Volunteer Vacations

For those not content to be sideline spectators when they travel, check out these organisations that offer Western European adventures that plunge you into the heart of the Scandinavian experience. Whether you have a professional skill or are a student looking for a way to spend a productive semester away from academia, these programs offer opportunities to contribute and participate in good causes that will make a difference in your life and many others.

Volunteers For Peace

Help clean up the environment, teach locals your native language or assist those in need.

Many Volunteer for Peace vacations are available in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.

An affordable intercultural immersion service projects typically runs 2 to 4 weeks, although some last up to 12 weeks. Programs are geared for different age groups and vary since they are driven by the needs of the target community.

Work & Volunteer Abroad (WAVA)

English-speaking UK residents can travel to Norway as a working guest to be part of programs that run from 8 to 24 weeks and are offered year-round.

Stay with a local family and experience the Norwegian lifestyle up close and personal. You work effort of 35 hours per week earns you room and board and even a little weekly pocket money.

WAVA focuses on jobs in the agricultural or tourist industry.

United Planet

Experience a life-changing trip when you volunteer for the Long-Term Quest program to Scandinavia.

United Planet’s Quest programs offer 100% cultural immersion with personalised attention and training before departure. Stay in local homes or on-site in group lodges as you participate in environmental projects, elderly assistance, youth drug addiction counselling and assistance to people with disabilities.

Available to U.S. and Canadian residents over 18 years of age, these trips begin in August and January annually and last for 6 months to 1 year. They are ideal for retirees or students who are taking some time off from their academic studies to learn more about their world first-hand.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

Begun back in 1971, this volunteer exchange program offers their participants listings of organic farms all over the world that are willing to exchange room and board for help on their property.

WWOOFERS, as they are called, are very welcomed in the Baltic region, and many small farms depend on the yearly help provided by members of this organisation to collect their harvests.

There is a small fee to sign-up for the program, but once you are a member you can travel to most points on the globe and find a friendly host ready to welcome you with open arms.