Much has changed since then. VSO has engaged over 43,000 volunteers to work on international development programmes in more than 120 countries. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to an international one, with recruitment bases in seven countries.
In 2013/2014 alone, our volunteers trained over 174,000 people, and delivered services that had an impact on the lives of 2 million.
Today, VSO is a truly global organisation. We recruit skilled volunteers from all over the world, and from all sectors of society, including business leaders, parliamentarians and young people. Currently, over 30% of our people come from within the country of their placement. We also send increasing numbers of people from one developing country to another.
We’re always looking for new ways to turn human energy and ingenuity into lasting change. We still send professionals to share their skills with their local counterparts, but we’ve embraced a range of methods that allow us to provide whatever kind of help is needed most, including promoting international understanding and action, knowledge sharing and youth exchanges.
Watch the video above to learn more about our journey to the forefront of international development.
