A Greater Appreciation for the Little Things
Vine Trust School Expeditions are a unique way for young adults to broaden their perspectives. Our volunteers work alongside local teams to build houses for vulnerable families. This is not only to help these communities towards a brighter future, but also the opportunity for young people to engage as global citizens.
We invited our 2018 school volunteers to tell us more about the impact that their expedition has had six months on from their trip. Their feedback was a great opportunity to hear about their experiences and lessons learned.
A greater appreciation for the little things in life
Of pupils from the schools who responded, over 90% said they appreciated their family more and they had increased confidence in making new friends. It was great to hear how volunteers responded to appreciating the 'little things' in life,
"Seeing how much fun the kids had with a balloon or bubbles really put things into perspective for me, and made me realise that life really isn't about materialistic things"
Our orientations prepare schools for their expeditions by including team-building and cultural awareness. We love to hear how volunteers feel welcomed on their expeditions, leading to over 80% saying they now felt more comfortable interacting with people from different backgrounds,
"The Tanzanian people were so friendly and welcoming, even though they did not know myself or my team at all. I was already comfortable with this but my time in Tanzania made this even easier."
We also asked volunteers about how their expedition affected their future plans and aspirations. Many reported a change in career paths, with more hopes to travel independently and develop global skills.
Global citizens of the future
Our school volunteers are the leaders of the next generation and Vine Trust are acutely aware of the future global challenges that Generation Z will face in their lifetimes.
Over 80% agreed that they now felt part of the world, rather than just living in their own life and over 75% reported a greater interest in global affairs.
We were delighted to hear that because of their volunteering opportunity, 100% of our respondents reported an increased confidence in their ability to achieve things,
"The long days on the worksite were sometimes very hard, but remembering what it was for really kept me going. I feel that I still have this in the back of my mind, and when things get tough I know that it will always be of benefit."
We also saw our volunteers become more considerate in their work, lending a hand when others needed help,
"Being part of the team on the worksite I saw that everyone needed support of some kind, if it was a few words of support or even something as small as carrying someone’s water bottle, I felt that it made me more aware of how others were feeling."
Connecting people to change lives
We believe Vine Trust expeditions aren't just about the then and there. Communities and families can work towards a brighter future with the help of our teams. Our volunteers almost always return with a greater appreciation for life, a sense of inspiration and a stronger ambition to change even more lives, ultimately impacting on local communities back in the UK.
If you think your local school or community group would like the opportunity to work towards becoming global citizens, start asking about our building programme by contacting: expeditions@vinetrust.org