Good connections.
Lasting local skills.
EST brings together organisations with a practical need and people with experience to share. The purpose is simple: help local teams build the knowledge and confidence to take their own work forward.
Meet the people behind EST.
Every useful connection starts with a conversation. Here is where you will meet the people helping to bring EST together.
John
Biography to follow.
A little about John's experience and why EST matters to him.
Amy
Biography to follow.
A little about Amy's experience and why EST matters to her.
Head of Training
Name and biography to follow.
Details will be added here.
Built on the value of working together.
EST draws on experience of locally led partnership and volunteering through Global Support Link, a Scottish registered charity.
That experience includes fundraising proposals for beekeeping in Nepal, engineering skills shared through the Ramboll-supported biogas project in Cameroon, and Iqarus medical expertise helping develop health education in Nagaland.
It also includes mental health training with BERUDA and the Cambridge E-Learning Institute, and company volunteering and team-building programmes supporting non-profits and social enterprises.
EST is a separate initiative. We bring that experience to connecting organisations with individual volunteers and company teams in the UK and overseas.
See the projects on our homepage →
Learn about Global Support Link ↗Local people lead.
Skills stay with them.
Useful support starts with the priorities and expertise of the people who live and work there. These commitments shape every EST assignment.
Local need comes first.
Partners define the need, set the priorities and agree the work. Communities keep ownership of decisions and results.
No displacement.
Volunteers strengthen local teams. They must not take jobs from local people or replace paid local professionals.
Transfer skills that last.
Training, mentoring and working alongside people build knowledge and confidence that remain after the volunteer leaves.
Clear roles, appropriate expertise and respect for safeguarding, culture and dignity matter throughout. We agree realistic goals and review the value with the local partner.
Different experience.
A shared purpose.
EST welcomes people with relevant skills at every career stage — whether working, self-employed, taking a career break, semi-retired or retired — as well as company teams. Support can happen remotely, in person or through a combination of both.
Companies can bring colleagues together around a partner's real challenge as part of team building. The same principles apply: local need first, no displacement and skills that stay.
Water storage, medical education, renewable energy, project management and business management are examples of where experience could help.
Start with a conversation.
Tell us about your experience, your organisation's priorities, or a company team project you would like to explore.