Gap Activity Projects

Offering teaching placements and conservation placements in NZ.

The largest year-out provider for 17 – 25 year olds. It is a not-for-profit organisation that provides value for money for a diverse range of voluntary work placements in 25 countries. Placements last 3 – 12 months & are ideal for travel afterwards.

Who are Gap Activity Projects?
Gap Activity Projects is the leading year out organisation for school-leavers in the UK. It is a not-for-profit organisation, specialising in voluntary work placements overseas for 17-25 year-olds, in a transition year before going on to further education, training or employment. Gap currently arranges over 1,000 placements annually in 27 countries for volunteers from the UK and 750 placements in the UK for overseas volunteers.
Gap gives 17 to 25 year-olds the chance to live and work in a completely new environment with the security of knowing that the placement you're going to has been checked by Gap staff, that you will have had the chance to discuss your aspirations with your Project Manager to make sure you've got the best match and that you will have someone at hand overseas if you need help or support. There's a great deal more to volunteering that just turning up somewhere with a desire to help out. Gap has arranged almost 25,000 successful placements overseas since we started over 30 years ago so we have plenty of experience.

Project Details - Schools
In boarding schools, duties may involve the supervision of younger pupils on some evenings and some weekends and volunteers who have attended day schools in the United Kingdom should be aware that life in a boarding school extends before and beyond the 9:00am to 4:00pm pattern.
New Zealand schools have a great tradition in sport and are always looking for good and keen sports players, but many are also justly proud of their music and drama and help with these is always required.
Equally, outdoor pursuits is an important part of the programme and in these cases Duke of Edinburgh Awards will be an advantage. In short, the placements offer a variety of jobs, some of which will be tedious, but the overall opinion of the volunteers is that their year has been 'awesome'!
Placements are in both the North and South Island, mainly in boarding schools. There are a few day schools where the volunteer lives with a host family. Some placements are for a year (starting in August), but others start in January and last until August.
The New Zealand school year is divided into four terms, so there will be plenty of opportunities for travel in the school holidays. There is much to see and do in both Islands and previous volunteers have been able to travel to Australia and to Fiji.
Subsistence, in the region of $100 per week, is normally provided as is food and accommodation. In the holidays, you may have to find your own food, although accommodation will remain available.
A driving licence is required at many of the placements.
This is a high cost project and £2,000 plus will be required - the more money saved, the more opportunity for travel and such things as whale watching, swimming with the dolphins, white water rafting and sky diving.

Environmental -
In undertaking a conservation placement, you are making a significant difference to the New Zealand environment in a very practical way. Whether you’re involved in planting trees, clearing scrubland, collecting seeds, restoring habitats for endangered species, flora/fauna surveys, maintaining walking tracks, coastal stabilisation, restoring urban heritage properties, or assisting with school conservation programmes, you know that what you’re doing will have long-term benefits.
Gap offers conservation placements in partnership with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand and volunteers carry out work under the supervision of qualified Team Leaders. Most of your team members will be international volunteers, from places like Scandinavia, Japan, Korea and the USA, so your cultural connections will expand considerably during your time away.
You may be placed anywhere in New Zealand but will start and end in Auckland. Conservation placements suit volunteers who are reasonably fit, enjoy being a member of a team, and who have a passion for the outdoors. Food and accommodation is provided. Placements begin in February and end in July.

Call 0118 959 4914
or visit http://www.gap.org.uk/uwhere/uwhere.html

Gap Activity Projects
44 Queen's Road Reading Berkshire RG1 4BB
volunteer@gap.org.uk