Peace of mind

At mindthegap we are committed to offering a bespoke and comprehensive service to every person that chooses to experience a community or conservation project with us. We believe that we are here to help you, from the start to the finish, even if you have completed work on your project and are travelling independently.

With over 12 years working in the travel industry, and 20 years of enjoying what the world has to offer, Hamish (co-founder) and the team at mindthegap have heaps of experience, which we are delighted to put to use in providing advice on all aspects of your gap adventure.

We will be your travel partner & guide, and as such you can contact us 24/7 whilst you are away. This support extends to your entire trip, not just for the duration of your volunteer project.

Each volunteer will receive an orientation on arrival at your destination by mindthegap project staff. This will include accommodation, local amenities, your project and meeting your co-workers.

Our local representatives are there to act as an immediate point of contact for you, settle you in upon arrival and help if you need a hand whilst working at the community or conservation project.

We are genuinely interested in you, and will actively get to know you and what you have to offer, before deciding, in consultation with you, which project will be most suitable.

As our volunteer’s safety is of paramount importance, mindthegaptravel also believes in and undertakes the following core principles.

Back up

mindthegap have a Crisis Management Policy in the event of serious incident, accident or injury sustained whilst under our care. We have trained personnel to deal with crises abroad, both on site and at HQ in the UK.

In addition to the care and support provided by mindthegap, we recommend that each volunteer sign up with the new Foreign & Commonwealth Office initiative – LOCATE, pre-departure. LOCATE is a two-way service and in the event of an emergency worried family members can register details of a loved one who may be caught up in the incident. If the traveller also confirms with the FCO that they are OK, LOCATE will match the two bits of information and the good news can be quickly passed to relatives.

Although the chances of being directly involved in a crisis are small, a fifth of Brits say they have been abroad during an incident and felt compelled to let someone at home know they were OK. But communication is often difficult at those times and not knowing an individual is safe can lead to worry for friends and family and a diversion of consular assistance away from those who really need it. To sign up for this peace of mind service, please click the following link: -

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/Locate/

As your health and safety are of the utmost importance to us we offer a specific volunteer travel insurance in conjunction with Mind The Gap Year, that also covers working abroad, something that does not come as standard with normal travel insurance policies. To find out more about these policies and more (such as the Red24 service) please visitwww.mindthegapyear.com.