LIFESTYLE GAP YEAR TRAVEL
experience closer to home. In centuries past, wealthy young
men would follow their graduation ceremony with a ‘Grand
Tour’ of the continent, visiting galleries, museums and private
art collections to improve their appreciation of Renaissance
culture. Two companies that evoke this spirit are John Hall
Venice and Art History Abroad, who offer trips to the art cities
of Italy. While it may be a far cry from backpacking across
southeast Asia, the experience can be just as meaningful. As
one father recently put it: “My son was the typical monosyllabic
teenager, but now he’s come back from Art History Abroad,
he’s intelligent and charming at dinner.”
Lastly, if it’s character building stuff you’re after, then it
made headlines by warning of a number of “spurious” schemes, doesn’t come more testing than doing a military gap year, now
“ultimately benefiting no-one apart from the travel companies known as the Short Service Reservist Engagement, or SSRE
that organise them”. On its website The Year Out Group programme. But it’s only for the committed few: it’s full-time
publishes guidelines for both parents and gappers to consider and includes a seven-week stint of basic soldiering training
and the Foreign Office site has further information (see box). followed by a two-week Combat Infantryman’s Course (CIC)
Far left: Gappers
What is also worth remembering is that many gap year in North Yorkshire. Candidates qualify as trained soldiers and in Kenya (top) and
Ecuador (below) on
schemes don’t actually last for a year; in fact most of those can take up a place in the regular Parachute Battalion.
projects organised
mentioned range from six weeks to four months. Gappers Of course, while a gap year is the chance of a lifetime to
by The Leap.
Top: A volunteer
often use these schemes to springboard into a further period of see and do exciting new things, it’s also a chance to reflect on
working with children
in Cambodia with
travelling alone or with the friends they’ve made on the way. where to go next in life. Allotting some of the time to simply
Project Trust.
Top right: Admiring
Gap years needn’t always entail a round-the-world trip ‘being’ can be just as valuable as climbing a mountain or
the works of art
courtesy of Art
and there are organisations that promise an eye-opening working in an African village – and doesn’t cost the earth. % History Abroad.
Lattitude Global Project Trust, a founding Year Out Drama
Volunteering is a charity member of the Year Out This intensive practical
Advisory services

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months, which have works in 23 countries links to the RSC include
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communities. schools, orphanages and Call for a prospectus.

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Tel: 0118 959 4914 outward bound centres. Tel: 01789 266 245 www.aventure.co.uk johnhallvenice.co.uk
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www.lattitude.org.uk www.projecttrust.org.uk yearoutdrama.co.uk
WWW.FIRSTELEVENMAGAZINE.CO.UK SPRING 2010 FIRST ELEVEN 77
pp75-77FE_SPR10 Gap FINAL.indd 77 29/1/10 12:16:27
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