Live, Work & Travel in the UK & Ireland
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Top Sites
Job Centre – Search for job vacancies in the UK throughout all job sectors and in all regions. With us you can search some of the top job boards in one place to save you time and effort while increasing your chances of finding a role to suit you.
Employment in the UK and Ireland
Employers, Agencies & Placement Services
Aarca Sales Recruitment – Sales jobs in the Midlands. Based in Birmingham, Aarca offer a comprehensive sales recruitment service.
Active Assistance – Provide live in care assistants to spinal cord injured clients so that they are able to live independently in their own homes. Explore England and get your food and lodgings provided while you earn money.
Alton Towers – UK theme park offers over 1,000 seasonal job opportunities between the end of March and the end of October. Formal qualifications are far less important than excellent interpersonal skills.
Anders Plus Ltd – An independant employment agency suppyling landscape and gardening staff to the major nurseries in London. They have been employing lots of travelling holiday makers, providing short term and full employment.
A-One Au-Pairs & Nannies – Place au pairs in London, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Essex, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the rest of the United Kingdom.
The Arbutus Hotel – Historic townhouse hotel located in the heart of Killarney with award winning restaurant and bar. No recruitment information on the site.
Au Pair Study Agency – Over 20 years’ experience recruiting and placing au pairs all over Ireland.
Axcis Education Recruitment – Includes a jobs board of teaching vacancies available in the UK.
BDL Group – Owners of several hotel brands in the UK including Holiday Inn. The careers link provides a big list of hospitality and related vacancies.
Best Western – A chain of over 250 hotels in the UK that can offer employment to receptionists, chefs, housekeeping, restaurant staff and others.
Bewley’s Hotels – Hotels in Dublin, Leeds and Manchester.
Bluefire Consulting – Multi discipline recruitment agency with offices around Britain.
Britannia Hotels – Hotels across the UK. The recruitment page is informative.
Brook Hotels – Several hotels in the UK. Applications invited.
Bundoran Surf Co – A Donegal based surf school for girls. Applicants for surf instructor jobs should be appropriately gendered.
Camelot Europe – Vacant property specialists that employ live in guardian security to protect against squatters, vandals and thieves.
Camp Beaumont – Over half a dozen summer camps located around England. Residential camp coaches are employed to look after the children
Caring Sharing & Company Ltd – Live-in carer positions.
Chandler & Dunn Ltd – Farming and Fruit Growing company with two farms in east Kent.
Chessington World of Adventures – Theme park.
Christies Care – Specialises in providing living in carers for its clients throughout the UK.
Classic Collection Holidays – Employ call centre staff.
The Crinan Hotel – 50 yards from the sea in Scotland’s yachting centre. Sometimes require staff for the season in all departments.
Encore Personnel – Recruitment agency providing staffing solutions in Leicester, Telford, Coventry, Northampton and across the Midlands.
Endeavour Training – Qualified instructors sometimes needed at activity centres in the UK. Pursuits include kayaking, open canoeing, imporvised rafting, rock climbing, abseiling, hill walking and mountaineering, gorge scrambling, caving and mountain biking.
Engage Education – With UK offices in London, the East Midlands, East Anglia, Berkshire and Leeds as well as international offices in Ireland, Canada and Australia, Enngage help support both home grown and international teachers find the jobs they love.
France Au Pair / Eurojob – Mostly finds work in the UK and Ireland for French au pairs. Also hotel jobs.
Fruitful Ltd – Student/backpacker jobs on farms in the UK and, occasionally, Europe.
GeniusHealth – An online nursing job recruitment agency that helps registered nurses find their ideal nursing job in the UK in both the NHS and private nursing sector. Permanent and contract positions.
HCA Hospital Group – HCA hospitals are the largest private hospital group in London. There are six specialist hospitals which include: The Harley Street Clinic, The Princess Grace Hospital, The Portland Hospital for Women & Children, The Wellington Hospital, The Lister Hospital and The London Bridge Hospital.
International Jobs & Consulting – Non smoking, English speaking Eastern Europeans placed in au pair positions with UK families.
ITN Mark Education – Specialises in education recruitment for teachers, SEN specialists, nursery and support staff from the UK and internationally into schools and nurseries nationwide.
