Factsheet for Press

The following factsheet will hopefully help to answer any initial questions you might have about Raleigh International. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of Raleigh International's communication team.

What is Raleigh International?
Raleigh International is an educational charity, established in 1984 as ‘Operation Raleigh', which is committed both to the personal growth and development of young people and the sustainable development of host communities.

What does Raleigh International do?
Raleigh International organises adventure and challenge expeditions for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, especially for young people aged 17 to 24. Participants gain valuable  personal and life skills as well as contributing to sustainable environmental and community projects and undertaking physical challenge.

Raleigh International works in partnership with local NGOs, government agencies and local communities in each of its expedition countries, where permanent staff on the ground ensure all of its projects are planned thoroughly, provide long-term benefits, are sustainable and are genuinely needed.

Where do Raleigh International's expeditions take place?
Raleigh International runs approximately 10 expeditions a year - to Malaysia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. An exciting new expedition to India will start in February 2008.

Who can take part in a Raleigh International overseas expedition?
Since 1984, more than 30,000 people have taken part in Raleigh International's expeditions, approximately 700 venturers and 300 volunteer managers each year. Expeditions are made-up of a diverse mix of participants, including:

• Young people or ‘venturers' aged between 17 and 24 from the UK or abroad, who are often taking a break from education or work as part of a gap year, sabbatical or training expedition. 
•  A number of socially excluded and vulnerable young people from the UK and abroad, who take part in overseas projects through Raleigh International's youth agency partnerships.
• Host country volunteers, comprised of young people from the country in which the expedition is hosted.

Raleigh International also recruits ‘volunteer managers' aged 25 and above - with no upper age limit - who are selected on the basis of their specialist skills, as well as their energy, enthusiasm, leadership, team working and motivational skills.

How long does an individual expedition last with Raleigh International?
Raleigh International's full expeditions last 10 weeks for venturers and approximately 13 weeks for volunteer managers who receive an additional period of in-country training. For venturers short on time but not enthusiasm, there is also the option to join a 7 or 4 week expedition.

We also offer the 5 week expedition, which lasts approximately eight weeks for volunteer managers due to additional in-country training.

What is involved in an overseas expedition with Raleigh International?
During a full 10-week expedition venturers will work on three projects: community, environmental and adventure. At certain times of the year young people can opt to do just one (4 weeks) or two (7 weeks) of the project phases. On the five week expedition venturers will have the option of choosing either a community or environmental project, as well as taking part in a week's team-based adventure challenge.

The community phase includes projects such as installing gravity-feed water systems in remote Nicaraguan villages; the environmental phase could include working to transform a former prison island into a wildlife refuge; and the adventure phase can see participants climbing to the top of South East Asia's highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu, in Borneo.  

Volunteer managers will either work as project managers facilitating groups of venturers to carry out the projects, usually on one project for the entire 10 weeks, or at field base in a variety of roles supporting the smooth running of the expedition. Eg. In administration, finance, logistics, medical, photography.

All of Raleigh International's expeditions provide venturers and volunteer managers with an adventurous and challenging experience of a lifetime. Plus, all venturers are provided with structured training, with volunteer managers supervising their personal development throughout.

How much does an expedition ‘cost' with Raleigh International?
As a registered charity Raleigh International is completely dependent on fundraising activities and as such asks all venturers and volunteer managers to contribute towards the charity's work and expenses through fundraising.  

While some participants choose to work or use savings for this required contribution, Raleigh International encourages all participants to organise fundraising activities in order to raise awareness of the charity's work with young people and to develop their own initiative, creativity, networking skills and commitment.

Venturers are asked to raise £2,995 for 10 weeks,  £2250 for 7 weeks,  £1500 for 4 weeks and £1,750 for a five-week expedition, while volunteer managers are asked to raise £1,950 for a 13-week expedition and £1,350 for an eight-week expedition.

Funds are used to pay for medical and travel insurance, training and preparation, pre-departure support, all food and accommodation, specialist equipment and in-country transport. Funds raised are also used to support socially disadvantaged young people from the UK, as well as those volunteers from host countries. Venturers and volunteer managers are required to pay for their own international flights.

How do young people benefit from undertaking an overseas expedition with Raleigh International?
As an educational charity Raleigh International's emphasis is on youth development, and taking part in an overseas expedition facilitates an increase in self-confidence, the building of skills such as team working, leadership, planning and problem-solving, as well as a pride and satisfaction from helping others through immersing young people in new and challenging situations.

Education and career prospects are enhanced through taking part in an expedition, as well as  giving young people a chance to become more socially, environmentally and globally aware. Young people interact and work in groups with team members from diverse backgrounds, making lifelong friends in the process. Plus, participants get a rare opportunity to experience remote off-the-beaten locations, which very few tourists get to see - opening their minds to new opportunities in their future.

How safe is taking part in a Raleigh International overseas expedition?
Raleigh International has 23 years of experience with a proven safety record. As a leading expert in structured gap year expeditions, Raleigh International was one of the very first organisations to adhere to the new British Standard for overseas expedition safety (BS 8848).

What is unique about Raleigh International?
Raleigh International is a true pioneer of gap years with a long-established history of working with young people. The educational charity is widely respected within the industry and has partnerships with a variety of organisations and employers eg. Year in Industry, Duke of Edinburgh, Girlguiding UK, Aviva, Ministry of Defence  etc, who value participation in Raleigh International's overseas expeditions as a powerful learning experience for young people.

While Prince William helped Raleigh International hit the global headlines in 2000 when he took part in an expedition to Chile with the charity, Raleigh International encourages participation of young people from a diverse mix of backgrounds and nationalities including participants from around the world, including host countries, and socially excluded young people from the UK.

Unlike some ‘voluntourism' organisations, Raleigh International has a permanent presence in each of its overseas countries, where long-term, sustainable and worthwhile projects are planned and carried out in partnership with local NGOs, government agencies and local communities.

Raleigh International's expeditions uniquely offer participants a chance to take part in a variety of activities and challenges - with three distinct phases, including community, environmental and adventure projects during the full ten-week expeditions. 

Both venturers and volunteer managers taking part in Raleigh International's structured expeditions get the opportunity to take part in tangible and meaningful projects benefitting others, whilst having a challenging adventure of a lifetime in remote destinations well and truly off the tourist routes.  

 

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