About

people and places is an award winning  social enterprise established in 2005 to campaign for responsible volunteering through example.
Winners of the 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards.
Judges Citation
“people and places has exercised leadership in a sector bedevilled by poor practice and established a replicable business model. Committed to reporting transparently on the money
that volunteers pay, they ensure that the volunteers meet their full costs and are not a burden on the community; and carefully match the skills of volunteers to the needs of that community without replacing local labour. They have taken the ground breaking step of having their work externally audited and publishing it online.
These four principles set not only a practicable standard for operators to aspire to, but offer valuable guidelines for tourists seeking legitimate and socially beneficial volunteering experiences.”


We match volunteer skills to community need to help them build the future they wish for themselves.
We work in Africa Asia and South America.

our commitment to volunteers

you will work with, not instead of, local people
your skills will be matched to their needs
you will know where and how your money is used
your work will be part of a sustainable programme

our commitment to the community

we will ensure that volunteer placements are beneficial, not exploitative
our priority is to match community needs with volunteer skills
we will ensure that local people will not subsidise volunteers
our relationship is long-term and sustainable

our commitment to volunteers and communities

rewarding, challenging and safe experiences for volunteers and local people alike, where at least 80% of volunteers' funds are spent in the host country