English + · Ages 18 and over
Volunteer Work Placement
Study English in the morning and volunteer with a UK charity in the afternoon. inlingua Cheltenham arranges unpaid volunteer placements for students aged 18 and over at level B1 or above, alongside our General English 20 course. The placement costs £75 per week on top of the course fee, runs from September to May, and lasts a maximum of six weeks under a Standard Visitor Visa.
- Age
- 18+No upper limit
- English level
- B1+Intermediate and above
- Season
- Sept–MayNot in summer
- Maximum
- 6 weeksVisa limit, 30 days
How it works
This is not a separate course. It is an afternoon added to General English 20 — you study in the morning with your class, then go out and use the language somewhere it matters. That combination is the point: classroom English and workplace English are different skills, and most students find the second one much harder until they have done it.
Morning
General English 20
09:00 to 12:15, weekday mornings, in a class of 8 to 12 students at your level. Grammar, vocabulary and speaking practice, with a personalised learning plan.
Afternoon
Your placement
Unpaid volunteering with a local charity. You tell us the kind of work you would like to do, and we find you a placement that matches as closely as we can.
What we can and cannot promise
We will try hard to match you to the kind of work you ask for, and we will always find you the best option available. What we cannot do is guarantee a placement with a particular organisation or in a particular role — that depends on which local charities have capacity while you are here. Tell us early what you are hoping for, and be a little flexible about the rest.
Why do it
Four reasons students give, roughly in the order they matter.
- Your English improves faster. An afternoon among British colleagues who are not being paid to be patient with you is worth a great deal of classroom time.
- Your CV gets better. UK voluntary experience is recognisable to employers anywhere, and it demonstrates initiative as well as language.
- You meet the town, not just the school. Volunteering puts you alongside people who live in Cheltenham rather than people who are visiting it.
- You build professional skills. Working to a rota, taking instructions, handling members of the public — all in English, all real.
Visa rules
Volunteering is allowed on a Standard Visitor Visa. Students of any nationality can volunteer with a charity for up to 30 days, which is six working weeks, and can do this at the same time as studying an English course. That six-week ceiling is why the placement is capped at six weeks.
Paid work is a different matter and is not permitted on a visitor visa. A volunteer placement is unpaid, and neither inlingua Cheltenham nor the charity pays you.
Immigration rules change. Check the current position on the UK government website before you book, and tell us your nationality when you enquire so we can advise on what you will need. inlingua Cheltenham issues visa support letters once a deposit and administrative fees have been received.
Prices
The volunteer placement is priced separately from the tuition, because it is an addition to a course rather than a course on its own. You pay for General English 20 as normal, and £75 per week on top.
| Programme | Per week |
|---|---|
| Volunteer Work PlacementEPV · maximum six weeks | £75 |
- Includes
- Arranging and supporting your placement with a local charity
- Excludes
- General English 20 tuition, accommodation, administrative fees, transport to your placement
The £75 covers the placement only. You must also be enrolled on General English 20, which costs £375 a week for stays of one to four weeks and £355 a week for five to eight weeks.
What six weeks actually costs
| General English 20, 6 weeks £355 per week at the 5–8 week rate | £2,130 |
|---|---|
| Volunteer Work Placement, 6 weeks £75 per week | £450 |
| Standard homestay, 6 weeks £225 per week, breakfast and dinner, 7 nights | £1,350 |
| Registration fee (one-off) | £60 |
| Accommodation arrangement fee (one-off) | £40 |
| Total | £4,030 |
Four weeks with homestay comes to £2,800. Airport transfers are extra — a return taxi from Heathrow is £450. Build your own total with the fee calculator, or see every price on the fees page.
General English 20
The morning course that the placement is built around. Twenty lessons a week, 09:00 to 12:15, classes of 8 to 12 students at every level from A1 to C2, starting every Monday. From £270 a week.
See the group course →Practical details
| Age | 18 and over |
|---|---|
| English level | B1 (intermediate) and above |
| Required course | General English 20, taken in the morning |
| When it runs | September to May. Not available during the summer. |
| Maximum length | 6 weeks, set by the 30-day visitor visa limit |
| Arrival and departure | Sunday to Sunday. Accommodation covers all seven nights per week. |
| Location | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Accommodation | Homestay, or self-arranged |
B1 is a genuine requirement rather than a formality. You will be working with people who are not language teachers, and you need enough English to follow instructions and hold a conversation without support. If you are not sure of your level, take the free placement test and we will advise honestly.
Common questions
Can I volunteer in the UK while studying English?
Yes. On a Standard Visitor Visa, students of any nationality can volunteer with a charity for up to 30 days — six working weeks — while studying an English course. inlingua Cheltenham arranges volunteer placements in Cheltenham for students aged 18 and over at B1 level or above, alongside General English 20 in the morning, at £75 per week on top of the course fee.
Is the placement paid?
No. Volunteer placements are unpaid, and paid work is not permitted on a Standard Visitor Visa. You pay £75 a week for the placement to be arranged and supported.
Can I take the placement without the English course?
No. The placement is only offered to students who are also enrolled on General English 20. The course runs in the morning and the placement in the afternoon.
What kind of work will I do?
That depends on which local charities have capacity while you are here. Tell us what you would like to do when you enquire and we will try to find a match. We cannot guarantee a particular role or a particular organisation, but we will always find you the best available option.
Why is it not available in the summer?
The programme runs from September to May. The school is at its busiest over the summer with junior courses and summer camp, and charity capacity is lower during the holidays.
How much does it cost in total?
The placement itself is £75 per week. You also pay for General English 20 — £375 a week for one to four weeks, £355 a week for five to eight — plus accommodation if you need it, a one-off £60 registration fee, and £40 if we arrange your accommodation. Six weeks with standard homestay totals £4,030; four weeks totals £2,800.
Will I get a reference or certificate?
You will receive an inlingua Cheltenham course certificate at the end of your English course. Whether the charity provides a separate reference is up to them — many are happy to, and it is worth asking early in your placement rather than on your last day.
Interested?
Reserve a place in about two minutes without paying anything yet, and tell us the kind of work you would like to do. We will confirm a price and start looking for a match.
Prices valid for courses starting in 2027. Last updated August 2026.