RESPONSIBLE VOLUNTEERING
We believe that the guiding principle behind volunteering, whether at home or overseas, is that volunteer placements should be driven by the needs of the host communities rather than the desires of the volunteers. People wishing to share their time, energy and expertise quite reasonably assume that their help will be needed, that they won’t be a burden on the communities they work with, and that they will be making a valuable contribution. They don’t want to participate in placements that fail to meet a real need, or have been created in response to volunteer demand. Responsible volunteers do it with respect.
The internet chat rooms have many examples, both of volunteers who feel let down by their volunteering experience, and of the projects where they worked who feel let down by their experience with volunteers. Common issues include poor preparation and matching of volunteers, a lack of support, mis-selling and failure to deliver what was promised, volunteers feeling they were not needed or wanted. Too often volunteers and the projects give the organisation the benefit of the doubt and just chalk it down to experience – failing to complain or seek compensation for breach of contract. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, irresponsible volunteering must be called to account.
The signatories below firmly believe that those who offer volunteering opportunities should comply with, the following professional ethics in responsible volunteering:
1. The needs and expectations of the local community are paramount
2. The requirement for volunteers is discussed with the locally-recognised community leaders, in advance of the volunteer programme development to ensure that the volunteers will work to meet real community needs and that the initiatives which the volunteers contribute to are sustainable.
3. A thorough needs and skills assessment is undertaken for the volunteer programme. The local community makes the decision whether to accept a volunteer depending on their current needs, and the suitability of the potential volunteer.
4. All the costs of volunteering are covered by the volunteer and/or their sponsor. By covering their costs, volunteers avoid becoming an economic burden on the community they seek to assist.
5. The cost is made clear to the volunteer before they commit, and an explanation is provided as to how much money is retained in the originating market and how and where the remainder is used.
6. Volunteers should work with not instead of local people.
7. Each volunteer is provided with up to date information about the project and a clear description of their placement before they start work, and are professionally supported whilst they are volunteering. Volunteers should be made aware that the dynamics of the local community and the project will probably be such that the information provided can and will change, and they will need to be flexible.
8. Each volunteer is interviewed and screened before being accepted as a volunteer. This process should include, but not be limited to, criminal records checks when the volunteer will be working with children or vulnerable adults. Management processes are in place to minimise the risk of abuse by volunteers, including the requirement for each volunteer to accept and comply with a strong child protection policy, encouraging local communities, staff and volunteers to report any suspicious behaviour. Each volunteer is supplied with a written Volunteers’ Code of Conduct
9. Returned volunteers and other interested parties are provided with reports on the outcomes and impacts of ongoing placement work.
10. We are committed to these principles and comply with them; we have management processes in place to ensure that we do. If there is reason to think that we may have breached these principles we will investigate, rectify the error and if necessary change our processes to ensure compliance.
If you feel that a company which has committed to comply with these principles has breached any of them please contact us
Adama Bah, Faces&Places, The Gambia
Marcus Cotton, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, Nepal
Sallie Grayson & Kate Stefanko people and places UK
Michael Horton Concert, Cambodia
Paul Miedema Calabash Tours and Calabash Trust South Africa
If you know of examples of irresponsible volunteering please post them on www.irresponsibletourism.info and complain to the provider. You have the same contractual rights and the same right to compensation for a mis-sold volunteering experience, or one which is poorly organised and delivered, as you do for a holiday which does not deliver what was promised.
If you know of destination codes of good practice for Responsible Volunteering like the pioneering South African one please contact us