CAFOD announces new gap year opening in South East

This year's Gap Year group

CAFOD has announced a new gap year opportunity to volunteer with the development charity in the UK and to visit one of their international projects.

Step into the Gap, CAFOD's gap year programme which works in partnership with placements across the UK, have just announced a new placement at St Cassian's Centre, Kintbury.

The successful applicant will spend the year at the residential youth centre which is owned by the religious order the de La Salle brothers, in West Berkshire. During the year, they will also visit an international CAFOD partner in Sierra Leone or Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Bea Findley, who travelled to Peru during her gap year and volunteered at The Briars, got a job with CAFOD shortly after finishing her gap year. She now works in the Nottingham office and this year spoke on stage at Flame 2017, the Catholic youth event held at Wembley Arena. She said: "My gap year with CAFOD has rooted my faith and understanding of the Church. It has given me direction for the future and opened me to global issues. I have learnt the importance of being a global citizen and that that means having initiative and being part of the solution."

The scheme, which is open to 18-30 year olds, gives participants the opportunity to live and work in a UK placement for an academic year whilst learning more about faith and social justice whilst inspiring others to make a difference.

Jason Sheenan travelled to Zimbabwe during his gap year. Even though he has now officially finished his gap year, he continues to volunteer and has recently returned from a CAFOD trip to a sustainability camp in Portugal. He said:

"When I took a 'Step into the Gap', it wasn't a step but more like a leap into the unknown. Not knowing what to expect, who I'd meet and what could come from that.

"What has come from that is inspiration and motivation to make a difference. We really can be the change that we want to see in the world. And the passion and inspiration of the people that I met has shown me that we have the power to do that."

Sign up at: cafod.org.uk/gapyear