Kidz Au Pair Agency – Au pair agency matching EU au pairs with Irish host families.
Kings Camps – UK multi activity sports camps. Sport and swimming coaching staff required for centres in the UK.
Live-in Jobs for Backpackers in the UK – Recruits backpackers with UK working holiday visas. This site has been around for ages.
London Au Pair & Nanny Agency – Au pair placements in the capital.
Madame Tussauds – Work at the world famous wax museum.
Manpower – UK branch of the worldwide employment agency.
Manpower – Irish branch of the worldwide employment agency.
Mash Staffing – Provides promotional, corporate and in-store staff for brands and events.
Merlin Entertainments Group – Owners of numerous theme park and attraction brands mostly in the UK including Thorpe Park, the Blackpool Tower and Legoland.
Mortimer Nannies – Along with its regular childcare services to both parents and potential staff, Mortimer organises nannies and volunteers for festivals who care for the children of festival goers both privately and in a toy filled yurt.
Nanny Select – A matching service for nannies and employers in the UK.
O’Neils – Irish pub chain. Recruitment information available.
Origin Care – Paid work caring for people with spinal injuries.
Oz Au Pair – Au pair placements with British families.
Paddywagon Tours – Employ Irish drivers only. There is also the possibility of working for a bed in one of their hostels across the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Parexel – Phase 2 clinical trials. When we visited them they were looking for men aged 18 to 50, in a good state of health and, preferably, non smokers
Perfect Match Au Pairs – Place Au Pairs and Mothers Helps in and around London and across the UK.
Personnel Solutions – Recruitment of chefs and hospitality staff for vacancies in hotels, restaurant and quality pubs, both local and nationwide.
Plain Lazy – Clothing brand created by a teenager with a fistful of student loan dollars. Jobs are available in retail or for slightly unusual people, who are motivated, want to push the brand and want free gear.
Playtime Nanny Agency – Established in 1990 these childcare recruitment specliasts cover Surrey and the surrounding area.
Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links – A luxurious hotel, eight miles from Dublin airport, situated on the grounds of one of Ireland’s most prestigious golf courses. Jobs section.
Protocol Education – A leading UK teaching and support staff recruitment agency, with new vacancies posted daily.
Regan & Dean – Specialist recruiters to the creative, media and events industries for almost 20 years.
Regent Holidays – State that they are constantly looking for motivated, dynamic, experienced people with excellent customer service skills and a passion for travel for jobs at their main office in Bristol and offices in London and Shanklin, Isle of Wight.
Richmond Pharmacology – Volunteer perks at their new unit in Wimbledon, London include a PC room with free internet access, TV, sataelite and DVD and a bistro style cafeteria.
Secret Intelligence Service – The official website of what is better known as MI6. Career information is available.
Security Service – Careers within MI5, the section of the British intelligence community tasked with countering foreign espionage within the UK.
Skea Organics – Vegetable work available during the summer in Scotland.
StaffNurse.com – Jobs, daily health news, online blogs and a forum for all UK nurses, midwives, health care assistants and health visitors.
Star Medical – Specialise in placing the candidates within pharma, medical devices, clinical research, and nursing.
STA Travel – Join STA’s 2000 strong team located in 230 stores across 92 countries. They are known to encourage their sales team to continue travelling and offer special airfares and a travel allowance each year. There are also possibilities of regular educational trips and foreign work exchanges. Several nationalities work at STA, but applicants should speak and write English fluently and have the right to work in the UK for at least 2 years. STA also employ apprentices who will earn a weekly wage of £170 plus commission.
Stock Hill Country House Hotel – No employment information is given up but this hotel has occasionally recruited for a hard working, non smoking general assistant with some experience and a smart appearance.
Strand Nursing – For private and NHS nursing.
SummerJobs4Students.co.uk – An online service dedicated to helping students find temporary employment in the UK including tourism, leisure, hospitality, childcare, retail, agricultural & office jobs.
Swiis Health & Social Care – Place thousands of social workers, nurses, healthcare assistants and other skilled professionals in local authorities, NHS, registered charities, community health organisations, private and not for profit organisations nationwide.
Teach 247 – Support staff and supply teachers for London schools.
Team24 – Provide flexible locum positions for healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors and dentists.
