After the Expedition

• What contact will the organisation have with me on my return?
• Will I be encouraged to contact other returned participants?
• Will my experience be used in briefing for future projects?
• What certification, reference or testimonial will the organisation provide?
• Will I be debriefed at the end of the expedition or programme?

What contact will the organisation have with me on my return?

Ex-volunteers stay in regular contact after the expedition and their email addresses are added to our newsletter database to keep up to date with the latest Trekforce news.

We keep all previous volunteers informed of any work opportunities that come up in the UK office or in the fieldbases. We often look for enthusiastic volunteers to help out with our recruitment throughout the country. This includes help on briefing events, fundraising events and careers fairs / gap year fairs at schools and universities.

In addition Trekforce will in future have a programme of Regional Coordinators who are selected by the UK office to be an additional focal point for future trekkers as well as attending careers fairs in their area.

Will I be encouraged to contact other returned participants?

You won't need any encouragement, as most people make some of the closest friends ever while on expedition.  However, with reunions and parties that are organised by Trekforce, you will always have a reminder to get in touch with any old faces that you might have lost contact with over the months or years.

Will my experience be used in briefing for future projects?

Ex-volunteers are encouraged to come along to help out at open days and briefing events, and most are only too glad to tell all their expedition stories and share their experiences with anyone who is thinking of signing up with Trekforce Worldwide for the future. We would like to have representatives in as many universities as we can throughout the UK who are also more than willing to meet up and brief interested potential volunteers. Please do call the office if this is of interest.

What certification, reference or testimonial will the organisation provide?

Trekforce are more than happy to provide written references for individuals on request.  In addition, taking part on an expedition qualifies Duke of Edinburgh Gold participants for the Residential Phase of their award.  You will also receive a Jungle Training certificate on completion of the Training package.

Will I be debriefed at the end of the expedition or programme?

All volunteers are asked to complete a comprehensive post-expedition questionnaire.  Each leader has to write a brief on each of the volunteers and references are available from them if necessary.  These questionnaires and leader reports are then assessed, and programmes altered and improved where appropriate.  You will be given another safety brief prior to starting your independent travel and Trekforce will ask for an idea of your travel plans.

You will also be encouraged to visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Website (www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo ) to ensure you are fully up to date with any travel requirements or safety issues for the particular country you are travelling to. Trekforce encourages this process through their membership of the Know Before You Go campaign.

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