I keep telling people that I can't believe this is happening to me, but all best plans are sometimes laid to rest. I have accidentally set up a global travel business at the ripe old age of 65. In fact, I considered myself retired about 2 years ago and I was getting all the pieces in place. Joining a local class, reducing my outgoings, getting an armchair and knitting needles- you know the drill.
But many of you will know that from late 2022 I had been helping people who had been impacted by the bankruptcy of We Are Bamboo, a seemingly wonderful eco-travel company that left thousands of customers out of pocket, some of them to the tune of thousands of dollars. As a certified money advice practitioner among other things, I was in a good place to set up templates and provide accurate advice on seeking refunds. I hadn't lost very much money myself but I lost out on that part of my retirement dream. A holiday once a year to a developing country where I could join like minded travellers and give back over the course of 3 to 5 days.
I'd been to Thailand, India and Costa Rica with Bamboo and I found this kind of travel to be transformative. The ability to work alongside local people on sustainability projects, watch turtles lay eggs in the shimmering moonlight of the Pacific Ocean and waddle off, yielding a machete in the jungles of the Myanmar border- all totally awesome experiences. I had never handled a machete before Thailand, but I consider myself quite competent with one now. These were holidays I never imagined I would take and experiences beyond my imagining. So for me the loss of Bamboo was not about the money, it was about the loss of a world I never thought I would glimpse.
It's been a bit of a journey over the last 3 years but helping people get their money back was definitely one of the more rewarding parts. When EVA started, I was just referring people to the operators who worked with Bamboo but I was afraid that without the proper financial controls there was really nothing in place to stop the same thing happening again. Regulations vary from country to country but the in UK/EU the laws state that anyone involved in selling or promoting tours must have adequate and appropriate financial cover. In many cases that can be ABTA or ABTOT, but as most of the EVA community come from the USA, Canada and Australia we needed a more comprehensive solution.
In 2025 I was introduced to Matt Fenton from Inspired Ventures, a man with endless patience and a deep knowledge about the travel business. So basically two of the things I lacked! At first the relationship simply helped me to provide the financial protection cover that I wanted to have for people, but as time went on it was clear that Matt shared the same vision for sustainable, ethical and give-back travel that I did. It's a dangerous combination because every time we speak we add more projects and more destinations, but the EVA community have always had the last word in terms of where we go and what we do.
In August 2025 we made our EVA/Inspired partnership more formal for a number of reasons. Whatever we are doing is working- people are loving this type of travel and we are doing a lot of good in many places. So at almost 66 I have to wonder- what if? What if I can't do it anymore either through ill health or shuffling off the mortal coil. A succession plan was a key consideration so that the money, dreams and plans of the thousands of people in the EVA community will be assured into the future. The importance of having a good support team was also a big consideration- as we continue to grow people need good customer support and we have that with our Inspired partnership. And probably just the fact that working with Matt and the team at Inspired really helps make this a professional project but we still retain the ethos, the fun and the give back.
So as I start packing for my longest trip away so far, I know that no matter what happens EVA Volunteer Travel is in a good place. We have a very active community on Facebook who keep me on the straight and narrow, we are venturing into Tik Tok and Instagram and we are adding at least 3 new tours in 2026 to join the 4 EVA tours that we already have. But more than anything else, I know that I can offer you a wonderful immersive holiday with financial protection and do so in a safe space.
As always, you can contact me at any time either by emailing sheila@evatravel.uk or by using the contact form here on the website. And stay in touch to keep up to date with our exciting volunteer adventures!
