We are delighted to share the first the report from the winners of the Bradfield Society Travel Awards in 2025, Luella Covey (M 20-25). Luella’s plan was to travel to Sri Lanka  ‘to meet new people and discovering a new culture whilst English teaching to Buddhist Monks as well as being involved in a turtle conservation initiative’ meant that we were delighted to offer her our Eco Travel Award. Here is her report;

As I left Sri Lanka after four unforgettable weeks, with a deeper tan, a greater tolerance for spice and a phone full of photos of people - now friends - I’d only known for a month, I realised I’d experienced things I could never have predicted. Teaching four weeks of English lessons with no previous experience, hand-feeding baby turtles before releasing them into the Indian Ocean - and gaining a nasty bite from a 40-year-old green turtle! - left me with a broader perspective and a deep appreciation for a brand-new country and culture.

Sri Lanka has so much to offer; beautiful landscapes, golden beaches, incredible food and, above all, some of the kindest and most welcoming people I have ever met. My month volunteering with Plan My Gap Year immersed me in a completely different culture and challenged the way I taught, communicated and worked. My time was split between English teaching and turtle conservation, and although the two roles couldn’t have been more different, both taught me the importance of communication, community and education.

The Plan My Gap Year programs run all over the world and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to step out of their comfort zone and volunteer in another country. My four-week stay certainly provided the perfect starting point for my gap year travels and it felt like a safe and structured launchpad for further world adventures. Far from the familiar Bloods corridor and the St Andrews Study Centre, school life in Ambalangoda felt like another world. I spent four weeks embracing the rhythm of life there, discovering everything Sri Lanka has to offer - jungle parties, surf lessons and street food markets being particular highlights of our weekend travels.  The English lessons we taught formed part of an after-school club for local children aged between six and sixteen, with abilities ranging from complete beginners to confident speakers eager to improve. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka’s biggest industries, so being able to speak English can open doors to employment and future opportunities.

Our classroom was a Buddhist temple. Armed with little more than a whiteboard and a handful of ideas borrowed from Bradfield MFL lessons, I quickly learned to think on my feet. We explored and talked about topics such as festivals, different religions, dream careers and places we hoped to visit one day. Some of the most memorable moments were seeing how driven the children were to “become a pilot”, “explore Japan” or “become a nurse”. Despite their different ages and abilities, every one of them was eager to learn and their enthusiasm made every lesson rewarding.

Turtle conservation was a completely different experience, but just as inspiring. The sanctuary survives almost entirely through donations and volunteers, with local staff working tirelessly to rescue injured turtles, clean beaches and release hatchlings back into the sea. Our days were wonderfully unpredictable: scrubbing algae from shells, painting iodine onto cuts, preparing fresh fish for feeding and carefully untangling fishing nets from damaged flippers.

One of the highlights was releasing baby turtles at sunset, where 8-week-old turtles, no bigger than the palm of my hand, headed out into the waves. Yet alongside these hopeful moments came difficult reminders of the challenges these animals face. The busy fishing industry along Sri Lanka’s coast leaves many turtles with devastating injuries, including missing flippers, and one turtle had swallowed so much plastic that it could no longer dive for food because it had become too buoyant.

My most unexpected souvenir came during feeding time. Whether it was my poor technique or one particularly enthusiastic turtle, I ended up with a surprisingly painful bite from a green turtle. As I stood there in slight shock, Sanni, the sanctuary coordinator, simply laughed and said, “It’s fine. The turtles don’t have rabies.” It wasn’t exactly the reassurance I was expecting, but now with a recovered finger and just a small scar, I can look back and laugh!

The beaches revealed another side of conservation. Strong tides and limited waste infrastructure mean rubbish is constantly washed onto Sri Lanka’s west coast. Beach cleans became a regular part of our week, and it was astonishing to see what the ocean returned each day: plastic bottles, fishing rope, flip-flops, toys and countless unidentifiable fragments. It was a powerful reminder that pollution doesn’t stay where it’s created; it travels, affecting places and wildlife far beyond its source.

Looking back, the month wasn’t simply about volunteering; it was about perspective. I arrived expecting to help, but I left having learned far more than I taught. The children’s determination, the dedication of the conservation team and the resilience of the wildlife made me appreciate how much difference small actions can make when they are repeated every day. Sri Lanka gave me memories and friends I will never forget, but more importantly, it gave me a greater appreciation for the power of community, the importance of protecting our environment and the confidence to step into unfamiliar situations. 

Many thanks to the Bradfield Society for awarding me the Eco Travel award to help support this most amazing adventure.

Luella Covey (M 20-25)

Luella is now reading Neuroscience at Bristol University and we wish her all the best in her studies.

This summer we will once again be opening applications for our Travel Awards, with categories of Adventure Travel, Eco Travel and Charity Project. The application deadline will be Friday 7 May 2027. More details to follow…