Changing Worlds is an exciting travel organisation that provides life changing travel experiences for individuals looking to take part in placements overseas. With work placements available ranging from internships & work experience, courses & qualifications, paid work options and community volunteering, to fascinating cultural & adventure tours, Changing Worlds provides incredible travel opportunities to suit all interests!

Cost- Prices vary depending on placement duration. Minimum cost £295 (exluding travel costs). From 1 week - 1 year.

Locations - 18 countries worldwide across Africa, Asia, The Americas, Europe and Australasia (including Ghana, Fiji, Malaysia, Australia and more!)

E4S verdict - There are so many programmes to choose from, Changing Worlds have something for anyone!

Sporting Opportunities is a specialist sports travel organisation giving sporty people the opportunity to travel overseas and broaden their cultural and sporting horizons. Our team have travelled far and wide to bring you the best sports trips available in Australasia, Africa, Asia, and North & South America, with a range of sports placements including community sports coaching, training and playing with local teams, sports internships and more!

Cost - Costs start from £495 (excluding flights), depending on duration (1 week up to 12 weeks) and destination.

Locations - 10 countries across Africa, Asia, The Americas and Australasia

E4S verdict - If you enjoy sports this a great organisation to check out for a Gap Year you will love.

International Citizen Service (ICS) is a once-in-a-lifetime volunteering opportunity open to all 18 to 25-year-olds, backed by the UK government. It gives you the chance to work side-by-side with local volunteers in developing countries, to make a meaningful contribution to fighting poverty, and to gain valuable skills that will stay with you long after the 12-week placement is complete. ICS is demanding but hugely rewarding - both in its own right and as a stepping stone to future job opportunities and to help you play a part in making your world a better place.

Cost - 12 week placements FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT - all you have to do is fundraise £800

Locations - Ghana

E4S verdict -Fantastic opportunity and as it is funded by the UK Government all volunteers have to do is some fundraising. You don't need cash or qualifications - so our verdict is... apply now!

Raleigh International is a sustainable development charity. We challenge and inspire young people from all over the world to work with communities living in poverty. We bring together volunteers to take part in meaningful projects, challenging them to work in partnership with communities and local NGOs, as global citizens working towards a sustainable future.

Cost - Fundraising targets - 5 week expedition £1,950. 7 week expedition £2,550 and 10 week expedition £3,150.

Locations - India, Nicaragua, Tanzania

E4S verdict - A charity that has raised a phenomenal amount for good causes - both at home and abroad

Sabre Charitable Trust is an education charity which sends volunteers out to a few rural communites they work with on the Ghanaian coast - in the Central Region. Fantastic opportunities to really make a difference as well as sample some of the most amazing culture and surroundings. Teaching or providing support in schools which lack proper resources will almost certainly be a life changing experience!

Cost - 12 week volunteering projects cost £1650. Longer or shorter trips can be catered for

Locations - Ghana

E4S verdict - A micro charity focused on helping people directly - you can individually make a huge impact. Awesome in our opinion! Well worth it.

Projects Abroad have the contacts all over the world to provide volunteers with gap year experiences. From teaching English to working as a journalist or spending time in hospitals - Teaching Abroad offer a wide range of placements and possibilities

Cost - For 3 months excluding travel: Approx £1500 but depends on project.

Locations - Africa, The Americas, India and Far East

E4S verdict - Big range of projects, and at a number of locations

Greenforce operates environmental conservation expeditions investigating the status of flora and fauna around the world. Their objective is to aid the conservation of marine and terrestrial wildlife and protect fragile habitats, particularly in countries in the process of development. Marine conservation volunteers finish with a scuba diving qualification too!

Cost - For 10 weeks excluding travel: Approx £2500 - £2900 depending on expedition.

Locations - Fiji, Bahamas, Borneo, Zambia, Ecuador and Nepal

E4S verdict - E4S Director has been to Zambia with them in a former life - and we still have to look at the pictures! Need I say more?!

They offer teaching projects abroad, sports coaching in schools and conservation projects. Requires a lot of fundraising which they help with. Very well organised and have been around for more than 10 years. A lot of emphasis placed on looking after you which is very important. Have donated huge amounts to charity.

Cost - For 3 months excluding travel: Approx £2590 but may depend on project.

Locations - Africa and Asia obviously, including India and Nepal, as well as Mexico.

E4S verdict - Well organised and one of the UK's leading Year Out Companies.

Blue Ventures Conservation is an award winning UK-based marine conservation organisation dedicated to facilitating projects that enhance global coral reef conservation and research. Volunteers dive twice a day surveying the reef, as well as teaching English, playing football in the local village and helping to implement Madagascar's first ever community run marine protected area.

Cost - 6 week expeditions cost £1780 for first time divers and £1580 for Advanced open water divers. Longer or shorter trips can be catered for.

Locations - Madagascar

E4S verdict - A charity dedicated to marine conservation - volunteers work with scientists, fantastic experience for an aspiring marine biologist

Volunteering Solutions provides reliable, safe and affordable International Volunteer Abroad Programs in 19 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin/South America to serve the local and needy communities. Our mission is to provide meaningful and fully researched volunteer and internship programs. Over the past 5 years we have placed over 4500 volunteers across the world. We offer a vast variety of Volunteer Abroad, Intern Abroad, Summer Volunteer Programs. Group volunteer programs and 2 week special program options for volunteers and interns to choose from.

Cost - Dependent on length of trip - some programmes from $300

Locations - 19 Countries

E4S verdict - With over 4500 volunteers placed Volunteering Solutions know what they are doing!

Company provides the opportunity to combine development projects with adventurous travel. Offers great flexibility from just 2 weeks of travelling to undertaking development projects in two different countries in addition to organised travelling tours. Development projects are offered in a variety of fields: teaching, building, sports coaching, medicine, conservation, tourism, architecture, carework and physiotherapy.

Cost - 8 week project and travel combination starts from £1685 but varies according to destination.

Locations - Ghana, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Peru, Tonga and Fiji.

E4S verdict - Great flexibility - you can decide on what projects you want to do as well as which tours you want to do - not tied down to someone else's itinerary.

With China's increasing international importance, the value of direct experience of the country and its people has never been higher. The Hutong School specializes in helping people to find internships in China. From finding the internship and negotiating a salary with the employer, to arranging accommodation and teaching you Chinese, we are here to help you at every stage.

Cost - Prices depend on length of stay - for an individual for one month costs are 760 Euros. This goes down to 480 Euros per month if you stay for 6 months

Locations - China

E4S verdict - China is the place to go - a growing economy, and a society that is more open than ever to foreigners and other cultures.