If you’re the sort of person who gets bored after a few minutes sitting on the beach or by the pool and wants to spend your holidays making a difference to a local community or environmental project, then combining a trip away with a bit of work could be the perfect solution. There are hundreds of different organisations which offer working holidays, and the deal is usually that although you don’t get paid for the work you do, you get free board and lodging. If you’re interested in a working holiday, here are some ideas to get you started.

National Trust

One of the best known environmental organisations in the UK is the National Trust and they have a well-established programme of working holidays. A simple search function on the website lets you browse through opportunities by region or start date, and projects could include a weekend building a new active play area in the grounds of a Trust property, planting trees in the Welsh countryside or managing moorland sites. These holidays aren’t free, but they do come at a cost significantly less than an equivalent break and give the opportunity to gain new skills.

Chalet Staff

A winter twist on the working holiday opportunity is taking a job as chalet staff in one of the main ski resorts. Duties vary, but you’ll be expected to be on duty for a few hours in the morning and again in the evening to prepare and serve meals for your guests and to perform housekeeping duties. Most chalet staff have at least 5 hours free in the middle of the day, and use this time to ski, snowboard or just to enjoy the Alpine life. Take a job with many of the larger ski companies and you’ll often find ski hire and lift passes included in the package.

Charity Holidays Overseas

There are lots of organisations offering the chance to go overseas and volunteer, many of which are pitched at young people on a gap year. Some of these organisations are more reputable than others, so do your research properly, investigate the charity thoroughly and make sure that the project you will be helping is genuine. One of the best organisations for longer holidays of more than 6 months is Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) which offers professional placements across the globe.

Travel Rep

It’s not easy work, but many people work for major tour operators across the globe supporting British visitors on package holidays. Pay may not be high at around £500 a month, but you’ll get commission for selling excursions, free accommodation and often meal vouchers too. The downside is that reps are on call 24 hours a day, and you won’t be paid overtime if one of your clients’ needs your assistance in hospital or at the police station. Being able to speak the local language and having an endless source of energy are essential for life as a travel rep, especially in the busy Mediterranean resorts with a high volume of tourists.