For most people, the idea of volunteering is to give your time, expertise or skills free of charge to support a cause you believe in.

It might be doing some shifts in a charity shop, it could be becoming a volunteer Community First Responder for your local ambulance service.

Lots of people volunteer to help underprivileged children with their reading or to deliver meals on wheels to the elderly and those in care.

Little of it is glamorous. But, wow, does it matter.

It’s not just those people whose lives are improved as a consequence of another person giving up some of their time.

Volunteering is enormously valuable to Britain – government estimates published last year suggest formal volunteering in England generated £25 billion of economic and social value in 2021–22.

There is a flipside to this good will – it has become big business internationally.

Whether it’s building a school in Africa after A-Levels or doing turtle conservation in the South Pacific, the market in costly overseas “experiences” is booming.

This week’s Money Problem comes from Imran, 51, an accountant from Birmingham.

His daughter’s proposed £4,500 volunteering programme has sparked a row with both her and his ex-wife. He asked Metro consumer champion, Sarah Davidson, for her view.

The question…

My daughter is 19 and starting her second year at university.

I am proud of her, but she has asked my ex-wife and me to pay for a £4,500 summer volunteering programme in Costa Rica because she says it will “look amazing” on her CV.

Her mum has agreed immediately and now expects me to cover half.

The problem is that my daughter already receives a maintenance loan, works a few shifts at a café and has just come back from a girls’ holiday to Ibiza.

I pay child maintenance voluntarily while she studies, plus her phone, car insurance and most of her course costs.

When I pointed out that flying to Costa Rica to work for free does not sound essential, she accused me of caring more about money than her future.

My ex says I can afford it and that denying our daughter opportunities will damage our relationship.

I think she is confusing giving our child a good start with paying for every experience she wants.

Am I being a miser, or is it reasonable to say that a 19-year-old with a part-time job should contribute to a trip like this herself?

The answer…

Imran, you are not a miser for asking whether a £4,500 unpaid work placement is worth the money.

“It will look amazing on my CV” is not a well-thought through business case, is it.

Jetting off to Costa Rica to the tune of almost five grand sounds a lot like a very expensive holiday with some “worthy” activities tagged on.

This said, maybe don’t dismiss the underlying idea out of hand.

The National Careers Service says volunteering can help people test out careers, gain experience and develop skills such as communication, organisation and leadership.

Those are precisely the things employers look for.

The question here is twofold.

Will a volunteering placement help her with her career? And does it really need to come at a cost of almost five grand?

Ask your daughter to bring you the full programme information, including the provider’s safeguarding arrangements, accommodation, flights, insurance and a detailed budget.

POLL
Poll

Would you pay for a volunteering holiday?

  • Yes, it’s a good opportunityCheck

  • No, sounds like a waste of time and moneyCheck

Check what the university careers service thinks of it. She should also look for funding from her university, her department, external bursaries or a relevant professional body.

Ask her to do the same for two alternative programmes – one of them closer to home.

She needs to look at the costs and the benefits she believes each course will bring her.

If she’s done all this diligently and you’re comfortable, offer her a contribution rather than an outright yes or no.

That might mean offering to pay for the programme itself while she covers her flight and spending money – the exact division is less important than the principle that she has some financial stake in the choice.

Your daughter should be able to tell you what she will do each day, how it connects with her degree or career ambitions and whether she will leave with a reference or evidence of the skills she has gained.

Afterall, her argument is that volunteering will help her learn valuable skills for work.

Learning how to secure the budget from you to do it is, perhaps, an even more valuable skill.


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