Former Director General for the BBC Greg Dyke recently spent a week in Uganda with VSO staff and his partner Sue Howes, who volunteered there with VSO back in 1968. In his colourful diary Greg vividly describes the excitement of returning to the school Sue volunteered in over 40 years ago and the many challenges children in Uganda are overcoming today.  Visit site

Africa & Asia Venture Ltd (AV), based in the UK, was set up in 1993 as a specialist gap year volunteering organisation for volunteers aged 17 to 25. AV now works with projects in China, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Tanzania, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uganda. Over the past 15 years AV’s 4,500+ volunteers have contributed the equivalent of more than 1,200 years of volunteer service in developing countries.  Visit site

Hands Up Holidays organizes holidays that combine eco-sightseeing with volunteering, giving people the opportunity to have interaction with local people and give something back to local communities through a taste of volunteering.  Visit site

In 2008, VSO will be celebrating 50 years of sending volunteers overseas. That’s 35,000 volunteers recruited from the UK who have worked alongside some of the poorest people — woo hoo! As the leading international development organisation working through volunteers, we want to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work.  Read entry

The Centre on Philanthropy in Bermuda will launch an interactive online volunteer matching system and host a volunteer reception to honour local volunteers.  Read entry