Is international volunteering right for you? This document will give you a brief outline about
volunteering in North India next Easter. Please read this information carefully and also read
the FAQ’s on the website. If you have any other questions please email
volunteering@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. If you decide to apply please complete the application
form and return to us by Monday 30th November, Midday.
North India project summary
There are opportunities for up to 12 volunteers to join a Tibetan
community in the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India.
Volunteers will work on Education and Health programmes run by
Tibet Relief Fund, and placed in Mussoorie and Dehradun. A new
opportunity for volunteers to Teach English and various subjects,
deliver sports coaching, creative arts, therapeutic work,
physiotherapy and support young people with Special Educational
Needs (SEN). You will live in the community in an amazing hilltop
location and join in cultural activities and events. The work will be
challenging but fun and rewarding. Volunteers will gain a real insight into the Tibetan
Refugee community and gain much more from visiting India than a tourist passing through
the country.
After all the hard work, sit back and be taken on a Golden Triangle tour of Delhi, Agra and
Jaipur which includes a visit to the world famous Taj Mahal. Volunteer for a truly great
experience, but be prepared to leave a part of you behind in India – it’s hard to leave!
About the organisation – Tibet Relief Fund
Tibet Relief Fund is a charity that was founded in 1959, within months of the Dalai Lama
arriving in India following his escape from Tibet. Thousands of Tibetans followed him,
crossing the Himalayas on foot to begin a life in exile as refugees. TRF support exiled
refugee communities by sponsoring educational and healthcare activities to improve lives
though empowerment and increase job opportunities. Volunteers will work with two schools:
(1) Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie; a school for sponsored children with no or
single parent carers form early years (5+) and young adults (20+).
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(2) Ngoenge School for disabled in Dehradun; a school for disabled children and young
people with special educational needs. The project leaders at Leeds Beckett and in coordinators for Tibet Relief Fund in the UK and in India have put together a rough schedule
of work for the 2016 project.
Volunteer role
Students from a range of disciplines are needed. Volunteers will work in pairs to deliver
activities across the following programme themes:
 teaching & education studies;
 social work & youth development;
 play work;
 sports and PE;
 counselling and therapeutic studies;
 arts therapy;
We are looking for volunteers with either experience of, or a passion for working with
children and young people. Volunteers will run activities with an educational emphasis,
this may include games, crafts, English teaching, sports, reading, writing and working
with children with special educational needs.
You may also be interested to apply if you are studying politics/ development as you will
gain exposure to working directly in a refugee community education programme.
Free time activites
During the volunteer programme, there will be two free weekends.
The first weekend (Indian weekend) will be a visit to nearby Haridwar and/or Rishikesh
Rishikesh
Hippie heaven! The site of countless yoga and meditation centers, temples and ashrams.
The Beatles stayed here during their 1968 India trip and you can visit the ashram where
they stayed – now reclaimed by the forest! The Ganges flows right through the town and,
further upstream, there are white water rapids. A weekend visit to the area could include a
white water rafting afternoon trip and there is even the possibility of extending the rafting to
two days, including a night camping on the banks of the river.
Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the seven holiest places for Hindus and a great example of a busy Indian
town. Bathing here is reported to wash away a life time of sins – although doing so is not
recommended for health reasons! Nevertheless, millions of Hindus flock here from all over
the country to bathe in the Ganges. There are many places throughout the town where you
can sit and people watch as people of all ages and wealth come to perform their ritualistic
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bathing. There are some stunning temples to visit and every evening a prayer ceremony
(Puja) is performed down by the river with music, candles and offerings. The town also has
a pretty hilltop temple (Chandi Devi). To get to the top of the hill you can ride in a tiny cable
car which looks as if it was borrowed from a 1950’s fairground.
Second weekend (Tibetan weekend)
This weekend would involve staying nearer Ngoenga but there are several options for
activities.
Clement Town
Clement town is a Tibetan settlement located near Ngoenga. It is home to thousands of
Tibetan refugees, Mindrolling Monastery and the world’s largest stupa (a big mound like
structure containing relics of Buddhist monks and nuns). A visit to the town would be a
great way to understand more about the Tibetan population in exile, visit a working Tibetan
monastery and eat some Tibetan food!
Picnic
Being in the foothills of the Himalayas there are some beautiful natural sites within a short
drive of the town – one of which is a waterfall which attracts Indian tourists by the thousand!
