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A few years ago, life looked pretty bleak for Londoner Danial William. He’d had several exclusions from school, been in trouble with the police and was hanging out with a bad crowd.  Now 21, he is employed by…

Volunteers Preeti Bhandari and Tara Leanne Hall worked to tackle female health issues in the rural community of Khurkot in the Sindhuli district of Nepal.

In this blog they tell us how…

A year ago, Shapla, a 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl who used the lessons she'd learned from VSO ICS volunteers to convince her dad not to marry her off to a 37-year-old man.

One year on, we are delighted…

It’s fair to say it’s unlikely that 25-year-old civil engineer; Benon Kwikiriza, from rural Uganda and accountant Faysal Ahmed, 26, from Oldham, would have met. But this week, they’ve become the 30,000th young…

When Jake Neal, 20, first came across the idea of volunteering abroad on a three month ICS placement with Raleigh, his first thoughts were “Oh, that sounds interesting, I should have a look.”

25 year-old Fidele Gisore has just completed a three month programme volunteering with Challenges Worldwide on the ICS scheme in Kigali, Rwanda.

While on placement, Fidele worked closely with his British…

Ever thought how your selfie can help you fundraise? This blog gives you the lowdown on how to get great photos that will help you boost your fundraising and even how to turn them into a fundraising activity!

International Citizen Service (ICS) is a once-in-a-lifetime volunteering opportunity open to all 18-25 year olds, funded by the UK Government. Over 12,000 UK young people have taken part.

It's a…

Last year it was reported in the national media that, early in her career, Education Secretary Justine Greening had been turned down for a job in finance after leaving university because she hadn’t taken a gap…

Matthew Collier, 19, from Brighton, was always worried his dyslexia would hold him back from getting ahead. Now back from his Challenges Worldwide ICS placement in Lusaka, Zambia, he’s got a new lease of life and…

Rosie Coleman, 25, from London, took a big risk – to leave the high-flying London job she wasn’t enjoying to apply for ICS. Two placements with Challenges Worldwide later, she’s back in her home city – but with a…

As well as bringing about change in the lives of people in local communities, ICS furthers volunteers’ learning and personal development.

Volunteers benefit from comprehensive training as part of the…

The impact of ICS endures beyond the placement.

91% of volunteers (UK and in-country) say that their attitudes towards social action has changed as a result of taking part in ICS. With two thirds of…

ICS volunteers support the work of dedicated partners on the ground. 92% agree that volunteers make a serious and positive contribution to this work. 

In the past year, 3,334 ICS volunteers from 286 teams…

Supporting development work on the ground, developing young volunteers and building a legacy of active citizenship. We're proud of the difference we're making.

Find out more about our impact:…

For years, the media’s outdated perception of poverty has defined how the world has understood international development. But young people across the globe are changing that. This International Day for the…

Globally, over 10% of people on Earth live under the poverty line. That’s over 10% of people for whom accessing quality education, health services and clean drinking water are a challenge and who are vulnerable…

Life can be stressful, but your ICS fundraising doesn’t have to be. We want you to make the most of this opportunity and enjoy every second! So sit back and have a gander at our top tips for stress free fundraising.

Sign up to the ICS newsletter – our free monthly email update.

Every month we’ll update you with stories about ICS volunteers and the impact they are making, selected opportunities and ways in which you can contribute to…

“I’m a different person now,” says 19-year-old VSO ICS volunteer Georgia Deegan. She’s been back just two weeks in the UK after spending three months in the rural Nigerian village of Oke Ode. We caught up with…

You must read these terms and conditions before entering.  

The competition is being run by VSO on behalf of the ICS programme. The winner and five runners up will be chosen based on the opinion of a…

You've got five separate categories to choose from - with videos being entered in their own category. Read the descriptions and check out some of the winning photos below then click here to submit your entry.…

Open to all ICS volunteers and alumni around the world, we’re looking for entries that capture the best and brightest moments from your placement or your Action at Home.

How to enter

This year's …

In this 360° video take a look at some of the amazing things Naseem did on placement in Kenya - compared to life back at home in Newcastle.

Use your mouse to scroll around the video:

For many people across Nigeria, rain is a blessing. But for students and teachers at Igangan High School in the west of the country, they dread it. 

That’s because for the last year, their school has been…

Hi. I'm Naseem.

I'm 19 and from Newcastle. This year my life was changed forever when I went to live in Loitokitok, Kenya for three months as an ICS volunteer.

Whenever there have been opportunities, I've always been one…

19-year-old Naseem Haque from Newcastle really has made the most of his year off. Having earned a place studying Computer Games Programming at Newcastle University, he wanted to use his time in a meanginful way…

International Citizen Service (ICS) provides overseas volunteer placements for 18-25 year olds and Team Leader placements for 23-35 year olds.

Funded by the UK Government and run by respected…

The average UK adult now spends almost 9 hours a day glued to their screens – more time than we spend sleeping! (1)

Checking their phone up to 150 times a day, the average smartphone…

We spoke to Aly-Khan Rajan, who completed ICS with Raleigh in February 2015, and returned as a Team Leader later that same year. Aly is passionate about the importance of diversity in youth participation, and…

International Citizen Service (ICS) supports projects in 8 countries across Africa and Asia.

Funded by the UK government ICS offers young volunteers, aged 18-25, the chance to volunteer overseas on…

Your press release is now on its way to your local newspapers.

We’ve emailed you with some next steps.

Following these will increase the chances of your story getting published! 

Find out…

With many students receiving results this time of year, it’s a great time to think about next steps – and how you can stand out from the crowd where employers are concerned.

We talked…

ICS takes a different approach to international volunteering. By bringing together young people from the UK to work side-by-side with young people from developing countries, we believe change lies in the hands of young people.…

ICS is an overseas volunteering programme for 18-25 year olds (23-35 for Team Leaders), led by VSO and funded by the UK Government.

ICS is a development programme that brings together young people from…

1. You'll miss Netflix

At 20, Izak Lees thought life wasn’t worth living. The youngest of five children growing up in Norfolk, he was bullied at school and suffered depression as a young adult.

In 2015 he spent three months in…

It's fair to say ICS is a pretty life changing experience for most volunteers.

You've got the opportunity to work on projects that make a difference, challenge yourself to develop as a person, and meet a…

We're looking for people aged 23-35 to lead teams of volunteers on challenging projects overseas. 

Your ICS experience won't be easy. But we can promise you'll discover strengths you never knew you had.

Maybe you've just finished college and you want an alternative to the boring gap year experience…

On your ICS placement, you'll be helping to make a difference in one of eight countries across Africa and Asia.

Unlike other providers out there, we're not into 'voluntourism'. On ICS, you'll be…

If you're accepted onto ICS, you'll need to fundraise a small amount to contribute back to, and show your commitment to the programme.

For most volunteers, this will be £800. But don't panic.

You'…

Sharing your ICS story with your local media is a great way to let people know what you’re doing and why.

This can help boost your fundraising, get support for your Action at Home, demonstrate the…

With 1.2 billion teenagers about to reach reproductive age, the world stands on the precipice of a population explosion – and a sexual health disaster.

Max Son, 25, headed to London’s…

Edna Adan is a fearless activist. For the last four decades she has campaigned against female genital mutilation in her motherland and across the world. She turns 80 this year.

Watch VSO ICS returned volunteer Takyiwa Danso's impassioned speech about achieving a diverse society we can be proud of, produced as part of Almeida Theatre's Figures of Speech project.

I was inspired…