InterVol

InterVol


InterVol's original University of Birmingham Guild of Students emblem.

Founded 2003
Type International Volunteering Charity
Registration no. 1136099
Focus Poverty reduction
Location
Area served
Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, United Kingdom
Method Project-based Development, Conservation & Education
Volunteers
~100
Slogan Ethical International Volunteering
Website http://www.intervol.org.uk

InterVol is an international volunteering charity based in the United Kingdom.[1] InterVol support poverty reduction, conservation and education projects with partner organisations in developing countries. Their projects in the United Kingdom are based at the University of Birmingham,[2] Imperial College London,[3] Lancaster University,[4] University of Nottingham[5] and the University of Oxford.

History

Formation

InterVol was set up as a voluntary project in the fall of 2003[6] by a group of students with the support of the Student Development (formerly Involve) department at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students[7] InterVol's volunteers began a system of student-led sustainable development projects, aiming to make a long term difference to communities in developing countries whilst working in close partnership with local NGOs in each country.[8]

Projects and expansion

In the summer of 2004 InterVol led three volunteering projects to Bulgaria, Cambodia and Uganda. The volunteers were involved in work including AIDS awareness training, work in orphanages, teaching English and building the information technology capacity of local NGO staff.

In 2005 the projects roster was quickly increased to eight projects as the popularity and presence of the project on the University of Birmingham campus increased significantly. There were two new projects in Ecuador, based around cloud-forest conservation and social development, as well as a community development project in Accra, Ghana,[9] a teaching project in Poland and a social development project in South Africa.

In 2006 InterVol began to consolidate after fast growth in its first two years. Previous projects were maintained while a new coastal development project in Thailand with Andaman Discoveries began.[10][11] InterVol supported volunteers to renovate facilities and coach sport at the New Future for Children Orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the first time in July 2006.[12] InterVol received its first national awards in 2006 when two founding volunteers, John Gorski and Danielle Gerson, won Impact awards at the National Year of the Volunteer Awards.[2]

In 2007 a new project to construct school buildings and teach in rural Nepal commenced.[13] This year also saw InterVol send volunteers to both a trafficked animal refuge and to teach Spanish to members of the Huaorani in Ecuador. The following year another project was set up in Kenya, a sports-based development project in Nairobi's Kibera slum.[14]

In June 2010 the University of Nottingham's international volunteering project affiliated with InterVol to become the first InterVol branch outside Birmingham.[5] InterVol's Nottingham project, based at the University of Nottingham Students' Union, continued to support volunteers to work with the Ugandan community development NGO, Little Big Africa.[15] The charity expanded further, forming a new international volunteering group, Project Nepal, at Imperial College London in October 2011[3] and a new InterVol society at Lancaster University[4] in December 2011.

InterVol is a founding member of the Student Volunteering Overseas Partnership (SVOP), composed of UK student-led international volunteering charities including organisations from Bristol, Edinburgh and Oxford universities.[16]

Charity status

Initially founded in 2003 as an initiative of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students, InterVol was classed as part of an exempt charity.[17] InterVol became an independent registered charity in England and Wales in May 2010.[18] InterVol's charitable objectives are to act as a resource for international volunteers at universities in the United Kingdom while promoting development projects that focus on education, health, conservation and the relief of poverty.

Project locations

InterVol currently support international programmes with organisations in the following countries: Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ecuador, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Uganda.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Charity Commission Official Website Details of InterVol's charity framework and registration. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 "University of Birmingham Buzz, Issue 75 (Page 4)" (PDF). University of Birmingham. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 Felix Online Archive, 30 November 2011 Article on new Project Nepal group at Imperial College and partnership with InterVol. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  4. 1 2 Lancaster University Students' Union Activities InterVol Lancaster listed as official LUSU society. Retrieved 15 October 2013
  5. 1 2 University of Nottingham Student Volunteering Projects Website Details of the InterVol (formerly Dreams of Africa) project at Nottingham University. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  6. ↑ University of Birmingham Buzz Magazine Details of InterVol set-up by volunteers including Tamzin Kensett, page 2. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  7. ↑ Student Volunteering History Seminar Details creation of InterVol by a team including Graham Allcott. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Turn Your Organisation into a Volunteer Magnet, 2nd Edition" (PDF). Volunteering.org. Fryar, Jackson & Dyer. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Students Combating the AIDS Pandemic". BBC Birmingham. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Birmingham Buzz: Career development, honey? (Page 9)" (PDF). Birmingham University. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Students appeal for sponsors to help Thailand Tsunami victims". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "new Future for Children Newsletter 2011-12" (PDF). New Future for Children. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Parternship for Sustainable Development Nepal Newsletter March 2010" (PDF). PSD Nepal. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Volunteer with LSO, InterVol volunteers pose with LSO coaches". Little Sports Organisation. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "University volunteering programme". Little Big Africa. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Oxford Development Abroad Newsletter Spring 2013" (PDF). Mano a Mano. ODA. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  17. ↑ University of Birmingham Website Details of the University of Birmingham's exempt charity status. Retrieved 10 May 2011
  18. ↑ Charity Commission Website Details of InterVol's charity status. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
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