Registered Charity 900126
Student Reports
Looking for inspiration? Here are some recent projects that the Trust has supported. Read about the amazing experiences of students in their reports and browse through some stunning photos.
Cycling in Chile
In January 2015, my friend Thomas Palmer and I set off on an epic voyage cycling across Chile. We travelled from south to north, rather than east to west, as the latter is barely a 35th of its entire length! Our journey started in the humble industrial town of Punta Arenas.
See more of Ben's fantastic photos at his website:
Gibbon Experience, Laos
Backpacking through SE Asia and volunteering in South India
Right from the beginning of our planning, we decided that we did not want to use a GAP year organisation to find voluntary work placements. We did a lot of research in to charities in India and in the end decided to do a stint of work for the Mother Teresa missionaries of Charity in Kolkata.
Travelling in East and Southern Africa
I looked at many trips around the world from the well trodden South East Asia routes to seeing the world by boat but found myself being continually drawn back to Africa. It is a continent I had some experience of before and the idea of spending a decent amount of time and experiencing it properly was just too irresistible.
Malaysia Orang-utan Trip
Malaka Zoo and Borneo
It was a really great experience and I learnt that you can make a huge difference with just a bit of hard work, especially when I was at the zoo working on enrichment.
Walking in Andalusia
By the time I reached the top of the hill at Castillo de Castellar I had walked nearly 40 kilometres. I was exhausted. I had yet to learn about the importance of the siesta - more specifically, I did not understand that only those with a death wish attempt to hike up hills in the Spanish summer between 12 and 5pm.
Eastern and Southern Africa
Eight countries in 123 days
My interest in Africa does not just stem from my family’s history but having studied politics and economics at school, the topic of poverty and development has stood out to me as something I’d like to continue to study at university. For me there was no place more appealing to go and witness the struggles and hardship of poverty and the impact of politics on economic development in action. So starting in January 2015, I embarked on a trip around Eastern and Southern Africa spanning 8 countries in 123 days.
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Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Raleigh International
I learnt a lot during my experience on Raleigh. I have become much better at coping in unknown or difficult situations, have found that I am a good leader and that I can complete things that sometimes I would have doubted I could. I have gained valuable social skills from being immersed into a group of people that I didn’t know and made a lot of great friends.
Dancu, Moldova - Breadline Children's Summer Camp
It was an emotional end to the holiday club as we had to say goodbye to all the wonderful children we had got to know. It was especially hard because we had visited the homes that these children had come from, so we were very aware of the poor living conditions they had to endure. However, it was reassuring to know that through Breadline we had helped give the children time to enjoy life as they should be able to.
Mexico Medical Experience
In England, and especially in the NHS, it’s very hard to do anything apart from observe in a healthcare setting without official qualifications and checks so I realised I’d have to go elsewhere to really get stuck in, and see if I enjoyed the work of such a profession, before applying to Medical School this October.
Tanzania - Teaching, Climbing, Safari (CRP)
The night I camped in the Serengeti was both the most amazing yet nerve racking experience I’ve had. During the early hours of the morning I was awoken by the deep roar of the lions which were moving silently around our campsite, then again by the well-known high pitch laugh of a Hyena which made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. If that wasn’t enough, a few moments later I heard the sound of branches snapping.
Tanzania - Teaching, Climbing, Safari (DC)
As the sun started to rise we began our walk around the crest of Kili towards Uhuru peak. The euphoria counteracted any tiredness I was experiencing. However, our trajectory did deviate occasionally due to the dizzy meandering caused by the altitude. We reached Uhuru Peak at 5:45 in time to witness the full spectrum of the starry night and the dawn sky as the sun rose.
Bali - Teaching English
Aside from the teaching, in Bali we had free time in the afternoon and at weekends to explore the island more and go further afield. My favourite place we visited was Gili Trawangan, a stunning island just off the coast of Lombok. It was truly breathtaking and I could have spent much, much longer there. It has made me really want to take another trip to Indonesia to explore Lombok and the other Gili islands.
Thailand - Teaching
All I can really say is thank you to Kempson Rosedale for being part of my adventure. For allowing me to learn about a culture in a way I never will experience ever again. And allowing me to have a year of learning about me.
Sri Lanka - Teaching Monks, Working in Orphanage, Studying at a Meditation Centre
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I am now friends with all of them on Facebook (odd seeing a monk with Facebook) and am going to keep giving them lessons over Skype. But Bhante is an absolute babe and is a pretty big deal in Sri Lanka, even the President knows and adores him, so if you are at all interested in Buddhism then don't miss this opportunity to talk to a lovely monk who really knows his stuff.
Feel inspired? Find out more about How to Apply.