Thorpe Park – UK theme park offering jobs in marketing, guest services, auditing, personnel, retailing, banking, farming, entertainments and on the rides and attractions. The season usually runs from March to November.
TimePlan – Teaching staff Agency.
Tinies – Nanny, nursery and teaching jobs.
Top Nanny Agency – Nanny agency referring nannies, maternity nurses and Polish au pairs. Full job listings for London and southern UK on their jobs board.
Travel Class Ltd – Specialist tour operator recruits instructors for summer work in the UK and ski staff for winter jobs in Europe.
TrewCare – Live-in care jobs throughout Devon and Cornwall.
Virgin Active – Part of the Branson empire, Virgin Active have over 150 of these health clubs and employ childrens activities staff, cleaners, swimming instructors, lifeguards, personal trainers, sales consultants and spa therapists.
WORKgateways – Work in the UK and Ireland for Aussies, Kiwis and SAs for Engineers, Architects, Town Planners, Construction Professionals and Drafters. Also Information and Advice to plan your trip.
Youth Hostel Association – Over 600 seasonal staff are recruited from December to May to help run the YHA’s over 200 youth hostels in England and Wales. Work is available for varying periods between January and October each year. The YHA also focus big on volunteering.
Warwick Castle – Ghosts, tales of Kings, work experience placements and seasonal jobs are all available in this 1000 year old castle.
Employment Resources for Finding Work in the UK and Ireland
Advice & Useful Sites for Finding Work
Accountancy Jobs – Providing a job search by accountancy skills or by location. Job profiles and related accountancy job articles featured.
Adzuna – Search for jobs in the UK.
Agency Seeker – Search from 100’s of UK recruiters to help find your next career.
All The Top Bananas – UK job search engine where you can search for jobs direct from employers, from agencies and job boards.
British Nursing Websites – Direct links to major nursing sites including recruitment.
Campsites.co.uk – Going camping or glamping? Find and book the best campsites easily using their search facility. Each campsite listing includes a website address so this site may also be useful when looking to work on a campsite. One of the team behind the site also informed us they were looking for writers travelling the UK.
Career Magazine UK – Search for jobs and careers online.
CareersandJobsUK.com – UK jobs site that includes graduate jobs.
Discovery Learning – Providers of fitness instructor, gym instructor and personal trainer courses in London, Manchester and Bournemouth.
Education-jobs – Jobs website for Teachers and other school staff.
Employment4students – A job advertising site dedicated to finding students the right jobs at the right time. Includes free job alerts, monthly newsletters and more.
European Language Centre of Ireland – Hold weekend and online TEFL training courses throughout Ireland designed to give students the tools they need to teach with confidence and successfully find a job abroad. All courses are accredited by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council, the stamp of quality in open and distance learning.
Farmers Weekly – Farming and agricultural industry news. There were 196 agricultural and farming jobs being advertised when we took a peek at their jobs section.
Fish4Jobs – Jobs in the UK listed online and via their smartphone apps.
Fruit Picking Jobs – A job board of fruit picking jobs in Britain.
GBGuide.com – UK jobs search site.
GreenJobs – A job board for green experts in the UK and internationally.
HotelJobs.ie – Hospitality, hotel and catering jobs across Ireland.
Indeed.co.uk – Search engine for jobs in the UK.
Job Centre – Search for job vacancies in the UK throughout all job sectors and in all regions. You can search some of the top job boards in one place to save you time and effort while increasing your chances of finding a role to suit you.
Jobijoba UK – Jobijoba is a multiple criteria search engine for jobs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
JobsRetail.co.uk – Search and apply for retail jobs or upload your CV to be found by recruiters.
Jobs Word – Comprehensive listings of specialist UK recruitment sites covering all areas and job types.
Job Top – UK job search engine.
Live-in Carers – All the information you need to live and work as a live in carer in the UK. List of 60+ agencies that provide care work sorted by their location. Key tips to make work much easier and rewarding, written by an experienced live in carer.
Locanto – Free classifieds around the UK including jobs.
The London Link – Information for people coming to Britain including jobs, particularly those that appeal to people new to London. Also jobs that require the knowledge of foreign languages.Registered members can complete a CV and send it to jobs they are interested in. In Italian.
