Cost

Schoolhouse is a not-for-profit social enterprise but must charge a fee to cover the many costs of running a high quality overseas volunteering operation. Some of these costs relate directly to the expenses of individual volunteers (training, food and accommodation etc). Other costs are more general (administration, website development, presence at university volunteering fairs etc).

Schoolhouse has a policy to keep fees to volunteers as low as possible in order to make these volunteering experiences as accessible a possible. Schoolhouse also has a Trust Fund to which volunteers can apply for help with the costs of volunteering with Schoolhouse.

You can fundraise - this can be an exciting way to approach your placement and has potential for a range of skills development. Schoolhouse is happy to discuss creative fundraising activities with anyone who is keen to embark on fundraising towards their placement.

You’ll require little additional money during their placement, so only some spending money and a little extra for any travel or excursions will be required.

The fee includes:

Airport pick-up and first night in hotel in Sri Lanka (in India, you may have to make your own way to the placement, due to distances involved)

Accommodation and meals

Training course (in Scotland, there is a small fee to cover food and accommodation during the residential course)

Information packs

Local sim card (to use in your own unlocked phone)

The fee doesn’t include:

Flights ( £450 - £680 approx, depending on destination and time of travel)

Visa fees where applicable

Local transport, if needed.

Criminal records certificate fee

Individual travel insurance

Monthly costs            

Month one:                £650

Months two & three:       £550 per month                                         

Months four, five & six:       £450 per month                                          

For volunteers wishing to take up placements for more than six months, special rates are available.

Trust Fund

Schoolhouse has established a separate charitable Trust Fund in order to help volunteers with the costs of volunteering and to assist some of its partner organisations in India and Sri Lanka.

The Trust Fund is registered with JustGiving. Volunteers are therefore able to set up their own fundraising pages and their fundraising efforts will receive an additional top-up from the government.