Hosts Sought for Volunteer Exchange

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Kazakhstani youth to work on local community projects

A pioneering youth programme, which links young people from the UK with young people from developing countries, is returning to Hounslow Borough for the third year in a row.

In December the area will be host to Global Xchange, a groundbreaking international volunteer exchange programme that brings together nine young people from the UK and nine from a developing country to volunteer together on a range of community projects in both countries.

This year the programme run by VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), the British Council and CSV (Community Service Volunteers), with support from BAA Communities Trust, will bring together young people from the UK and Kazakhstan in central Asia. This follows on from the success of two previous Global Xchanges in Hounslow, which saw young people from Nigeria and Sri Lanka live and work in the borough.

The eighteen young volunteers, aged 18-25, from the UK and Kazakhstan, will live and work together in Taldy Korgan in Kazakhstan for three months, before spending three months in Hounslow. They will be living with host families and working in local community organisations, contributing over 6,000 hours of voluntary work in schools, youth centres, day care centres and environmental projects across the borough.

Global Xchange is currently looking for hospitable community hosts, living in or near Hounslow Borough, who have a spare room and would be willing to accommodate a pair of volunteers for up to ten weeks starting in December. Hosts are offered a weekly allowance to contribute towards accommodation and food costs and will be supported by two project supervisors.

The programme is also looking for expressions of interest from local community organisations that are interested in providing voluntary work placements.

August 23, 2006