Brits ‘too busy’ to volunteer abroad

A straw poll* conducted by leading international volunteering company Projects Abroad, has found that the main barrier holding Brits back from volunteering abroad is the required investment in time.

Almost half of the Brits polled (47 per cent) say they wouldn't volunteer abroad as they don't believe they have enough spare time. This may be due to the common misconception that volunteering projects are only suitable for gap year students with plenty of time on their hands; four per cent of the poll actually said volunteering abroad was something that only students are involved in.

Interestingly, 34 per cent of the people surveyed believe that volunteer projects abroad are too expensive and 10 per cent stated that they would prefer a more 'relaxing' holiday. Five per cent of people admitted that they wouldn't know how to get involved in a volunteer project, even if they wanted to.

Dr. Peter Slowe, founder and director of Projects Abroad comments, "There is a popular misconception that only students or people with a lot of free time are able to carry out volunteer work abroad, which is simply not the case. There are many projects available that run for just two weeks, which can still offer valuable help to developing countries but also provide a meaningful experience to the volunteer."

For more information, visit: projects-abroad.co.uk

*Straw poll of 100 people across the UK carried out in February 2011 and conducted by Projects Abroad.