Responsible Tourism - our ethos
Careerbreaker understands and supports the need to behave responsibly and appropriately to both our customers and the host communities in which we work.

As part of the Madventurer Travel group of companies, we support and work with the MAD (Mottey African Development) Foundation, a registered charity (Charity Reg. No. 1111805) which enables sustainable projects in developing countries, focusing on key areas such as education, child welfare, primary healthcare, health education and employment skills. The Mad Foundation supports indigenous communities in creating better opportunities and scope for further development. Every penny raised by the Mad Foundation directly benefits communities in the developing world, with all monies going directly to community projects for the purchase of building materials and equipment and educational and vocational sponsorship. All running costs are absorbed by a small number of key partners and by our trustees.

A minimum of 10% of income generated by Careerbreaker Community Development Projects is donated each year to the Mad Foundation as well as regular donations from our Work and Sport Placements. Careerbreaker staff are free to spend up to 10% of their office hours fundraising and volunteering for the Mad Foundation, we also encourage our volunteers to get involved in raising awareness of the Mad Foundation and helping to raise funds.

To learn more about the Mad Foundation please click here

Learn more about:
Responsible tourism and our host countries
Responsible tourism and our customers
Key partnerships and useful links

In our host countries
We apply our responsibility to appropriate tourism and developmental travel by:

1. Assisting sustainable development projects that will make a long term difference and empower further development
   
2. Ensuring where possible as much operational budget is spent in the local community to assist its economy

“Positive change comes from projects which focus on long-term change, promoting culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable interventions that are acceptable to beneficiaries”
Professor Paul Sillitoe, anthropologist; 2003

Careerbreaker supports overseas development through its relationship with project partners, these include local communities, non-governmental organisations, governmental departments and academic research groups. Each project is researched and must meet certain criteria including having identifiable long and short-term benefits to the host community, ownership remaining with the community and long term sustainability. The project itself is led by the community, Careerbreakers role is to act as a catalyst, both financially, and physically with the volunteers presence, ensuring when Careerbreaker leaves, the project will continue to be managed and owned by the community.

Careerbreaker endeavours to reduce the negative, and increase the positive impacts of its operational practices. How?

• Water is a limited (or scarce) resource in many countries Careerbreaker operates in. We encourage volunteers to use minimal amounts of water on projects. We often rely on the collection of rainwater in order to wash clothes and fill the bucket shower! Drinking water is bought from local stores.
  
• Careerbreaker buys as many resources as possible locally, such as food, building materials, accommodation, skilled labour, guides and transport to ensure that as much revenue as possible stays within the countries that Careerbreaker operates in.
  
• Sensitising volunteers to cultural differences and guiding a particular code of conduct whilst living within a rural community is very important. We keep group sizes small to achieve this integration.
  
• Careerbreaker aids volunteers’ cultural integration through involvement in activities organised by the local community, such as drumming and craft workshops, language lessons, and guided tours.
  
• Careerbreaker ensures that its volunteers receive accurate pre-departure information concerning the destination countries and the regions we will be travelling to.

To our customers
We hope that from the information on this site, particularly our About Us and FAQ’s pages, you are already aware of how seriously we take customer satisfaction and welfare. Madventurer our parent company, has several years experience in the development travel industry and has won a number of awards and accreditations; and built relationships with key industry partners to ensure we provide our customers with a great career break experience.

Established in 2000, the Madventurer group has grown to incorporate other specialist brands including Careerbreaker. Our other brands are:

Madventurer
www.madventurer.com

A Gap year developmental travel company incorporating community development projects, sport and work placements and adventurous travel, for young people taking time out prior to university or work.

Call 0845 121 1996 or e-mail team@madventurer.com

Madventurer and subsequently Careerbreaker are ABTOT (NO. 5122) bonded. ABTOT bonding enables travel organisers to legally comply with the Package Travel Regulations by ensuring that clients’ prepayments are protected against the financial failure of the travel organiser and, where appropriate, repatriation to the UK is guaranteed. For more information visit www.ABTOT.com

Gapclub
www.gapclub.com

Our in house travel agency, Gapclub, is ABTA bonded providing customers with financial security and peace of mind, further information can be found by clicking on the icons below

Madventurer has won several key business awards in recent years:

Winner of the Shell Livewire UK Award for Sustainable Development 2001
Businesses were evaluated on the management response to business impacts on society and the environment – not just profit. The award recognised the aims to further the development needs of communities, whilst at the same time enabling people to gain experience through work and adventurous travel.

Of his win John Lawler, the Managing Director of Madventurer commented, “Seeing how our venturers (volunteers) grow through helping others gives us a real buzz, and this reward is great recognition for our efforts”.

Princes Trust Best Business 2003

Madventurer was honoured with the Princes Trust Business of the Year for the North East Region at Lumley Castle in Durham. Madventurer beat off tough competition and took part at St James Palace in March at the UK final, attended by HRH the Prince of Wales.

