Award Recognises Volunteering Heros

AWARD RECOGNISES VOLUNTEERING HEROS

Nominations are now open for the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Awards, hosted by volunteer travel organisation, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ). These Awards celebrate the exemplary efforts of individuals who are making important contributions as volunteers within their local communities, or communities abroad.

Whether in the area of social development, healthcare, conservation, or community outreach, nominations are open to all volunteers providing valuable support to help communities thrive.

So what makes someone a volunteer of the year? Giving back is second nature to last year's scholarship recipient, Nolan Moore, who is currently serving in the US Army. The 23-year-old spent four months volunteering overseas during his university studies, while serving as an intern for the Children's Defense Fund, helping to improve literacy among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Nolan is also a mentor for youth development organisations in his local community of Fort Portal, providing music classes, teaching English and giving young people opportunities for personal growth through sport.

Nominations for the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Awards are open until midnight on 27 November, 2016 (PST). From the nominations, a group of finalists will be selected. The IVHQ Volunteer of the Year will be determined by public vote with the winning nominee receiving a scholarship to volunteer abroad on one of IVHQ's community projects, which operate in 35 destinations around the world.

The Volunteer of the Year Scholarship will give the winner the opportunity to experience and contribute to an IVHQ project for two weeks. The cost of return airfares to the destination of the winner's choice will be covered thanks to the support of STA Travel, and the award will also include a travel insurance package from World Nomads.

IVHQ Executive Director, Dan Radcliffe, explained that the focus the Volunteer of the Awards is to celebrate volunteerism on a local and global level. “We're proud to enable socially-conscious travelers to have a meaningful impact in communities abroad, and these Awards recognise the contributions of international volunteers, while also celebrating the best examples of volunteering and community involvement at a local level.”

To submit a nomination for the IVHQ Volunteer of the Year, visit: www.volunteerhq.org/ivhq-scholarships.

About IVHQ: IVHQ is a pioneer of affordable and sustainable volunteer travel. Operating in 35 destinations across Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, Europe and the Pacific, IVHQ enables volunteers to make meaningful contributions to community projects in the areas of education, construction and renovation, childcare, conservation, wildlife and animal care, community development and social enterprise. Since 2007, IVHQ has supported more than 60,000 volunteers spend over 4 million hours supporting community projects abroad.

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