Project Trust is a registered charity in Scotland, No. SCO25668.
Project Trust, “is an educational charity, sending school leavers in their year out, to work voluntarily in about 24 countries. PT’s aim is to provide the volunteer with an educational experience through living and working with people in communities very different to those in which they have grown up, without taking work from local people. Volunteers are selected over 4 days, trained and briefed, debriefed etc. PT provide extensive support while volunteers are abroad.” – ProjectTrust.org.uk.
Project Trust was founded in 1967 as an educational charity with a main philosophy of, “provid[ing] young people with an opportunity to understand a community overseas by immersing themselves in it; living and working there for a year.” PT have also recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and have sent over 5,000 volunteers overseas since the charity’s founding in 1967.
Before I could even begin my gap year experience, I first needed to pass Project Trust’s Selection course. PT hold many selection courses throughout the year, however, I couldn’t wait and booked myself on the first one available (which luckily turned out to be the first one of the new Project year).
We spent four nights on the Isle of Coll, and a futher two nights in Oban, just across the water. Whilst on the Isle of Coll we were observed in a variety of tasks, including herding sheep, teaching a lesson, and digging lazy beds (which, incidentally, aren’t as lazy as they sound!) to serve as a judge of our character and suitability for the projects which we were interested in.
The week ended with a Cedilh, a tradional form of Scottish country dancing and we were sent home only to find out our results two days later.
A full run-down of the Selection course can be found in the, “Selection” catagory. Alternatively, head to the first Selection post.
