Projects Abroad Grown-up Specials for Volunteers Aged 50+
Gap years and volunteer trips abroad are not just for teenagers! Meaningful travel opportunities are becoming a hugely popular option for older volunteers seeking altruistic and unique experiences outside of their own countries. Projects Abroad offers a range of organised trips, called “Grown-up Specials”, that give those aged 50 and above the chance to do just that: immerse yourself in a new culture while helping to support a disadvantaged community.
Our older volunteers have a wealth of life experience and skills to share, experience and skills that are very much needed at the placements we offer in communities around the world. Whether you’re retired, taking a career break or simply in search of something different, these specially-designed programmes are a wonderful way to give back, achieve personal growth and enjoy a rewarding travel experience.
Grown-up Specials are two weeks long, and each trip is designed for volunteers to have the most impact possible at their placement. As a volunteer, you will work alongside a group of like-minded people your age and follow a daily schedule arranged by our local staff. Whether you find yourself teaching children to read or painting a mural at a school or care centre, you will be making a tangible difference to our efforts in-country.
Useful Information
- What are Grown-up Specials?
- Other suitable projects for older volunteers
- Interview with older volunteers
- Career breaker & older volunteer stories and testimonials
CHOOSE A GROWN-UP SPECIAL PROJECT:

Immerse yourself in the Khmer culture and learn about their way of life through workshops, visits to important sites and helping out in a traditional village.
- Sunday September 15th 2019 - Saturday September 28th 2019

Split your time between important Conservation work in the Galapagos National Park and basic renovation work in a local community on this Grown-up Special in the Galapagos.
- Sunday November 3rd 2019 - Saturday November 16th 2019

Get up close with some of the most endangered and misunderstood animals in the world during our Shark Conservation in Fiji Grown-up Special, taking part in valuable Conservation activities.
- Check back soon for our next start dates!