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Dan spent his gap year with the Global Xchange programme, doing voluntary work in the UK and Indonesia.  I’d just completed a degree in philosophy, and was unsure of my next step. I chose to do Global Xchange because I wanted to learn more about the world and myself before settling down to a full-time job. I raised around £600 mainly through sponsorship from friends and family, which covered all the costs. Global Xchange teamed me up with 17 others from the UK and Indonesia to work on community projects in both countries over six months.
We were based in Luton at Dallow Community Centre for three months, and then in Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia, for the second three months. I was placed at a fruit plantation, and also ended up coaching football to a group of orphans with another volunteer. We managed to get funding to buy them football strips, balls and basic equipment. We also worked on community projects, including a concert in the centre of Kudus to highlight problems faced by people with disabilities. Among the performers were a children’s band from a school for the blind, and four volunteers including me. This was the first time I’d played guitar and sung for an audience and it served me well as I now have a band in Aberdeen. On my return to Aberdeen, I spent some time considering my options and within four months started working for Inspire, supporting adults with learning difficulties. I’ve also kept up my voluntary work with Befriend A Child and Leonard Cheshire Disability and I’m now training to be a mental health nurse. My six months with GX was a time full of surprises. Without a doubt, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experiences I had, the friendships I made, and the things I learned. Further information: | 
