;

Any ideas and plans that you have for a visit abroad need to be appropriate to the amount the young people and parents in your group can afford.

The key is good budgeting! Plan your budget on the worse case scenario. Any fundraising will then be a bonus. Making assumptions of high levels of fundraising could lead to a budget deficit and a revision of plans. Most funding agencies will not provide grants to make up for bad budgeting.

The 'Fundraising and Grant Aid for Exchanges and Visits Abroad' Factsheet (BP260006) is available from the Information Centre and includes details on Headquarters Funds available to support international projects and visits abroad.

International Essentials (the Suuport Resource for ACC/AACs International) also includes a section with information on Funding Bodies and support in making applications.

Finally, the Fundraising Departments has some pages on Scoutbase which include ideas, advice and support on all aspects of fundraising.

There are large amounts of funding available from Connect Youth International. Grants are generally available for medium sized groups, aged 15 and above, entering into full exchanges. Up to 70% of travel costs, £10 per day subsistence and contributions towards programme costs. The key is to ensure full involvement by the young people in the planning and ownership of the project and the real opportunity to explore issues of mutual concern with a partner group.