Quest Overseas - Gap Year Travel

If you are thinking of taking a Gap Year in 2011 or even 2012 and would like to find out what options you have, why not come along to the Gap Year Fair being held at Haileybury School, near Hertford, Hertfordshire. Many Gap Year providers, including Quest Overseas will be there to answer any questions you have. We are more than happy to talk to you about our projects, Africa or South America or your Gap Year plans in general - just come and say hello.

If you are thinking of volunteering on your Gap Year, do take a look at the Ethical Volunteering Guide for a list of good questions to ask organisations offering placements to ensure the work you will be doing is worthwhile and beneficial.

The fair is being held from 7:30pm - 9pm and directions to the school can be found here.

Not with Quest I'm afraid, but another company has recognised the quality and calibre of our volunteers and leaders, and so have asked us to spread the word!

We can't put too much detail here, just that it is a London based job, looking for someone with experience travelling to a number of African destinations. Their description is as follows:

The job would vary slightly depending on the experience of the candidate but the main responsibility will be organising tailor-made trips / holidays throughout Africa. The company are looking for bright, articulate candidates with first-hand experience of the destinations and above all an enthusiasm for Africa and travelling there.

They're a small company and are offering great career development; also if there are any older Quest people who already have experience of putting together trips / packages for a travel agency / tour operator there is potential to have some product management responsibility alongside the sales aspect.

If you're interested, contact us and we'll pass their direct contact details to you so you can get in touch with them.

The Sir Philip Recklitt Educational Trust (SPRET) has grants and funds available to gap year students which can be put towards travel and expenses for projects both overseas and in the UK.

The SPRET funds are only available to people residing in, or in full time education in the former East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull and Norfolk and any succesful applicants must submit a report on the project undertaken after it has been completed.

For more information take a look at the SPRET website - http://www.spret.org - where you can find out how to apply. 

If you are from Norfolk and have any questions contact spretrust@googlemail.com and if you are from the East Riding of Yorkshire/Hull contact hull@spret.org

With the increase in interest and value of taking a gap year, not only are more people taking gap years, but there are also more people interested in investing in them. Another example of this is Erik's Gap Year Trust. The trust was set up in 1998 by the family of Erik Sutherland as a tribute to his perseverance and vivacity, until his tragic death on the 27th June 1998 towards the end of his gap year project.

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