Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Environmental policy:
Project work includes a mix of rewarding community and conservation projects – painting classrooms, teaching, helping maintain an eco-lodge, working with rescued animals and wildlife etc. There is also an education programme teaching the community about disposing of litter. Hands on projects working alongside committed communities are a powerful way to educate the next generation of travelers. In addition we have well briefed and professional project leaders working alongside village elders who ensure the message is got across. Our teams are normally no bigger than 10 -12 per departure.
All foodstuffs are bought locally and resources such as heating in camps where possible is done in an environmentally friendly fashion e.g. solar panels. In addition rainwater is collected for drinking water. Clothes’s washing is done where possible with biodegradable soap.
Social responsibility:
We ensure that all its programmes work with the full agreement of local elders and that volunteer’s work side by side amongst the community. Volunteers live in the community. We pay the communities for looking after volunteers and every volunteer has a donation to the community included in the cost – currently £80 per person. This is used to buy materials to build classrooms, pay for education fees and so on. We also work alongside local charities as often as we can supporting their aims. All volunteers and Project Leaders are fully briefed on the destination, host community, local culture, religions, customs and particularly ways of behaving.
Economic sustainability:
We ensure that approximately 60% of the cost of each volunteers scheme is paid to the project leader in country to cover all their in-country costs. This includes paying local communities for food and accommodation. In Costa Rica volunteers live with a family who are paid for all meals and every night’s accommodation. In addition we pay communities a donation as described above and source all food, drink, equipment, fuel locally thereby enhancing the local economy.
Through the income we pay the communities we do as much as we can to provide local people with jobs, cutting down on unemployment and providing families with an income. Sometimes this income supports numerous relations. We also recognize that volunteers spend their own money on drinks, transport, souvenirs, services (taxis), medical care, park fees, activities e.g. rafting, diving, climbing etc which are major contributors to local suppliers incomes and the overall economy.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
