lewis, a Platform2 volunteer from London who has just returned from Ghana, said she learned invaluable skills during her volunteering work.

She said: “It’s a life-changing experience…..It will be very helpful when it comes to getting jobs because it was quite character-building and shows a lot about you: that you’ve donated your time and gone to live with a group of people that you don’t know, Big Brother-style; that you’re a team player who can work with others and that you have social skills.”

For more information on how to apply for Platform2 visit www.myplatform2.com