# Tentative Approach.



## onlinegeoff (Feb 5, 2011)

Many thanks to all subscribers for their insight and experience on matters financial and social within the Spanish community. I am considering moving to Spain on a Month [On]- Month [Off] Basis this year in the lower budget accommodation to " Assess " varios areas with a view to longer stays and possible permanant move. However, being the wrong side of 55 I do realise the global employment situation is far from ideal [ My intentions are self-financing.] Given that my personal Pension Plan will allow transfers of funds. Yet, I am not ready to retire, [ tho' the climate and a good book does have that, " Je ne sais quois."]
So, my quest is to find part time voluntary work within the Community, better my Spanish and hopefully find a place " To lay my hat ". 
The European Voluntary Services and The Experiment In International Living are somewhat restricted for me,[ 18-35 Years, Hahahahah ! I wish.] so I wondered if anyone in The Expats could possibly offer pointers to Organisations in local areas? [ No City areas, due to accomodation costs.]
I would appreciate any relevent general information on Voluntary [unpaid] employment, liability insurance/ restrictions and any legal requirements dealing in this area.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

onlinegeoff said:


> Many thanks to all subscribers for their insight and experience on matters financial and social within the Spanish community. I am considering moving to Spain on a Month [On]- Month [Off] Basis this year in the lower budget accommodation to " Assess " varios areas with a view to longer stays and possible permanant move. However, being the wrong side of 55 I do realise the global employment situation is far from ideal [ My intentions are self-financing.] Given that my personal Pension Plan will allow transfers of funds. Yet, I am not ready to retire, [ tho' the climate and a good book does have that, " Je ne sais quois."]
> So, my quest is to find part time voluntary work within the Community, better my Spanish and hopefully find a place " To lay my hat ".
> The European Voluntary Services and The Experiment In International Living are somewhat restricted for me,[ 18-35 Years, Hahahahah ! I wish.] so I wondered if anyone in The Expats could possibly offer pointers to Organisations in local areas? [ No City areas, due to accomodation costs.]
> I would appreciate any relevent general information on Voluntary [unpaid] employment, liability insurance/ restrictions and any legal requirements dealing in this area.


Hi and welcome to the forum. I guess a lot depends on what sort of voluntary work you want to do, human, animals, social, health, charity shops???? and what area you want to do it in - north, south, inland, costas?????

One of our posters on here does voluntary work with dogs as there are alot of stray and homeless mutts in Spain, so she could help you with that, but like I say there are many charities and organisations that would be grateful of your help I'm sure

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Hi there, what´s all this nonsense about the "wrong" side of 55? 55 is the new 40 as far as I´m concerned!

Lots of opportunities here: Volunteer in Spain - Volunteer Work in Spain | GoAbroad.com

Some of them look quite tempting, especially the Instituto Hemingway.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Some of them look quite tempting, especially the Instituto Hemingway.


Is it this one??? http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-jobs/25568-instituto-hemingway.html

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

*Volunteer work*

Volunteering is not so easy as people might at first think. You have to pay quite a lot to join some of these "volunteer" programmes. Then there is the problem of the language. Many international organisations would be happy to have an English speaker join their ranks - but without Spanish, what they can contribute is very limited. For that reason you are probably better to come over to a certain region and find out what local expat run charities there are. I may be wrong, but from what I've seen expats tend to focus on animals and perhaps the elderly.

Here's some extra info, just in case

In the stickies in *Spanish forms and...* there are some links to voluntary organisations. (Perhaps if the stickies were in another colour they'd stand out more and people would look at them???)

Caritas is a catholic church based charity that has offices all over Spain. They may be able to help you.

And probably not any help to you, but I'll stick it in anyway because it's a charity I've worked with off and on over the years... 

This is the story of PLAN, which I find very moving
History of Plan
Plan was founded in 1937 by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge.

1937 - During the Spanish Civil War, as many as 11,000 refugees a day were passing through the railway station at Santander in Spain. Many were orphaned children. Among them, was a little boy whose father had pencilled this note, 

'_*This is Jose. I am his father. When Santander falls I shall be shot, whoever finds my son, take care of him for me.'*_

John Langdon-Davies, a British war correspondent, found Jose, and along with his friend Eric Muggeridge, began to help children orphaned by the Spanish Civil War. They established the 'Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain' to assist refugee and orphaned children.

They have offices in Madrid (perhaps other parts of Spain) and the UK. Iker Casillas works a lot with them. More info here
The history of Plan UK - from 1937 to present days


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