European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a volunteering programme that enables young people to spend up to twelve months volunteering for a charity or organisation in another country in Europe, or even further afield. The programme is fully supported in terms of training and, importantly, finance and is open to young people aged 18-30.
is funded by the European Commission - and Xchange Scotland has been sending volunteers on this programme since 2023. Volunteers get their travel, accommodation, living costs and some pocket money provided. On top of this, there is excellent training given and also language support. The programme allows volunteers not only to take part in a unique and exciting opportunity - living and working in another country - but also the chance to gain life-changing skills and work experience.
There are a wide range of projects from cultural, environmental and social. Volunteers choose projects from a database of over 1000 projects ranging from tracking wolves in the Slovak mountains, helping run a community radio in Germany to working with immigrants in Barcelona. It is possible to take part in a project outside Europe too.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, the application process looks a bit like this:
- The first step is to get in touch with us. We meet with prospective volunteers to discuss EVS and go through the application process.
- Search for a project. There are various ways in which volunteers find themselves a project. You will be support by Xchange Scotland in finding yourself a project. For examples of previous EVS projects we have sent volunteers on, take a look at our experience pages.
- Once you have found yourself a project, then the funding for it is applied for. From the point of starting to search to getting away on the project can take as long as 6 months.
- Once the project has been approved, you are invited to attend pre-departure training. From there, you are good to go :-)