Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

VSO is a leading international development charity. We bring people together to fight extreme poverty through the lasting power of volunteering.

This vision and mission has been at the heart of the organisation for 60 years.

Last year, 7,237 volunteers worked alongside partners, communities and institutions to support 2. 4 million disadvantaged and marginalised people in 23 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific. VSO improves the lives and life chances of children, young people and adults in some of the world’s poorest communities; through health, education and livelihoods programmes. We recognise that social inclusion, gender equality and social accountability are critical to ensure sustainable, systemic change, and these are now core to our development work.

VSO also has a unique approach – putting the people who need help at the centre of decision-making, empowered action and participation. We work where local partners request our presence. This means we make best use of local knowledge, and provide skills and training directly to communities in need. VSO unlocks the possibility of positive change. We do that by bringing people together from different backgrounds, expertise and experience to generate new ideas, new insights and new ways of doing things. This delivers long-term and sustainable impact.