Lattitude Covid-19 Update - April

8 April 2020 Update

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has required all of us to adapt and rethink how we conduct business. Heading overseas on a gap year has become a rite of passage for many young people, and we want to assure you that Lattitude will still be here to make that happen for you.

We acknowledge that now perhaps doesn’t seem the right time to be planning a trip overseas, but we also want to ensure we keep the dream alive! 2020 is not a year any of us will look back on fondly, but we must all remain positive and on-course for the brighter tomorrow that will happen.

If you are considering a gap year abroad with Lattitude, below are the key new updates that you need to be aware of:

Refundable deposit

Once you have been interviewed and accepted, you will be emailed an official offer letter, along with an invoice to pay your deposit to secure your position in our programme.

Under normal circumstances, this is a non-refundable deposit. However, due to the uncertain timeframe of COVID-19 travel restrictions etc, we have adopted a more flexible approach to ensure there is no financial risk to our volunteers proceeding with their Lattitude travel plans.

Your deposit will be refundable if: You have paid your deposit after 11 March 2020 (the date WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic) and if nearing your scheduled departure, you are still unable to travel, or if, following government advice, your destination is deemed unsafe to do so.

If you are still unable to travel to your first-choice destination, we can work with you to look at alternative destinations at short notice. In the unprecedented scenario of no appropriate departures being available, we will look to reschedule, offer you the opportunity of deferring, or refunds will be made available.

The remainder of the Lattitude fee will not be due until 60 days prior to your scheduled departure.

Some destinations suspended

We have had to make some difficult decisions recently, and although the bulk of our exciting destinations will remain intact, we have sadly been forced to temporarily suspend some of our destination programmes.

Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, Japan, USA & Vietnam will not, at this stage, be available for 2021 groups.

This will allow us to work efficiently with reduced staffing while maintaining the high level of support to our volunteers that we pride ourselves in.

We do hope and expect that we will be able to offer these wonderful programmes again in the future.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope that our revised application deadline and refundable deposit amendments will give you the reassurance you need, to look positively to the future and the exciting opportunities Lattitude offers.

Head over to our Apply Now page to begin your application, or contact us with any questions or concerns.