I have worked in volunteer tourism for several years and I have researched volunteer organistions in the UK. People and places have an approach which is not only innovative but also of an extremely high ethical and responsible standard. Volunteering can be such a fantastic experience. People and places ensures that it always is, and the hard work of volunteers pays off as local people benefit. Volunteering should not be any other way.

After taking early retirement in 2006 I worked with a project identified by P&P in South Africa. The integrity and transparency of the organisation were apparent from the beginning and throughout all further communication.
The matching process was thorough, the initial orientation and local support during the project were exceptional. This preparation contributed to the mutal respect which developed during the placement.
Contact between past and future volunteers was actively encouraged which helped to sustain developments in the host community.
People and Places get my vote!

HI,

I am delighted P&P have entered, and having worked with them as a Project Manager in South Africa, want to make a comment.

Our company has been at the fore front of developing responsible tourism, and responsible volunteering practice in South Africa.

And working with P&P has been so refreshing. They are the first volunteer placement agenct that we have engaged with that actually get it! Communities need to come first! In terms of needs assesment, in terms of accepting or rejecting volunteers. They are the only placement agency we know off that insists on criminal checks......for every volunteer. With us they manage volunteer flows to ensure no oversupply, and a minimising of negative impact.

They are very respectful in there approach to us knowing local conditions best, and we never feel compromised in the way they work with us.

When they (Kate or Sallie) have visited the projects, they are open to hearing community views and concerns - and then finding ways of reconciling that with the business of doing business.

The calibre of volunteers we have recieved has done justice to community needs, and we truly are greatful that they entered the volunteer market. Changemakers indeed.!

During August 2007 I worked at the South African rural village of Mapoch (40kms NW of Pretoria) helping set up a cycle project with the intention of giving the villagers a cheap sustainable form of transport and the opportunity to run a cycle shop giving employment to some of the villagers.
I first contacted Kate Stefanko in October 2006 with the intention of doing some voluntary work abroad, after giving Kate my life story and interests she suggested working at Mapoch where my skills as a school caretaker would be useful. Kate put me in contact with the local partner’s and we identified a need for cheap transport and as my hobby is cycling we decided to set up the cycle project.
I have found people and places to be very open and honest in their approach to volunteering and could always contact them when I needed to. If I needed to contact other volunteers I could and I am always available to give help and advice to future volunteers, Sallie and Kate encourage this contact and it is very beneficial to us volunteers.
Without people and places I would never have found such a worthwhile project and as a first time volunteer there help has been invaluable.
The cycle project is up and running and hopefully more volunteers will continue to help with the project and I can now give advice to future volunteers at Mapoch.
Before contacting Kate I did not really know if I had enough skills to be any use as a volunteer but Kate is very good at identifying the abilities of a volunteer and placing them in the correct project.
Hopefully my placement has been a benefit to the village of Mapoch and I have certainly learnt a lot from the local community.

Nigel Pegler

My company, socialtours.com travels, in Nepal, is the Project Management Team for the responsible volunteering in Nepal.

Working with People and Places has been a blessing. We feel that we have finally found an organisation in the West which truly works in the ways we feel is the best way. It prioritises local knowledge, local skills and local needs over the need of the market, and has designed an approach where this can be balanced and practically translated into action. That is truly an innovation for change.

Best of luck, guys, I hope you win.

I chose to volunteer with people & places over all the other organisations at one life live 2007 due to Kate's passion for the work they are doing and the projects they are supporting as well as people and places being one of very few who go through a proper screening of volunteers through CRB checks and medical checks as well as ensuring experience, skills and motivation were consistent with the needs of the project.

I was not disapointed and the aforementioned passion was evident throughout my experience, being also expressed by the local partners, the participating villagers and other volunteers.