how to survive on a volunteering contract

[tom00_uk]

how do people survive for a year when on a voluntary training contract with groups like the wildlife trust?

are there any hidden pots of gold you can apply to?
or
any assistance from the government?

or is it a case of trying to find a job to fit around working in the day five days a week for free?

[laurrrrrren]

Hiya,

I volunteer full time with Sheffield wildlife trust and you can apply for job seekers allowance whilst volunteering (which depending on your age is about £50 per week) as the Trust that you're volunteering at should be able to provide you with a letter stating that you are volunteering in order to gain a job at the end of your placement. However if you're not living at home still then its probably going to be a case of getting a second job to fund your living expenses

Depending on your age and the Trust that you're volunteering with you may be able t claim back expenses. Vinspired offer a volunteering scheme for 16 - 25 year olds with which you can claim back £60/week in transport and food expenses and you also get a training and equipment budget (but it depends if your Trust has placements with the scheme).

Volunteering and Work Experience Placements | vinspired

I hope this helps.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

how do people survive for a year when on a voluntary training contract with groups like the wildlife trust?

are there any hidden pots of gold you can apply to?
or
any assistance from the government?

or is it a case of trying to find a job to fit around working in the day five days a week for free?

back in the day when i was a national trust volunteer, I signed on for JSA and the NT gave us accomodation rent and bill free as part of the volunteering arrangements - when JSA finally cut us off - as they felt that the voluntering was interfering with the job search I worked as a bar man three evenings a week, and forgaged for food to help make ends meet - until eventually the Nt gave me seasonal assistant warden job.

it isnt easy but if you want it badly enough you find a way to make it work

[tom00_uk]

its paying back the bank for my studies thats the thing thats making it an issue

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

its paying back the bank for my studies thats the thing thats making it an issue

I think you have to earn over a certain amount before they want payment back.

[tom00_uk]

nope they want their pond of flesh no matter what, its not a student loan company repayment but money to the bank its self for repaying a CDL

[Jim Ford]

Get your Dad to take out a second mortgage to pay off your student debts. That's what my daughter did!

Jim

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

nope they want their pond of flesh no matter what, its not a student loan company repayment but money to the bank its self for repaying a CDL

yeah i'm familair with that situation too - when i first graduated i did a year of nightshifts in a food factory - starting as a temp and relatively swiftly working up to first skilled op then op tec , then supervisor (the advantages of being relatively bright and not afraid of hard graft) with all the overtime i could stand.

That paid back the bank , bought a car, and stuck 1000 notes of rainy day money away for the volunteering (the latter which i may have "forgotten" to mentiun to the dole office when i signed on)

then after a year i quit (well technically i didnt bother turning up for work until they fired me - if you quit you are "intentially unempoyed" and not eligible for JSA - you get 32 notes a week social security instead - if you get canned you can claim full JSA straight away ) and went off to be a volunteer warden.

The other thing worth mentioning is that not every volunteering scheme has to be full time - I currently run a "Volunteer Trails Assistant" scheme which is generally 2-3 days p/w (though it can be full time if the volunteer can afford it ) - you dont say where you are , but if you are in the oxford area you should pm me - if not you can probably find a similar placement where you are - If you tell us where i might be able put you in touch.

[tom00_uk]

its 5 days a week in yorkshire

[tomw]

Ive been thinking about the same thing. I wondered if I could find something like a warden job id actually be interested in instead of the crappy jobs i usually do, but i didnt see how i would volunteer for a year without a job. Some interesting points on here though.