John Lawler, Director of Madventurer said, "Winning the award shows that it is possible for ethical enterprises to be successful and survive in today's thriving business environment."
If you have any further queries about the service we offer please don’t hesitate to contact us Tel. 0845 121 1996 or email us team@madventurer.com

Key Partnerships and Useful Links
Careerbreaker, as part of Madventurer, works in partnership with a number of organisations and NGO’s worldwide to add expertise and opportunity to our operations.

	Year Out Group www.yearoutgroup.org Madventurer is an official member of the Year Out Group. As a member Madventurer supports the aims of the Group and has agreed to abide by the Group's Code of Practice
	The Gap Club www.gapclub.com To book your flights and insurance - Call The Gap Club on 0845 833 1991 or e-mail team@madventurer.com
	The Year in Industry www.yini.org.uk Madventurer has teamed up with The Year in Industry offering a 20% discount to all placed students for any Madventurer project worldwide. The Year in Industry provides placements for both pre-university and undergraduate students in a wide selection of well-known companies throughout the UK. Maximise your graduate job prospects with relevant work experience whilst earning a good salary to supplement your travels with Madventurer at the end of your placement.
	Rough Guides www.roughguides.com Rough Guides publishes books on hundreds of worldwide destinations, and it puts that content online for readers to access for free!
	Duke of Edinburgh Award www.theaward.org The Award has teamed up with Madventurer to give added recognition to your experience. This means that as a Madventurer you can use your expedition to help complete your Silver or Gold award. The Award is an international recognized programme of personal development which can chance your CV. Anyone up to the age of 2 can access the programme. Madventurer offers activities that can count towards the following sections of the Award: - Service - Skills - Residential Project - Expedition (Training & Practice)
	Climate Care www.climatecare.org Climate care is an Organisation that funds projects with the specific aim of making reductions in CO2 and other greenhosue gas concentrations, in order to reduce climate change. Madventurer is committed to reducing global warming by offsetting all crew flights by making proportional donations to Climate Care. We encourage all venturers to do the same.
	Absolute Africa www.absoluteafrica.com Madventurer has been working in partnership with absolutely brilliant AA team in East and Southern Africa for the past 5 years. With some of the best equipped overland trucks out there, the AA and Madventurer crew support our teams of adventurers from the gorilla treks in Uganda all the way down to Table Mountain , Cape Town .
	Oasis Overland www.oasisoverland.com Madventurer and Oasis have been running Latin American Adventures across, around, and over this fascinating continent for the last 3 years. From the legendry Inca Trail in Peru to the Rio Carnivals of Brazil there is not a better value adventure option Latin-side.
	Adventure First Aid  & Vital Signs www.adventurefirstaid.co.uk www.vitalsigns.org.uk Madventurer has a bespoke training package for all our overseas crew that it has developed alongside the Vital Signs and AFA teams that often includes winter training in the Lake district !
	InterHealth www.interhealth.org.uk InterHealth is a medical charity whose aim is to maximise the potential and effectiveness of people working primarily with voluntary sector organisations, both overseas and in the UK, through the delivery of whole-person healthcare. Alongside significant health services and advice, Interhealth also have a travel clinic and travel supplies centre. Madventurer values the assistance available from interhealth particularly with health screenings, customized travel and safety advice, telemedicine and health briefs, which ensure that the health knowledge for madventurers and crew is up-to-date and accurate.
	Sumo Design & Komodo Design www.sumodesign.co.uk www.komododesign.co.uk Two of the leading design teams in the northeast, both Sumo and Komodo have enjoyed a successful business (and social) relationship with the Madventuer team over the past five years developing Madventurer's off-line (Sumo) and on-line (Komodo) presence.
Useful Links
	Foreign & Commonwealth Office www.fco.gov.uk/travel For all the latest Travel News on health and safety abroad.
	United Nations www.un.org Visit the United Nations for a wide spectrum of information on international development.
	Ghana High Commission www.ghana-com.co.uk For visa application details and all things Ghanaian.
Click Image to Enlarge	Travel Photography Competition www.tpoty.com To enter the finest Travel photography competition and see some of this years finest images check this out. Madventurer also runs it own madworldimages photographic competition. This year Doug Bell (22) won with ' Batty Beach '  that now adorns the front cover the the Madventurer Development Travel brochure. The question remains, which beach was the photo taken on? Answers on an e-card to team@madventurer.com
	Make Poverty History www.makepovertyhistory.org Madventurer supports the 'Make Poverty History' campaign. Make a difference - Read, email, volunteer, donate.
	Begin Career www.begincareer.com A Valuable Career Website and Information Resource.
	Gap Year New Zealand www.gapyear-newzealand.co.uk Follow your time with Mad with a trip to NZ.

© Madventure Travel Ltd 1998 -2006

Site by Komodo