8th November

Fair Trade Volunteering (FTV) is a movement which aims to set the standard for short term overseas volunteering. It looks to ensure that both the time and energy a volunteer brings, as well as the money they pay for their placement, gives genuine long term benefit to the host communities. This launch is looking to bring together those organisations involved in volunteering, who hold the FTV principles as a fundamental part of their operating ethos.

BACKGROUND
Over the past few years, the number of volunteering opportunities and the organisations which provide them has grown substantially, and there now exists a whole range of type and quality of placement for the prospective volunteer. Some are commercial organisations, others are charities, churches or schools. There are also host communities or projects overseas which directly recruit volunteers online. With the majority of these, volunteers are expected to make a payment for their placement, which may go towards covering their living costs, support while on placement, ongoing support for the project or as a fee to the organisation which has placed them.

With the increase in the concept of volunteering as a “saleable product”, has come a whole host of different types of operators with different priorities for the volunteers, the projects and the money it brings in. This growth and diversity has also brought a great deal of negative coverage of volunteering, with the sector being criticised for exploiting volunteers and overseas projects for commercial gain.

A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO VOLUNTEERING
FTV aims to show that this is not the case across the board, however there are certain standards which must be met and maintained to ensure that the benefit the volunteers bring is a genuine and lasting one. The five criteria of the FTV standard (which all FTV members must meet) demonstrate that, when done correctly, volunteering can be a genuine form of sustainable development.

“Fair Trade Volunteering is not a kite mark or a CSR strategy,” says Gavin Bate, FTV founder. “It represents the fundamental ethos and operating philosophy of an organisation, and we are inviting the heads of organisations which share its principles to join together to create a voice for good in the industry.”

The Fair Trade Volunteering logo is an independent registered trade mark. While it is not officially linked to the Fairtrade Foundation, it does share many of their principles, including that of the “Fairtrade Premium”.

THE FUTURE FOR FAIR TRADE VOLUNTEERING
The growth of FTV will highlight the genuine benefit well managed volunteering can give to overseas projects, whilst helping to raise the bar for the industry as a whole. It will also serve as a benchmark for individuals or groups looking to take part in a volunteer placement overseas, to help ensure their contribution is a positive one.

NOTES FOR THE MEDIA
Fair Trade Volunteering has been established by leaders in the volunteering industry. The standard exists to give volunteer placement organisations a benchmark by which to operate their placements, as well as giving prospective volunteers a clear and simple way to understand what they should be looking for in a Fair Trade Volunteering placement. The Fair Trade Volunteering logo is an independent registered trademark.

THE CRITERIA
Fair Trade Volunteering members must meet the following criteria with ALL of their placements:
1. Minimum "local investment" level
Organisations provide investment into the project itself above and beyond the volunteer's time and work. This can be in the form of finance, resources or training.
2. Long term commitment to the project (minimum 3 years)
Organisations have a direct relationship with the host project or community, and develop the project in joint communication with their project partners.
3. Clear and honest project description and thorough volunteer preparation
Organisations give clear, comprehensive and honest descriptions of their projects. They also have an appropriate pre-departure selection, preparation and training programme.
4. In-country support and project management
Volunteers receive constant support and regular communication while on site at their project.
5. 100% volunteer expenses covered by the placement organisation, not the local community
Organisations ensure that 100% of volunteer expenses on site (food, accommodation, transport) are covered, and are not in any way the responsibility of the local community.

MEMBERSHIP
To apply to join FTV, members will go through the following process
1. Online application, demonstrating in general terms how they meet the criteria
2. Visit by FTV at the organisation’s head office, normally for several days. This is to check in further depth how they meet the criteria, but also to gain a fuller understanding of the organisation’s ethos.
3. Interviews with a selection of returned volunteers and project partners.
4. Invitation to the next FTV meeting to meet with all FTV members.
5. Regular (annual) monitoring of standards, including feedback from volunteers and project partners.

CONTACT
For more information on the five FTV criteria or about Fair Trade Volunteering as a whole, please visit www.fairtradevolunteering.com or contact info@fairtradevolunteering.com

The five criteria have been set with the above objective in mind, creating and maintaining the balance of benefit for volunteer and project. They have been developed in consultation with established volunteering organisations, local project partners and gap year and volunteering advisers.

They are not a black and white set of rules because there are a whole host of different types of project and placement out there, and each one is developed and run differently. It would be impossible to say for example that "every project must receive a cash donation of £XXX" or "volunteers must always commit to a minimum period of XXX" - what is right for one project may be extremely damaging for another. At the same time however, the criteria and assessment process do ensure that projects and volunteers do receive what is right and appropriate for each organisation's structure.

FTV has been created and established by leading volunteer organisations and advisors in the travel industry to enable volunteers to make a choice as to which volunteer experience they would like to have, and to give organisations wishing to provide FTV projects guidelines, help and support to be able to deliver them. Over the past few years, the number of volunteering opportunities and the organisations which provide them has grown substantially, and there now exists a whole range of type and quality of placement for the prospective volunteer. The volunteer 'models' used are all different and as a result the level of benefit to the local community are different. Some give more money to the local project and less time, whilst others may give more volunteer resource and time and less money. Many do both. In some cases a small amount of your money will make a massive difference locally. In others you are part of a bigger, wider effort meaning your direct input and impact, whilst smaller, helps an overall bigger picture over time.

It is up to the volunteers to choose which 'model' suits them best. Whilst some may like the idea of seeing their money and input being used to great effect locally overseas, others may prefer a less hands on experience and to be part of a bigger picture. This is similar to the production of Fair Trade goods in the food industry such as Fair Trade tea, coffee and chocolate. As a consumer you have a choice to support the 'model' that works for you.

Most people assume that every volunteering place is set up purely to benefit local communities and in some instances this may not be the case. The aim of FTV is to identify a FTV model, establish a fair balance between all parties involved and to ensure placements are developed to provide genuine benefit to the project and the volunteers which take part in them. All organisations which are signed up to the FTV Trade Mark meet the five FTV criteria, created to help achieve this balance.