Volunteering Solutions - Sutton

Vicky W.

My second visit to Delhi volunteering with VS on the Street Children Project and once again Raj, Sahil and Shankar went above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect. From the moment our group arrived at the airport our every need was taken care of with nothing being too much trouble.

The planning that goes in to arranging the itinerary and then trying to ensure everything goes to according to plan is testament to the dedication when battling the crazy Delhi traffic and a group of over 20 people wanting to shop at every given opportunity.

To anyone thinking of embarking on a volunteering experience my advice is 'go for it', the only regret you will have it not doing it. Whether as a group or a solo traveller VS will ensure you are well looked after from the moment you arrive until the second you leave.

Ivana F.

I just returned from a two-week childcare program in Nairobi, Kenya, and my only thought is: I should have stayed longer.

The money spent on the application, the additional costs of going to the orphanage (not included), and the long journey itself feel now insignificant compared to the time I shared with the children — it was the most genuine, meaningful, and important of my life. To borrow the words of one of my favorite Italian singers, those children "have changed the architecture and proportions of my heart."

A huge thank you to Volunteering Solutions and Makimei Children's Home for this incredible opportunity, and to the amazing volunteers I met along the way!

Bekki A.

What a fantastic organisation, Sahil and Shankar were both amazing, incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about the projects and the trips we were going on. I would highly recommend doing any trip through this company. I will definitely be back again to volunteer and to see more of India!

shelley C.

This was my second time traveling with volunteering solutions and what an amazing trip it has been. We didn’t have to worry about anything while we were there, all accommodation, transport and meals were included. Seeing the children again was a really heartwarming experience and the places we visited were incredible. It has been a rewarding and memorable trip and I can’t thank Sahil and Shankar enough, they went above and beyond. I look forward to seeing you both again in the future. Thankyou for everything.

Poppy H.

Had the most incredible trip. Volunteering solutions had been helpful throughout and were prompt in answering any of our questions. We had some minor issues with our host but volunteering solutions sorted this out quickly and efficiently. I did the medical program in Kenya. Not much info about the program was available but that’s likely because when at the hospital we were allowed to go and see what we wanted. There wasn’t too much structure but this allowed us to have more freedom over our own experience. Me and my friend are currently studying healthcare degrees and are not qualified yet, this meant we were shadowing. It did not feel like we were able to help much and necessarily ‘volunteer’ but we were able to learn a lot. This program probably is more suitable for those more qualified or those looking for a learning opportunity as we both felt like we weren’t doing much in the way of helping.
In the hostel we stayed in there were other volunteers on the medical program as well as the childcare program. This meant that on one of the days we were able to visit the orphanage as well which was lovely. The hostel itself was fine (it was better than our expectations), it had two bedrooms both with two sets of double beds, kitchen, bathroom and sitting room. It did feel safe which was our priority, it was gated and had a security guard. So as two 19 yr old females we felt safety wise fine. There were only 4 of us in the hostel at the time but I’d say if there were anymore then the facilities would not be enough ie toilet and shower. Breakfast and dinner was provided too.
In Nairobi we were able to get Ubers which were safe and a good cost. I highly recommend this program and if you’re looking for an experience to remember I would 100% do it. It was challenging, heartwarming, eye opening and incredible.

Nila Y.

About the medical program (dentistry) in Chiangmai
This is in my opinion complete fraud!
For 4 weeks the charged me €1,680.00€ with zero value provided by the so-called organisation.

The quality of the volunteer house is a disaster:
A super tiny, shared room on the third floor with stairs only and a small bathroom in bad conditions!
There are nearly 10 people in the house sharing one fridge and one TV on the ground floor.
Every day a man came to each bedroom when no one was there, with the excuse of checking whether the AC or the light was on.
This is a pure violation of privacy especially when considering that the rooms where for girls only!!!!
The breakfast consists of Muesli, yoghurt and bananas to maximize the profit of this rip-off!

about the management:
Of Course, they won't pay any money for picking us up from the airport. It was with the company truck which I had to sit in the back of it with my luggage.
On the first day they just got me to the hospital in the back of the same truck, showed me the dental clinic of it and told me here are the dentists go introduce yourself, which I believe, I could have done without them.
They told me I must manage the time with doctors that I’m shadowing myself and there is no specific schedule!
There was not one second in this program that I felt I’m here to help someone which is the definition of volunteer work in the name of charity. It's just a way of making money in the name of charity and providing the worst quality of stay to maximize the profit!

For a long weekend I stayed in Hua Hin at the beach in a super nice private room with an amazing pool including breakfast and it cost me only €21 a night.
I have no idea what this organization is getting money for if you just compare the value!
The only thing they told me about the hospital was to coordinate with the doctor, so I did and asked the doctors to take one day off and then on Monday I receive very rude and disrespectful messages from Imm trough one of the volunteers, accusing me of not showing up at work before even contacting any of the doctors.
After complaining at Volunteering Solutions in the UK I was told I must talk directly to the local agency to sort out the problems. My contract is with Volunteering Solutions and not with any local sub-contractor.
I will report the company for fraud and claim my money back in court if necessary!

Bruna V.

The company only cares about the money you pay but not about the real human exchange that is the most amazing thing in any volunteer opportunity. Until you pay they are super nice, after it, anything you request does not count. The program says I would have tours on weekends so I would go to the project with kids in the week but they decided to buy a tour in a Thursday without consulting me and so I found out when I arrived in the country and didn’t give me any option for a change since it was booked already. So, what is the problem to miss a day with the kids? For them really didn’t seem an issue but the name of the company is volunteering solutions so I thought it would come in first place. The headquarter of the company is not friendly, the local people in Peru that supports the program, the best ones you will find but unfortunately they don’t make the rules

Bea C.

They still won't give me my money back. They just make excuses.
I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!

SCAMMED by Volunteering Solutions!!

I have asked them to refund me the amounts defrauded. They only make excuses because they are only interested in money. Do not contract a project with this company. I will continue to denounce them.

I just returned from a volunteer program in Borneo, Malaysia. I was the only volunteer. The other volunteer, there were only 2 of us, was with another U.K. company.

Volunteering Solutions the ONLY thing they do is charge you a high price to send you there. I feel like I have been SCAMMED by Volunteering Solutions. They only care about the money and that you send them pictures of the project or share your profile with them.

To sign up for any program they force you to pay a fee of 199 euros. In my case, I asked for a single room and had to pay almost 170 euros extra, that's in addition to the 1,500 euros that the 12-day program costs (not including flights, of course). In total I paid about 1,900 euros.

The other volunteer did NOT pay any fee to the company, and she did not pay anything for the single room and I did. I have claimed these amounts but they refuse and make excuses.

The program met my expectations, in Borneo there is a Malaysian company that works all year round in this project, it is APE Malaysia (Animal Project and Envioriment Education). They are the ones who take care of absolutely everything. Surely it is better to contact them directly, and cheaper!!!