London LocalTiger – The jobs bit of the London bit of LocalTiger.
The London Teacher Training Centre – TEFL courses by distance learning.
Monster.co.uk – Large recruitment website.
National Careers Service – Government funded career tools and advice for learning, training and work opportunities.
NIJobs.com – Find jobs in Northern Ireland by industry or location.
NursefindersUK – An online recruitment service for nurses seeking work in London and UK. There is also information on nursing and living in London.
Nursing Times – The leading weekly magazine for nurses in the United Kingdom. There were 1630 nursing jobs available when we looked in their jobs section.
Redgoldfish Jobs – Job search portal detailing over 50,000 jobs within the UK.
Retail Crossing – Search for retail jobs.
SalonJobSeeker.com – Hairdressing and beauty careers in the UK.
Secretarial Jobs – Secretarial job site.
Solid Staff – A recruitment site for those looking for hospitality and catering work in the UK.
StudentJob – Online student job portal specialising in part-time/ full time jobs, internships, placements and graduate jobs.
TEFL Courses Ireland – Accredited TEFL courses in Ireland for anyone interested in teaching English as a foreign language. Free TEFL Jobs Service for all students.
TEFL Org UK – Provides classroom based and online TEFL courses, accredited by the NCFE, SQA and ODLQC. The website also advertises TEFL vacancies in the UK and overseas.
TNT – These guys provide an excellent free weekly magazine for Australians, Kiwis and South Africans in London and another for visitors to Oz. Copies of TNT and their sister publication, Southern Cross, can be found outside central London tube and train stations. For a few stamps and a nominal fee they also provide various travel planners to Britain, Australia and New Zealand – see their site for more details.
Top Language Jobs – Specialist website for multilingual and bilingual jobs in the UK and Ireland.
UK Live-in Pub Jobs – Comprehensive information and advice guide to live in pub jobs in the UK, including how to open bank accounts, organising national insurance and budget travel. A likeable website from one of the numerous Aussies to have worked behind a London bar.
UK TEFL – TEFL courses held around the UK.
Gap Year & Voluntary Work in the UK and Ireland
Unpaid Positions & Adventure
Aberdeen International Youth Festival – The Festival attracts an array of talent from across the world and offers you a chance to experience a range of quality and diverse performances. Over 60 temporary and volunteer staff are required during the Festival. Positions include administration, production, transport, pastoral staff, participant liaison and runners.
Active Training and Education – ATE require monitors, over the age of 17, to work at summer camps located in castles or mansions. Applicants must complete a seven day residential training course to learn children’s songs, games and crafts. Though there are some fees to be paid during the application and training period, ATE will refund your travel expenses after the summer camp and provide a financial ‘thank you’.
Amnesty International – Amnesty run a minimum three month volunteer programme in their offices in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Volunteers are involved in campaigning, marketing, media and general support and can claim travel expenses and luncheon vouchers for the days they work.
Arnie’s Backpackers – A friendly Belfast hostel who want people to work in all aspects of their hostel. Along with a bed and breakfast they also pay £30 per week pocket money. Minimum eight weeks’ stay preferred. They tend to recruit via the HelpX network.
British Museum – One of the leading museums in the world, volunteers take on a number of roles including guiding tours, stewarding and managing sleep overs for young people spending a night at the museum.
Cambridge Rock Festival – The smaller and less glamorous festivals, such as this one in Cambridge, also want volunteers. Stewards work for four hours a day for two days in exchange for a ticket and free camping.
Camphill Communities of Ireland – There are about nine Camphill communities in the Republic of Ireland. Young people often volunteer to join a Camphill community for a short period. They give valuable help in the running of households, craft workshops, the working of the land and educational activities.
Camphill School Aberdeen – An independent voluntary day and residential school near Aberdeen.
Canal & River Trust – Formerly British Waterways, this organisation is responsible for maintaining England’s old industrial canals.
Cathedral Camps – Help to clean and restore historic cathedrals and churches.
Centre for Alternative Technology – Working for a sustainable future with help from volunteers.
Charles Dickens Museum – Volunteers help with publicity, marketing, cleaning, admin and conservation among other roles.
Comeragh Hostel – Volunteers can find themselves accommodation and three meals a day in exchange for converting to organic growing the family run farm adjoined to this hostel.
