Volunteering is a great option that allows you to personally contribute to a better and healthier society. Today, you can join over a million New Zealanders who have taken to volunteer on various projects within their communities.
Why Volunteer in New Zealand?
Volunteering remains a great way to brighten future career prospects and is thus well worth the investment. For these assignments the main let down is pay, but the upside is learning many new skills and enhancement of social connections which is vital to securing meaningful paid employment. In addition to this, volunteering opens doors to programs, which incorporate adventure in volunteering providing travel as an option to many destinations including New Zealand.
How You Can Help
You can pick from a variety of projects including social work. This may include working alongside persons with special needs. Common task for volunteers include cooking and kitchen chores, laundry, other household chores such as cleaning and just being good company.
Lastly volunteers can work on environmental projects. In this case volunteers are mostly organized in teams each assigned a separate task such as replanting trees, restoration and maintenance of the environment. In addition to these tasks such groups often engage in educating the local community and neighboring communities on environmental standards.
Some environmental projects in the country also engage volunteers in activities revolving around the country’s native animals. Regardless of the project you select volunteering is more often than not a highly educative and informative experience for the participant.
Regardless of the project you set your mind to pursue, volunteering in New Zealand has the potential to provide a very enriching experience to you as a student or visitor to the country.
Popular Projects
There are placements throughout the country in some wonderful schools and outdoor activity facilities for a memorable gap year. Volunteering in New Zealand offers something for everyone!
Outdoor Camp Assistant
New Zealand is famous for its amazing scenery and outdoor life style, so volunteering as an Outdoor Camp Assistant is a perfect way of to immerse yourself in the Kiwi way of life! If you are adventurous & sporty, enjoy camping, meeting lots of people & being around children, then these placements could well be for you! This is an amazing opportunity to help others develop their independence and adventurous skills, as well as your own!
If you decide to opt for an outdoor activity instructor role, you could find yourself volunteering in a camp which hosts schools and community groups in a range of beautiful settings across New Zealand. You can expect to work approx. 40 hours per week, usually between 8am-5pm, and would be involved in instructing activities (full training provided), helping with maintenance, working in the kitchen and contributing to cleaning duties. This kind of placement would suit a volunteer who enjoys communal living, meeting lots of people and being around children.
School Assistant
If you’re looking for a few more home comforts compared to outdoor placements, then volunteering in a boarding school might be more your thing. Food & onsite accommodation is included during term time, when you will gain valuable work experience helping staff in the administration of the school, supervising pupils with homework and organising extra-curricular activities. AND you have all those holidays to go and explore this amazing country!
FAQ
Visa
Volunteering is by nature meant to be service offered with no reward or gain. Just as with paid jobs all volunteers must ensure they complete the terms and any conditions stipulated in the agreements. For people holding working holiday, student and regular work visas, volunteering is permissible but unless you hold a work permit there should be no reward offered in return for your volunteer work.
Volunteers should always remember that any rewards for service comes with the risk breaching terms of their visa requirements where the visa does not permit work. Uniforms provided for activities may not be categorized as breaches of terms whereas as a bonus shopping voucher may be considered reward.
Is it for me?
New Zealand rewards those with a “can do” attitude. You will be expected to throw yourself into all aspects of school life and be positive, friendly and helpful to the staff and students you are working with. The schools will want to make the most of whatever skills you can bring them, be that in sports, music, art, drama or academically.
Free Time and Travel
Volunteers in New Zealand are spoilt for choice when it comes to things to do. Sheep may outnumber people, but do not be fooled by New Zealand’s sparse population density into thinking that you will have nothing to do during your free time. Kiwis are renowned for their warm and outgoing disposition, and the chances are your social calendar will be full in no time.
If you do find time outside of your social commitments, the country offers a wide range of opportunities to sample outdoor activities under breath-taking scenery. New Zealand is the birthplace of bungee jumping and adrenaline seekers will also find abundant opportunities to try out black-water rafting, zorbing and skydiving.
In the evenings and at weekends when you have free time, volunteers are encouraged to make the most of nearby amenities such as theatres, wineries, skiing facilities, restaurants and fishing. Aside from these attractions, New Zealand boasts beaches, mountains, fiords, native forests and thermal regions. There are also 10 major wine growing regions, where you can sample (arguably) the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc.
And no placement in New Zealand is complete until you have witnessed first-hand the country’s passion for rugby: Join a local club, or just watch from the stands and let yourself get carried away by the atmosphere.
Feedback & Reviews
“I can honestly say, I’d go back to New Zealand like a shot. Becoming a part of a new place is indescribable, all I can say is – I had the time of my life, when can I go back?” – Elenor, Schools Assistant