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There are Christian Aid offices throughout the UK and Ireland where local teams work with thousands of Christian Aid volunteers.

Local Christian Aid offices help organise local campaigns and events, coordinate with the media, and run workshops.

You can see a list of our offices here, but please note that not all of them offer gap volunteer placements.

If you are accepted onto the scheme, you'll have an experienced supervisor who'll help you work out the best ways to get involved with youth and student groups in your area.

You’ll spend a day with them talking through the work that’s planned for that region, to decide if it’s right for you.

Christian Aid produces various youth resources - check out m:power and the Learn website.

The Youth Marketing and Innovations team organises events and produces publications for 16-25-year-olds and is responsible for the On Campus section of Pressureworks. You'll work with staff across the organisation to get training, resources and experience.

There will usually only be one gap volunteer in an area office, working with between two and ten other people, although some volunteers link up with other gappers in their region for individual projects.

For example, in 2005, three gap year volunteers put together an HIV roadshow which toured youth groups in all three of their areas.

Some placements are run jointly by Christian Aid and a local church. In that case, up to half of your time will be spent working with the local church. The Christian Aid area office and the church will share responsibility for your accommodation, induction and supervision.

‘The Christian Aid gap year has been the best year of my life! In no other place would you meet people so fantastic, lovely and caring towards each other and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work with them everyday.’ Lucy, Birmingham, 2006

Next: A day in the life of a gapper