Community Service Volunteers – Projects in the UK for Brits and foreigners.
The Conservation Volunteers – Week or weekend long conservation projects in Britain. Formerly known as BTCV.
Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland – Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland (CVNI) is a registered charity involved in practical conservation work. Work is carried out throughout Northern Ireland. Task projects include a diverse variety of activities such as tree-planting, dry-stone walling, path creation, river clearance and pond construction as well as office work. The organisation also provides an extensive range of training courses.
Edinburgh International Film Festival – Paid, volunteer and internship positions.
EF – Academic year in the UK.
Electric Picnic – Irish music festival that has volunteer roles on offer.
Endeavour Training – Endeavour provides challenge and inspiration to young people excluded from society across the UK. Volunteering opportunties are available for a wide variety of activites including youth work, driving, film editing, fundraising, event organisation, event marshalling, publicity designers, journalists, photographers, mentors and handing out leaflets.
Environmentjob.co.uk – The UK’s busiest website for green jobs, courses and events. Most listed jobs are paid but there is a sizable volunteering job search and directory.
Ffestiniog Railway Company – The oldest independent railway company in the world offers a chance to fulfil every boys’ first career choice.
Finn McCools – Hostel, close to the Giant’s Causeway, thought to take on work exchange volunteers.
Florence Nightingale Museum – A small independent museum dedicated to the lady with the lamp, the FNM has a volunteer programme.
Four Paws – An international animal welfare charity with a few volunteer office jobs.
The Gables School of Cookery – Offers cookery courses near Bristol for those on a gap year.
Garden Museum – Situated on the South Bank of the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament, the Garden Museum welcomes volunteers with an interest in gardening. Volunteers receive a free lunch in return.
Glastonbury – The big music festival in Somerset. Paid jobs available for skilled technical staff and security. Also opportunities to work for your ticket or gain work experience.
The Gorilla Organization – An international charity led by experienced African conservationists dedicated to saving the world’s last remaining gorillas from extinction. Volunteers are wanted to help out in the UK. Tasks include volunteering in the office, public collectors, fundraising interns, festival volunteers and Great Gorilla Run marshals.
Green Street Townhouse – Dingle accommodation that accepts work exchange volunteers.
Hay Festival – Literary festival held in Wales attracting luminaries such as Salman Rushdie, Jeremy Clarkson and Jools Holland and Martin Amis. Both volunteer and paid jobs available. Welsh language skills an advantage for some positions.
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – Volunteers wanted.
HorseWorld – A Bristol charity caring primarily for horses, ponies and donkeys, they rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals who have been abandoned, neglected or ill treated. Volunteer roles include helping out in the tack shop, stable assistant and working with children as animal encounter assistants. Work experience is also an option here and paid employment, when available, is listed on the jobs page.
House of Mark – This Cairngorms hostels has used Twitter to put out a request for seasonal workers, to who they provide free food and accommodation. Successful candidates will be offered one to three months’ work.
IAESTE UK – The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience arranges on the job training for science and engineering university students.
Igloo Hostel – Nottingham hostel that welcomes the contributions of volunteers for six weeks to six months in exchange for free accommodation and food allowances.
Imperial War Museum – Volunteers can work at any of the five branches of the IWM including joining the ship’s company of HMS Belfast or military vehicle conservation.
Independent Living Alternatives – ILA recruits full-time volunteers for 4 months or more, to enable disabled people to live independently.
Inverarary Hostel – Might welcome volunteer input for a week or more in return for travel expenses.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum – Offers a free lunch to volunteers who dress up in Victorian garb and demonstrate 19th century social and industrial skills to tourists. Accommodation is available in a hostel three miles away.
Kentwell Hall – Volunteers are invited to live as a Tudor for a couple of weeks to demonstrate how a Tudor house might have been lived in, operated and sustained a community in its heyday in the 16th Century.
Kew Gardens – Discovery, Information, Horticultural and Schools & Families volunteer programmes available.
Kilronan Hostel – Well travelled people, who know how long they plan to stay, are welcome to work four hours a day for their bed in the Aran Islands.
Lagan Backpackers – Work three 12 hour or six three hour cleaning shifts a week plus one night in exchange for accommodation in Belfast.
