In its 40th year Voluntary Service Overseas is asking where will the next generation of recruits come from as an opinion poll found nine out of 10 15 to 25-year olds haven’t heard of it.
It is experiencing a 10 per cent drop in the number of volunteers it will send abroad , the first decline in a decade. Applications have fallen by 22 per cent in the past two years, with recruits to teaching posts down by 50 per cent.
VSO is launching a 10-point plan to promote volunteering and to counter the outdated public perception that most of its recruits are school leavers on a gap year. It will hold recruitment fairs and open days aimed at technically-skilled people.