A nice relaxing way to spend the last morning in the area would be to have an Indian style
picnic here. We could try to arrange that some of the older students from nearby Tibetan
Homes Foundation school come along so volunteers can chat with, and learn more about,
their Tibetan counterparts.
Pre-departure activities and commitments
There’s quite a lot for volunteers to do before departure. If you are interested in applying
you must make sure that you will have enough time to prepare for the project in between
your studies and your work. After the team has been recruited, there will be a compulsory
team briefing and you will need to do fundraising some of which will be as a group and
some you will probably do on your own. There will be other compulsory meetings to help
you get prepared for the experience and talks about essential health information and
environmental issues. Although it’s not spread evenly, we’d recommend allowing an
average of 4 hours a month from when you find out you get a place to departure.
Don’t forget that the preparation for the trip will add to your personal development!
Below is a list of key dates. Dates for the sessions that are not listed below will be sent out
to the team or agreed in the first team meeting.
12 October 2015
30 November 2015
7 December 2015
Application forms available from website
Application deadline midday
Volunteer selection event
16:30 – 18:30 – Headingley Campus
21 December 2015
All paper work to be completed and returned
Deposit due
Compulsory team briefing
16:30 – 18:30
January 2016
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31 January 2016
Second payment due
Team meeting (1-2 hours)
social
Fundraising
March 2016
Team meeting (1-2 hours)
social
Fundraising
Third and final payment due
20 March 2016
Donations and fundraising money to be paid in
20 March 2016 (approx) Group departs
9 April 2016 (approx)
Group returns
Autumn 2016
Team debrief and reunion
February 2016
About the trip
Project Dates: 20th March – 9th April 2015 (approx.)
Travel - the team will meet up at the University and travel together by minibus to the airport.
The flights haven’t yet been finalised but volunteers will travel together and be collected by
the in-country coordinator and taken to meet their hosts and community members.
Support for volunteers – You will be supported by Team Leader, a member of Leeds
Beckett staff who will be facilitating the project work and looking after the volunteer group.
The Team Leader will work with the Leeds Beckett Volunteering office and Tibet Relief
Fund’s in-country co-coordinator to facilitate the volunteering experience.
Accommodation – You will be staying at the projects in small groups of 2 or 3. The
accommodation will be basic but the welcome of your hosts will more than compensate for
any lack of amenities. You will be expected to participate in your upkeep (e.g. laundry,
cleaning etc…) in addition to working on designated project work.
Food – meals will be provided and plentiful. North Indian cuisine is basic but caters for
most needs. Most main courses are based on, rice and lentils with vegetables. Meat such
as chicken will be served occasionally.
Average volunteering day – daily tasks and working hours will vary depending on the
needs of the schools at the time. We will tailor the skills of applicants to the tasks needed.
The role description is a rough guide and we welcome volunteers who will be comfortable
with change and adapting work to what is required by host community and host families e.g.
you might be expected to join a naming ceremony with your hosts.
The costs
The overall cost for each volunteer is about £1400 including a (budget) Golden Triangle
Tour at the end of the project. For first time international volunteer participants Leeds
Beckett pay £200 of your costs and the overall fee is reduced to £1200.
What’s included:
 Return flight to India
 Local travel in India
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Travel Insurance (subject to conditions)
Accommodation, meals and bottled water whilst volunteering
Leeds Beckett volunteering Hoodie and t-shirts
Handbook and support from Leeds Beckett volunteering office
Budget Golden Triangle Tour
What isn’t included?
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Spending money – we recommend £5 per day.
Vaccinations
The costs and payment deadlines are as follows:
Fees
Category
First time international
volunteer cost
Returning volunteers
Payment deadlines
Total Cost
(£)
1200
14 December
31 January
20 March
Deposit due £150
Second payment
Third payment
1400
Fundraising
Fundraising for the local community that you will be working with is a requirement to being
accepted on the trip. As well as providing essential funds for the running of the project, we
think it’ll be a great way for you to get to know your team. Lots of our previous volunteers
have had great success fundraising and some have continued raising money after they got
back. We’ll help you with your fundraising and encourage you to work as a group. Previous
examples include cake sales, abseiling and even approaching companies for donations.
Don’t forget, volunteering and fundraising look wonderful on your CV!
Minimum fundraising target: £100
More information
If you have any questions please feel free to email the project manager, Susan Robinson:
s.c.robinson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
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