Lazy Duck – Invites can do people to help out at their small hostel in the Cairngorms from mid-April to October.
The London Iranian Film Festival – The London Iranian Film Festival is an organisation run by volunteers which aims at providing a cultural alternative to the film experience, also to celebrate and promote the artistic elements of the medium and promote the art of film making itself. Part and full time volunteers of all backgrounds are welcomed to help out.
London Transport Museum – London’s red buses are world famous while the London Underground map is a design classic, and these, along with posters, uniforms and rolling stock make up the collection at the LTM. Volunteer duties may involve meeting visitors, providing guided tours, handling and cataloguing the reserve collections, helping in the library or stewarding vehicles at Depot Open Weekends. Work experience is also available.
MacGabhainns Backpacker Hostel – A Kilkenny hostel. Offer to do a bit of cleaning about the place and you may land yourself breakfast and one of the 32 beds.
Monkey Sanctuary – Home to a colony of woolly monkeys, the Sanctuary accepts several dozen volunteers a year. Volunteers stay for 2 to 4 weeks and contribute a small sum towards the cost of accommodation and food.
Museum of London – Provides a list of its current volunteer opportunities on its website.
National Maritime Museum – The Museum, located in Greenwich, is keen to involve more people from the local community in its work. There are opportunities to become involved on a voluntary basis, mainly working in the galleries.
Natural History Museum – One of the top museums of its kind in the world, the Natural History Museum has over 200 volunteers unified by a shared interest in nature.
Outdoor Emergency Care – First Aid courses for the wilderness. The courses are held in Sussex and London.
Oxfam Stewarding – Oxfam provide stewarding for a number of festivals including Glastonbury, Womad, Reading and Leeds. Priority is given to past stewards and regular supporters of Oxfam, with unfilled positions opened up to the public from around the end of March. Stewarding roles vary from festival to but could involve working the gate, showing people where to camp or looking out for fires. Oxfam stewards are able to get away from the muck and mess of a festival, they have their own camping area, toilets and showers, and receive meal tickets. Alternatively consider campaigning for Oxfam, getting festival goers to take part in Oxfam’s festival activities. Both roles require you to be 18 years old and to pay a refundable deposit by credit or debit card.
Rougey Lodge – Said to provide equipment and lessons, along with the usual work for your keep perks, in Bundoran, Ireland’s surf capital.
Royal Mile Backpackers – Often has opportunities to work in exchange for free accommodation in Edinburgh.
RSPB – In the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has a flexible volunteer programme. Volunteers can participate for a day, week or month in a number of different roles.
Samye Ling – Samye Ling depends on its team of volunteers to run smoothly and efficiently and are always happy to welcome enthusiastic newcomers. You can work as a volunteer on a daily basis, coming and going each day, or you can stay as a visitor or resident, helping out with gardening, lighting lamps for world peace, chopping vegetables in the kitchen or building work.
Science Museum – All you need to volunteer at the Science Museum is to be over 18, enthusiasm and willing to get stuck in.
Scottish Canals – Volunteer work looking after Scotland’s network of industrial canals.
Sea Watch Foundation – A national marine conservation research charity dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the UK. Volunteer work available.
The Sister Fidelma Bed and Breakfast – This Tipperary lodging provides a bed in return for three hours of help a day. One month minimum stay preferred.
The Smallpeice Trust.- The Smallpeice Trust promote engineering careers to young people through residential courses.
SmartGapyear – A gap year au pair programme for young Australians wanting to be an au pair in Britain.
Speyside Trust – An outdoor activity centre in the Cairngorms National Park, volunteers assist group leaders. Full board and lodging is provided plus weekly pocket money.
Tate Modern – Has a limited number of internships.
TimeBank – TimeBank appeals to people like you who know that their time and skills are in demand but just don’t know what to do about it or where to start.
Trees for Life – Volunteers needed to restore the Caledonian Forest in Scotland. No special skills or qualifications are needed to participate but, because the work is often in remote areas, volunteers need to be relatively fit but not exceptionally so.
Ultimate Gap Year – One day courses in London providing students and independent travellers with essential safety advice and knowledge before they embark on a gap year or remote travel to developing countries.
Unipal – Brings Palestinian teachers of English to Britain in order to study language courses and refresh their language by living with British families.
