Squeeze In A Mini Gap Break And Start Uni Before Fee Increase

July 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Working on a conservation project in South Africa with cheetahs, lions, sable or antelope, helping to build a school in Peru and teaching children in India or China are just some of the hands-on experiences available to school leavers this summer with BUNAC, a UK market leader in working holidays and volunteer programmes abroad.

A not-for-profit organisation, BUNAC is offering a selection of good value mini gap breaks, perfect for school leavers who wish to enhance their CVs and gain some life experience but who don’t want to take a full gap year because of the increase in university fees due in 2012. http://www.bunac.org/gap-year/

BUNAC particularly recommends its Sports Coaching South Africa, Wildlife Conservation South Africa and Volunteer India programmes for young people, but offers a host of other options to destinations as diverse as Cambodia and Ghana, and guarantees that around 70% of fees go straight to the developing world.

Chris Dutton, Programme Manager of BUNAC Volunteer, comments:  “BUNAC’s volunteer projects are designed to benefit the local community and environment in which they operate, but they can also be life-changing experiences for the young people who participate in them.”  

He continues:  “Volunteers wake up to a new adventure every day and gain immense satisfaction from knowing that they are making a real difference.  Plus, they get to live and work in some of the most awe-inspiring locations in the world!”

Opportunities exist for self-motivated, adventurous volunteers aged 18 and over who enjoy playing or coaching sports to join the Sports Coaching South Africa programme in the township of Port Elizabeth.  The five and 12-week placements bring participants together with children living in hardship, giving them the chance to help South African youngsters to play and develop through sports that they are passionate about.  Prices start from £1100 for a five-week course, and £2100 for 12 weeks.  

Wildlife Conservation South Africa offers a chance to join the Wildlife and Lion Project at Ukutula, based on a game farm comprising 260 hectares of unspoilt bushveld inhabited by a variety of antelope species, giraffe and zebra, plus 130 different bird species.  Ukutula runs a fascinating lion-breeding project where volunteers are required to help with the day-to-day care of the lions by preparing food, providing medication and monitoring sick lions, as well as making up bottles and feeding new-born cubs.

Far from being basic, the accommodation is in fully equipped two-bedroom air-conditioned apartments, complete with the use of two swimming pools and an on-site bar.

Costs for BUNAC’s Wildlife Conservation South Africa 18 and 32-day programmes start from £1,100 including interview, placement, four-day arrival orientation in Johannesburg, accommodation and all meals.  A snip compared to a safari holiday and twice as rewarding!

Competitively priced, BUNAC Volunteer programmes start at just £295 for eight weeks in the USA on a physically challenging conservation programme set in some of America's most spectacular natural areas, such as Arizona, Utah and Nevada.  This covers airport transfers, orientation, accommodation and food during the project.  

BUNAC volunteers are given help and advice in order to prepare for their trip and to get the most out of it.  Health and safety issues, orientation sessions and on-going support are all covered.

For further information or to register for one of the BUNAC Volunteer programmes, visit www.bunac.org.uk/volunteer or telephone 020 7251 3386.

-Ends-

Note to Editors
BUNAC was established in 1962 and is well known for its flagship Summer Camp USA programme and work abroad opportunities in North America and Australasia.  The not-for-profit organisation has been facilitating worldwide volunteer projects for more than 12 years.

BUNAC Volunteer programmes last up to six months and cover Africa (Ghana, South Africa), Asia (India, Cambodia, China) and the Americas (USA, Peru).

Case studies are available, eg:
- Samuel Willcocks, 18, from Harpenden in Herts, is taking A-levels this summer and planning to start at the University of Nottingham this autumn. Sam is travelling with BUNAC Volunteer to Cambodia in July, to make the most of the summer before university, thus avoiding taking a full gap year and having to pay higher university fees in 2012.

- Laura Cutting, 18 from West Sussex, who spent two months last summer in a primary school in Ghana, says;  “I chose a volunteer programme with BUNAC because the costs were low and I knew they had a trustworthy reputation as my mother had travelled with them!”
Follow the link to read her blog:
            http://www.bunac.org.uk/uk/experiences/default.aspx?secti...

PRESS: Visit the website at - http://www.bunac.org.uk
Download a copy of the current brochure and view all press releases: http://www.bunac.org/press
For further information, photography, or to interview Chris Dutton or BUNAC Director Callum Kennedy, contact Fiona Elliott at Counterpoint PR, tel 020 8398 1788 or 07917 322501, email Fiona.elliott@counterpointllp.com
Alternatively, contact BUNAC: Vicki Cunningham or Davida Cronin, tel: 020 7251 0662 (please quote 020 7251 3386 in articles).
E-mail: vicki.cunningham@bunac.org.uk or davida.cronin@bunac.org.uk

# # #

As the UK’s leading non-profit travel club, BUNAC offers great-value working holidays, summer camp and volunteer projects in some of the most exciting destinations on earth!