A survey has found that one of the main barriers stopping Brits from volunteering abroad is the perception that they do not have the time required to take part.

47% of those polled said they wouldn’t volunteer abroad because they didn’t believe they had enough spare time, highlighting the common misconception that international volunteering is only taken up by gap year students with plenty of time on their hands. Indeed, 4% of respondents believed that volunteering abroad was something only students got involved in.

Around one third of those surveyed believed that international volunteer projects were too expensive, while 10% said they would prefer a more relaxing holiday. 5% of the straw poll admitted that they wouldn’t know how to get involved with volunteer work, even if they wanted to.

Dr. Peter Slowe commented on the findings: “There is a popular misconception that only students or people with a lot of free time are able to carry out volunteer work abroad, which is simply not the case. There are many projects available that run for just two weeks, which can still offer valuable help to developing countries but also provide a meaningful experience to the volunteer.”

For those short on time, Inspire offers 2 week volunteer projects in Romania, where volunteers can help orphaned and abandoned children living in care homes.