United Nations International Volunteer Projects – Over 1000 projects in Europe and North America as well as a more specialised programme of projects in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Urban Saints – Christian youth organisation. Volunteer holiday helpers required.
Vagabonds – Belfast hostel thought to take in volunteers.
Victoria and Albert Museum – Volunteers assist in many activities and departments. They work on the Information desks, as tour guides, as escorts for people with disabilities, and also in administrative roles in the offices. Work experience is also available.
Vinspired.com – A government initiative to promote volunteer work in the UK, this website provides a search for opportunities such as hostel work, disaster relief, with emergency services and includes under 16 volunteering.
Voluntary Service Belfast – Undertake community and conservation tasks in the province and gain experience that can lead to nationally recognized qualifications.
Volunteer Developement Scotland – Government assistance to those looking to volunteer in Scotland.
Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camps – Another project in Britain concerned with preserving the industrial past, Canal Camp volunteers may find themselves feeding 20 hungry workers, clearing gloop from a canal and learning to lay bricks. Camps last a week and cost around £50. Food and accommodation is provided.
WCVA – Government assistance to those looking to volunteer in Wales.
Welsh Highland Railway – Owned by the Ffestiniog Railway and offering similar volunteer activities, the WHR winds its way on a 19 and a half mile journey through Snowdonia National Park.
Whizz-Kidz – Sets disabled children free to reach their true potential by providing mobility equipment to give kids the chance to be independent. They also run youth groups, wheelchair skills training, residential camps and work placements, allowing young disabled people to gain skills, make friends and become confident wheelchair users. All this relies on volunteer support. They also have a 12 week internship programme in their Central London Headquarters.
Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales – Resident full time Wardens oversee the running of Skomer Island, open to visitors between April and October. Up to six vacancies are available each week from March. Wardens assist with managing day visitors and overnight paying guests, conservation work and buildings maintenance. Accommodation is simple and volunteers need to bring their own food.
Winant and Clayton Volunteers – A UK US friendship programme, volunteers do community work in the east end of London and receive free room and board during a seven week volunteer placement. A similar programme is offered for UK volunteers in America.
Wings and Wheels – Volunteers are involved in many aspects of putting together an airshow each August, from greeting military aircrew on arrival, helping the general public with queries to selling programmes and marshalling motoring demonstrations. Each volunteer is asked to do a minimum of three hours between 8am and 7pm.
Woodbrooke Study Centre – Study many of the world’s religions in peace at a quaker study centre near Birmingham.
Wowo Campsite – Though they no longer seem to offer self funded working holidays in the East Sussex area of the UK for young people on a Gap Year, they do provide free camping to musicians and their family and friends between March and the end of October. One hour of providing acoustic music for their music programme equals one night of free camping.
WWOOF Ireland – Nearly 400 hosts can be found in Ireland, including in the north.
WWOOF UK – Where this WWOOFing thing started.
The Year in Industry – Paid student placements in engineering, science, IT, e-commerce, business, marketing, finance and logistics. Students are placed with 300 top UK companies every year including National Grid, Shell, Rolls Royce, British Energy, L’Oreal, Network Rail and GKN.
ZSL – Various types of volunteer work are available at both London and Whipsnade Zoos. Volunteers should be over 18 with no upper age limit. Two week experience placements are also available.
Living in the UK & Ireland
Real Estate and Resources for Staying Long Term
Arrive and Thrive in the UK – A guide for immigration, however temporary, to the UK.
BBC Homes – Good quality information about buying, selling and improving a property undoubtedly drawing on the experience of all those daytime programmes.
Diggers and Dreamers – A guide to communual living in Britain.
Migrationexpert.co.uk – Provides free UK immigration eligibility assessment. An independent online source for personalised advice on migrating to the UK and UK Immigration Law.
Property Auction Zone – Information and database of both residential and commercial properties available at auction with guide prices, results, and catalogue request facilities with advance property search section.
UK Yankee – For expat Americans living in the UK.
Travelling in the UK & Ireland
Accommodation & Getting Around
Accommodation for Students – A search engine for student accommodation in the UK.
The Backpacker Tour Company – An established British company commited to offering the most extensive range of quality backpacker tours of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Dublinconnect – A guide that includes travel tips, cheap restaurants, accommodation and night life.
