Books2Africa International Volunteering Programme (IVP)

Books2Africa is a UK-registered charity (1152599) and an A-rated Tier 5 Charity Worker Sponsor who is able to sponsor international candidates who are accepted into our International Volunteering  Internship Programme.

If you are currently residing outside the UK and are not a UK citizen, Books2Africa can sponsor your Tier 5 Charity Worker visa to volunteer with us in the UK on our International Volunteering Programme (IVP) for 6 months or 1 year

Who is the program for?

Our International Volunteering Programme is designed for individuals who are looking to develop work experience in the charity/Non-Governmental Organisation sector in the UK. The program is a voluntary role and you’ll be required to get accommodation within Canterbury and fund your living expenses or live with a host family if you have relatives here.

International Volunteer Programme - UK Tier 5 Charity Worker Visa

Our International Volunteering Programme (IVP) allows you to gain first-hand experience in the practical operations of an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and provides you the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as teamwork, fundraising and communication.

Interns on our International Volunteers Programme work primarily at our Processing Centre in Canterbury, in various support roles as Support Officers and are involved in a variety of tasks including but not limited to; processing (cataloguing, sorting and packing donated materials), charity shop sales (valuing and listing donated materials for sale) and tech refurbishing. You will also have the opportunity to complete a range of training and tasks in marketing, and fundraising during the duration of the programme.

Eligibility:

  • Age: Applicants must be aged 18 and above to apply.
  • Language: Desirable for candidates to be fluent in speaking, reading and writing in English.
  • Knowledge and skills: Demonstrate that you have relevant knowledge, skills or experience in the charity sector to contribute to this voluntary role.
  • Accommodation and Maintenance: As candidates are not permitted to do paid work on this visa, you must either have:
    • A host who will accommodate you within 10 miles of Canterbury, or
    • Evidence of funds available for your accommodation/utility bills (£3,500 for 6 months or £7,000 for 12 months).
  • Administration and Programme Fee
    • Admin Fee: You have to be able to cover the administration fee of the programme, which is broken down in different stages to enable you to cover this:
      • £10 is due at the application stage and is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of your application. We encourage you to read around our website and complete a strong application that shows that you meet the eligibility criteria to increase your chances of being accepted.
      • £490 is due if your application is accepted by our team. This is a non-refundable fee. Afterwards, you can proceed to submit your visa application with the UK High Commission in your country and pay any fees required by the High Commission.
    • Programme Fee: A programme fee of £500 is payable when your visa is approved before you arrive to begin your programme and is non-refundable.  The programme fee is not required if your Tier 5 visa application is rejected.
  • Certificates and reference: Only issued after completing the programme.
  • Shifts: 20 hours per week, 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Saturdays.
  • Location: Unit 2, Barton Business Park, New Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3AA, United Kingdom.
  • Apply: Complete the online application form below.

We have now received enough applications for September 2022 start. We’ll begin accepting applications for September 2023 in April 2023. 

books readcycled
and shipped to Africa

computers refurbished
and shipped to Africa