Volunteers | Volunteer & Community Engagement | International volunteering | Trusted partners | The LIFE Foundation

Most of The LIFE Foundation placements are two weeks duration but you can apply for shorter or longer-term volunteer placements.

Recruitment takes place Oct – March
Interviews are held Dec-March in Manchester or London and Skype interviews are also available.
Initial application deadline late March
Trips run during the summer.

There is a one day compulsory training for all volunteers, normally held in Manchester, plus additional online training/reading to help prepare you for the trip.
Volunteers need to arrange their own: UK travel for training and to airport in UK for flight, and book own flights (we recommend a certain flight so everyone can travel together). Vaccinations. Visas (if required). Fundraising. Additional work experience before the trip if required (we advise after interview if you need more relevant experience)
Contact with our team: The Project Co-ordinator (one of our committee members and an experienced volunteer) is the main point of contact for volunteers in UK. Normally email/Social Media communications but can phone also. Trustees, Manager or other committee members also contactable for queries, concerns etc.
The LIFE Foundation team can help you prepare for your placement, help with fundraising ideas and talk you through any nerves or emotional situations. We have all been volunteers like you so we really do know how daunting the experience can be and the best way to help you!

Local staff, Norica and Nicu, co-ordinate and lead the teams while there, take you to care homes, and we employ the same lovely family each year to drive the minibus for airport transfers and to the adult institution.
Local volunteers help with translating in children’s homes.
Accommodation is in a private flat in central Slatina (name of the town). It has bathroom and cooking facilities, a decent living space and 2 bedrooms with 10 bunk beds. 30-45 minutes’ walk to children’s flats or 1 hour bus journey to adult institution.
The flat is in an apartment block next to the town square, where there are lots of cafes, bakeries and restaurants, events in the square, fountains and parks viewable from the windows!
Very close to small convenience shops and ATMs, 15 minutes’ walk to the nearest supermarket which is huge and stocks everything you’d need, including vegetarian/vegan soy options.

Minimum donation: £500 – covers placement costs and contributes to the long term running of the project (Training, DBS and admin, accommodation, airport transfers, project transport, T-shirts, donation towards running costs of project visited and charity).
Volunteers are asked to pay £100 deposit when accepting their place on a trip and £350 to be paid by the start of June, so you have time to fundraise and can pay in instalments if that’s easier
£30 of your donation is be paid via Standing Order of £5 per month for 6 months – this spreads the cost for you, and spreads the income over the summer/autumn months for us when income tends to fall but project costs continue!
Estimated flight cost: £170-£300 (depending on how early flights are booked, month of travel – August typically more expensive)
Estimated spending money: £140 (based on £10 per day for 2 weeks, this will mostly cover your food and during your weekend off you may want to go to a local pool and for some meals out)
The committee have all fundraised doing various challenges, events and activities so can give you ideas on what to do and how to organise events, what types of fundraising are quick and easy and which may require more planning but get a good return etc.

The LIFE Foundation