Funding for volunteers,
inspired by Hazel Scott Aiton
Hazel Scott Aiton took unbounded energy, joy and talent on her 12 month gap year at Otjikondo Village School in Nambia. She had a huge impact on the children she taught there. The Trust sees the tremendous value of volunteering in schools and that’s why we offer grants to UK residents embarking on at least 6 months in a developing country.
About Footprinter volunteer grants
Hazel was able to give her energy, joy and talents to the children of Otjikondo Village School in Namibia where she volunteered for 12 months in 2001. All that knew Hazel saw the impact this time had on an already confident and capable person, an experience well chronicled in her journal which was subsequently published as A Gap in the Life.
Seeing the benefits for the volunteer, the children and the school, the Trust made one of its goals to support individuals embarking upon a similar experience of volunteering in the field of education for a minimum of 6 months. We call these ‘Footprinter’ volunteer grants.
The very first ‘Footprinter’ grants were funded in 2005. In the years since then, the Trust has continued to financially support people volunteering in all corners of the developing world including: Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, India, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Malawi, Nigeria, Nepal, Namibia, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Swaziland, Sao Paulo, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar, Vanuatu.
Eligibility for Footprinter volunteer grants
Our application form will give you the opportunity to tell us in detail what you will be doing during your time volunteering. Before completing this, please take the time to review the below criteria as well as the application process. If you meet our funding criteria then we’d love to hear from you!
Application criteria
- Individuals applying for Footprinter volunteer grants will only be considered if they plan to volunteer for a minimum of six months in one location. A full year of volunteering is preferred.
- Volunteering work must be in the field of education and must be in a developing country.
- Only UK-resident applicants are eligible.
- Applicants under the age of 18 at the time of application are required to provide approval from their parent or guardian.
- Applicants under the age of 18 must volunteer via a partner organisation
- Applicants are asked to provide two written updates on their experience with photos which can be published on our website and social media for the benefit of future Footprinters and the Trust’s many supporters.
- Applicants are expected to return funding to Hazel’s Footprints if for any reason it is not possible to undertake the period of volunteering stated in their application
Apply for a Footprinter Volunteer Grant
If you are absolutely sure that you meet all of our eligibility criteria above, you can apply for a “Footprinter” volunteer grant. Note that we typically have two funding rounds each year – one in May/June and one in November/December. You must apply no later than mid-February and mid-August respectively to be considered at the next funding round.
