Other Information

Cost - There is no fee for joining us on this trip. This is a FREE project, which is open to anyone who would like to join us. We’re a couple of volunteers who believe this is an important project and are happy to arrange a programme for anyone who would like to share an amazing experience. You will, however, be responsible for covering your expenses for the duration of the project.

Everyone is welcome to share the small steps apartment and a contribution depending on your length of stay will; be needed before arrival for this.

Budget - Setting out a budget for all people to follow is an impossible task. Some people will be joining us for a few days and others for a few months. Some will already be in Israel and others may need to fly from Argentina! Also, everyone has his or her own personal needs to feel comfortable. Some would settle for nothing less than taxis and hotels while others would be quite happy hitchhiking around Israel and sleeping under the stars.

Flights vary depending on availability and the time of year. Jewish holidays are particularly expensive. At present, fares from London for September are around £250 return but there are one-way fares for as little as £60 including tax if you’re quick and do your research.

While in Jerusalem you’ll need to budget around £50 per week for accommodation if you’re staying with us and quite a bit more if you want to stay in a hostel or hotel.

We’ll have cooking facilities in the house and will take it in turns to cook a vegetarian meal each evening and will prepare food for any excursions we go on so the cost of living should be very small while there. Some money will be needed for getting around and for joining some of the workshops we’ll have planned but this will be confirmed before you arrive.

You should always ensure you have a reserve of emergency money in order to get home or pay for any unforeseen expenses. You will also need to arrange travel insurance before leaving the UK and we’ll be happy to help you with this.

There are many ways of travelling on a low budget and this can be the most exciting way of travelling. For example, if you go to a supermarket at the end of a day anywhere in the world you will find that the sell-by food, which is usually of good quality, is either extremely cheap or free (a bit of bin-diving can ensure this!). It is always possible to offer to work in return for a bed for a night or a meal. You can travel across the world for free by making use of hitching lifts and there’s always somewhere to put up a tent. In short, you can have as small a budget as you wish for this trip and we’ll help you to make the most of whatever amount you bring.

Saving money - If you would love to come on this adventure but you are worried that you won’t be able to earn enough money beforehand, we have put together some ideas that will help you to save. Money really shouldn’t be the deciding factor in whether you come on this adventure or not… if you really believe that this journey would be good for you, then you should come. We’re more than happy to guide and advise anyone who needs to make sure they can afford to come.

The first thing you will need to do is save money. Get an extra job or do some odd jobs for friends and family and save a certain amount every week. Saving money isn’t always easy and requires a great amount of discipline and hard work but it is possible.

You can also try setting up some fundraising events to help you on your way. There are so many things you can do and it can be really easy to raise a good amount of money in a short space of time. You could donate a percentage of the money you raise to one of the organisations you’ll be working with in the Middle East. Some fun ideas are outlined below and we’ll be posting more as time progresses.

• Perhaps you could hold a garage sale of all those old books, toys and clothes you no longer use. You could be lucky enough to be able to pay for a large chunk of the trip. E-bay is another great way of selling things you no longer need.
• You could get a friend’s band to put on a gig at your local pub, with the proceeds going to your trip to save the world.
• Perhaps you could get your friends and family to sponsor you to shave your head or sit in a bath of baked beans for a few hours. You’ll be surprised at how much money people will pay to see you humiliated.

Fundraising for our projects - We would love to be able to raise some money in order to support and recognise the important work of the organisations we will work with as part of this project. The more money we can raise the better. We’ve already had a few fundraising events and if you can think of anything you can do to help support the work of some amazing groups, then that would be great.

Introduction to The Plan » The Journey: Europe & The Middle East » The Destination: Israel & Palestine »»» GET INVOLVED