Essex Tourist Guide – Information and resources for all types of tourist needs in the county of Essex.
Flypark – Compare Airport car parking prices at all UK airports.
Homes For Students – Student accommodation in the UK. Find private sector housing throughout the country or use the free student only flatmate finder system to find roommates.
Homestay Friend – Offer short term homestay accommodation to students, interns and travellers coming to the UK.
Housepals – A one stop shop for all your flatshare, flatmate and house sharing needs and it’s free to advertise a room.
Ireland – YES! – Jump-start your trip to Ireland. Insider tips from “Ireland Expert” Michele Erdvig on planning your perfect trip to the Emerald Isle: B&Bs, pubs, restaurants, transportation, driving, food, lodging, live weather page, top 10 list, packing, budgeting, itineraries and more.
Leeds Homestay Services – Safe homestay accommodation in local homes in Leeds, home to two universities, night life, shops and beautiful countryside. They say it is much cheaper than London.
liftshare.com – Free online journey matching service.
London Eats.com – A guide to restaurants in the London area.
MyLifts.com – An internet service that lets you search for ride sharers. Automatic matching within 30km.
National Carshare – A rideshare information service with free driver/passenger matching.
The Pass – A free travel magazine, you can either read online or have delivered to your door.
Taxi 2 Airport – Safe and cheap rides from and to (UK and international) airports.
UK Airport News – The latest news for any UK airport, plus a news archive.
Visit Britain – Official tourist site.
Other Useful Websites
Culture, News…
Access College London – Study in Wimbledon, London.
BBC Radio1 – Youth and new music radio station.
The Best of British – Welcome (Howdy) to the American’s guide to speaking British.
Eden Project – Recreations of tropical and arid environments housed in the world’s biggest greenhouse.
Educaedu.co.uk – A search engine for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as different professional trade courses. It has over 10,000 courses located all over the UK.
English Language Training – A language school in a fashionable area of London specialising in English language courses for au pairs and overseas visitors.
The English Studio Language School – British Council accredited courses in London.
InterStudent – A large online resource for prospective students in the UK, written by students for students. Its city-by-city focus will help this year’s crop of prospective students find information on the best places to live, shop, study and party in each University town, as recommended by the students who are already there. The site also includes advice on banking, loans, insurance, gap years, health, travel and accommodation, and services available on the site for recent graduates such as CV writing advice, temporary and permanent job search facilities, accommodation information and testimonials from other graduates on how to make the step into the working world.
Irish News – Newspaper.
Isle of Wight Festival – Music festival.
Language Trainers.co.uk – Spanish language courses in London for companies and one to one courses for individuals.
Learn Spanish London – Cactus Language offers Spanish Language Courses in London. Courses are available in the evening for all levels and all ages.
Life Coach Directory – Life Coach Directory was set-up in order to raise awareness of coaching and to enable visitors to find the most suitable qualified coach for their needs. Coaching is the process of guiding a person from where they are to where they want to be. Often people use life coaching when considering a year abroad as it allows them to talk through their travel plans and address any fears or anxiety they may have before leaving.
The London Daily – Provides the latest news stories from a variety of sources and includes a guide to the capital.
Mayfair School of English – Helping students from all over the world to improve their English and make the most of their time in London since 1986.
My UK Mail – Members receive their own UK street address to receive mail and parcels while mail is forwarded on, wherever you are in the world.
Paddywagon Tours – Ireland’s number one tour company. They also have hostel accommodation on both sides of the border. If funds run low and your face fits there is also the possibility of working for your keep in the hostels.
Palmers Lodges – Recently voted one of London’s best hostels, Palmers Lodge Hillspring promises to be the stay you will love and never forget. There’s another hostel in Swiss Cottage. We stayed in and liked both.
PocketDialUK – Make instant low cost international calls from your UK landline.
Saint George International – TEFL and TESOL certificate and diploma courses in central London. British Council accredited language school.
Sprachschulen in London – International English language school in London.
Streetmap – Lost in Britain?
Study in England – A guide for students who need information about England’s education system, covering accommodation, study, cost of living, and much more besides.
T in the Park – Music festival.
UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and purveyors of confidential information.
Womad – Folk music festival.