Volunteering aboard attracts thousands of young Brits

Recent research from Projects Abroad has shown that last summer they sent over 5,000 volunteers overseas to work on a voluntary project as part of a gap year. In the UK 41 per cent of these were pre-university students and 18 per cent were undergraduates. In total 78 per cent of the total volunteers were between the ages of 16 and 24.

With many considering spending a year overseas, Post Office International Payments is advising any students thinking of taking a gap year abroad to look in to the different ways in which their families can send money abroad to them.

Without adequate research, sending money abroad through an international bank transfer can be a costly exercise. For example, Post Office International Payments recommends that people make sure they’re not going to be hit with costly charges for their international bank transfer.

Post Office International Payments advises that with a little forward planning, the process of sending money abroad through an international bank transfer can be made much easier and less expensive.

For example, the Post Office’s International Payments service offers 0% commission when sending money abroad, and will even reimburse any costs which may be charged by a destination bank.

The Post Office also offers competitive exchange rates when sending money abroad, and enables customers to fix a favourable exchange rate on transfers for up to a year. Furthermore, the Post Office is one of only a few providers to offer foreign money transfers online, so parents can send money abroad to their children from the comfort of their own home.