Volunteering at Responsible Travel

Responsible Travel has always put giving back to nature and local communities at the heart of our business.

For over 20 years, we have worked with Brighton’s Cityparks team, and ranger Neil Doyle, on a range of projects around the South Downs National Park including making bat boxes, clearing scrub for biodiversity to thrive and restoring a wildlife pond.

Through our partnership with the brilliant Team Domenica, we’ve joined 60-plus other local businesses in helping young people with learning difficulties and autism gain skills they need to find office employment.

In addition to this, we also offer full-time staff members half a day every month to spend on the volunteer project of their choice. Over the years, we've been involved in everything from activism and fundraising to rewilding and mentoring. Read on to find out how we've been helping out recently, both in our local areas and communities, and in steering official policy.

Helping families with early births

As a proud mum of a young lady who turned up unexpectedly early, the Early Birth Association is close to Kathryn from our Travel Team’s heart. She assists with fundraising and staging events, and at Christmas helps create useful gift bags for families who will be spending Christmas on the wards with their children.

Providing support & companionship

Julia from our Travel Team uses her volunteering allowance with a social health charity called Together Co. They provide phone-based support and companionship for people in Brighton and Hove, and Julia has been chatting to the same lady for 18 months. “I think we both get a lot out of it.”

Keeping our beaches clean

One morning, whilst swimming in the sea off Worthing and looking back into shore, our finance manager Lyn was seized by the need to keep her beloved beach clean. She regularly heads out with gloves and an empty bucket, focusing on the smaller plastics not easily seen to the general passers-by. She’s found fishing nets, face masks, cable ties, lighters, lollipop sticks and much more. Lyn even built an amazing Christmas tree from an old pallet. Great carpentry skills – we’re very impressed!

Helping kids develop their reading skills

Writer Rob has always loved reading and after his son finished primary school, wanted to give something back to the place that had looked after him so well. He regularly spends an hour with groups of children at the school, helping them to develop their reading abilities and (hopefully) fostering a lifelong love of books.

Supporting rough sleepers in Brighton & Hove

Tim, our Joint Managing Director, was for four years the chair of governors at one of the largest schools in the UK. As if that weren’t enough, he and his family also host for Sussex Nightstop, opening up their home to young people in need of a bed for the night, usually because they are in danger of becoming a rough sleeper. They offer a welcoming and non-judgemental environment to get clean, wash clothes, have a hot meal, charge their phone, and have a good night's sleep. In 2020 Tim joined the board of trustees for Sussex Nightstop and later became chair. He also sits on the board of the Brighton Chamber, helping local business people connect, flourish and give back.

Helping the Clocktower Sanctuary

The Clocktower Sanctuary is Brighton’s only drop-in day center for 16-to-25 year olds who are experiencing homelessness. They provide a range of practical and emotional support, and a number of our team are happy to help in a small way, keeping the alleyway that leads to the entrance clean, tidy and most of all, welcoming, to those who need the Clocktower’s services.

Boosting nature across the UK

Justin Francis OBE, our founder, is the sustainability lead for the UK Government’s Council for Sustainable Business. In this role, he volunteers his time helping DEFRA ministers achieve the ambitious goals of their 25 Year Environment Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan. This work has included creating Projects for Nature, a new online platform that connects prospective donors and businesses to 23 nature recovery projects across England, from restoring oysters to the Thames, to fixing fells in the Lake District.


These are some of the other ways our team have helped make a difference in our communities over the years:

• Volunteering at the wellbeing garden in Stanmer Park, in Brighton, helping to grow everything from cucumbers to strawberries. Food gets sent to a community kitchen where it’s distributed, and used to cook meals for those who usually don't have access to locally grown organic produce.
• Mentoring young people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or leaving care by helping them develop confidence and self-esteem, and improve their interpersonal skills and wellbeing.
• Mentoring with The Girls' Network. Working with young teenage women, the organisation aims to help with the important work of building up confidence and provide more opportunities.
• Founding a festival to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The festival brought together a community of creative artists and wellness practitioners from all over the UK. Events included performances by musicians and spoken word artists, yoga and breath work classes, meditation, art workshops and more. Over £1600 was raised for the charity Mercy Relief.