1. What age are most of the volunteers?

Grumpies start from 40 but most of our volunteers so far have been in their 50's and 60's.There is no upper age limit although if someone over 75 wanted to come we would insist on a doctor's letter saying they were fit to travel.

2. Do I need a particular skill to work on a project?

No. All our building projects have locally recruited skilled foreman and craftsmen who will also train volunteers where necessary. What you would do is help them -carrying/plastering/painting etc.

Helping teachers in African schools requires no training but the ability to speak, and read out loud, english - the official language in Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya.If you are working with children in Peru an understanding of Spanish would be very helpful.

There are opportunities on most projects to help in community groups as well as playing games and introducing art and drama in schools.

If you are sports coaching in Fiji you need to have a good working knowledge of the sport you are coaching (but not necessarily qualified in that sport) and have bags of enthusiasm.

3. Will I have my own room?

Unlikely. Some accommodation is dorm style with foam mattresses on a concrete floor and sometimes individuals are in tents. We try to ensure couples coming out have their own room. However we rent an ordinary largish house in the village our project is located and don't feel it is right that the volunteers accommodation should look significantly more luxurious than the locals houses.

4. Who volunteers for the projects and how many people are usually on each project?

Those who want to come out and live and work way off the beaten track - and give their time free- tend to be more giving and caring than average and we believe more likely to get on with other volunteers/local villagers etc. Ideally the size of groups should be between 8 and 12 people. With Gaps for Grumpies in its infancy we usually share projects with Madventurer whose volunteers are in the 18-39 age range.

5. What happens if I am ill?

One of our staff is on hand 24/7 and you are never more than 24 hrs from a hospital. All our staff are first aid trained and we have developed links with a number of local doctors.

6. What happens weekends?

This is very much up to you. We provide all food and accommodation if you stay in the village over the weekend. However most volunteers go off in one or two groups to local places of interest; Grumpies often seek out a nice but cheap hotel for a night for a bit of comfort!

7. Can you arrange insurance for me?

No but we can point you in the right direction if you are having problems. But first we recommend you check as to whether your existing travel insurance covers you for your trip.

8. Am I met at the airport?

Yes provided you arrive on the day the project starts or the day before. If you arrive earlier we can recommend a hotel to stay in and arrange to pick you up from the hotel.

9. What about inoculations, visas etc?

When you book we immediately send you a pack of information which covers all the things you need to do in advance of the project.It includes a comprehensive health information pack produced by InterHealth

10. What makes Gaps for Grumpies special?

Basically you do; the sort of people who volunteer for our projects and who smile at our web site or publicity (and who don't mind being called a "Grumpy" !) means that the group should work and play well together.

11. What is included in the price?

First what isn't included are flights and insurance. We have good relationships - and give you our direct email links- with companies that provide these services but basically it is your responsibility to arrange.

We pick you up from, and drop you at, the Airport in the Project's country, arrange / book hotels on the night of arrival on your behalf if you wish, provide all food and accommodation in the village where your project is located for the duration of the project, transport you to and from the project- and where necessary during the project and provide you with fresh drinking water all the time you are on the project. We also give support and advice from one of our staff who is with you 24/7 while you are working on the project; they can answer questions/give advice/help with any problems that might occur etc. importantly we offer full back up from our management team in case of any emergencies- again 24/7.

We also ask every volunteer to make a small contribution to the costs of the project- materials,equipment,specialist labour etc.