Overview - Taith

The youth sector in Wales is diverse and far reaching, with organisations ranging in size and focus, and based within the statutory and voluntary sectors, including non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations.

Taith offers young people, staff and volunteers from Welsh youth organisations and local authority youth services opportunities to participate in transformative and life changing mobilities abroad, giving participants the chance to develop new skills and experience new cultures and languages.

Taith offers incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to young people from Wales. If you struggle with the application or worry about practical aspects of delivery, you can always email the Taith support team. I feel like there has been continuous offers to help from the Taith team, which makes both applying and the delivery much easier.

Gundija Zandersona of Kokoro Arts, following a mobility to Cyprus

Four people looking at the camera smiling, with a backdrop of a grassy hill, trees and some buildings.

Why participate?

International experiences can be life changing. Taith mobilities enable participants to develop the key life skills and competencies they need to flourish, whilst boosting confidence and raising aspirations for learners.

Taith is an inclusive programme which offers additional support for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds and additional learning needs, enabling those with fewer opportunities to participate in transformational experiences. With a wide range of eligible activities for individuals and groups, funding is available to benefit learners of all types.

The values inherent to international exchange align closely with the five pillars of youth work:

educative
expressive
participative
inclusive
empowering

International mobilities enable organisations to create opportunities in a truly participatory way, developing a programme of activities which is designed by and for the young people, and focuses on those areas they most want to explore, learn and develop. International mobilities enable young people to experience new cultures and environments, to develop key skills and competencies, and provide them with an opportunity to try new things and learn how much they are truly capable of.

For staff and volunteers, the opportunity to learn best practice from international partners can be invaluable. Taith provides opportunities for staff to learn through a range of options, such as training courses, job shadowing, and system development projects within Pathway 1, through to strategic collaboration projects looking to identify a sector need in Pathway 2.

Who can apply?

Eligible applying organisations:

Not-for-profit organisations and groups regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales working in the field of youth including:

Public bodies at local, regional or national level;
Non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including but not limited to registered charities and charitable incorporated associations, community interest companies, companies limited by guarantee that do not operate for a profit;
A consortium of organisations/providers which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more organisations working in the field of youth. All members of such a consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application, and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid.

Not-for-profit organisations working in the field of youth, which are not regulated or registered in Wales but operate on a UK wide basis, with demonstrable, recent, experience of delivering activity in Wales, may also be eligible to apply provided they meet the following criteria:

Satisfactory evidence is submitted to demonstrate:

how the proposed programme activity will benefit Wales and
that the intended participants are either (i) for outward mobility, participants who are actively engaged with an eligible organisation in Wales, or (ii) for inward mobility, the participants will be undertaking learning activity in Wales.

For-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.

Eligible participants

Staff/Accompanying persons:

Staff working in the field of youth, holding a contract of employment with an eligible participating organisation.
Volunteers working in the field of youth, with a formal volunteering agreement in place with an eligible participating organisation.
Experts working in the field of youth.

Young People:

Young people aged 11-25 actively engaged with an eligible organisation working in the field of youth, as defined in the eligible applying organisations section